# Bingo

“Bingo” is an English-language singing game about a farmer’s dog, recorded in many forms and printed in this “Bobby Bingo” version in 1907.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | 1894 (collected variants); 1907 (version used here) |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, educational, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/bingo/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

There was a farmer had a dog,
His name was Bobby Bingo O.
B, I, N, G, O,
B, I, N, G, O,
B, I, N, G, O,
And Bingo was his name O!

### Verse 2 (en)

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O,
B-I-N-G-O,
B-I-N-G-O,
And Bingo was his name-o.

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-I-N-G-O,
(clap)-I-N-G-O,
(clap)-I-N-G-O,
And Bingo was his name-o.

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O,
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O,
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O,
And Bingo was his name-o.

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O,
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O,
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O,
And Bingo was his name-o.

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O,
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O,
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O,
And Bingo was his name-o.

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap),
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap),
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap),
And Bingo was his name-o.

## How to sing it

1. Sing the historical stanza once through and clap a steady beat on each spelled letter.
2. For the familiar modern game, repeat the stanza and replace one more letter with a clap each time until all five letters are silent.

## Common questions

**Was the dog always called Bingo?**

No. Traditional versions vary, and the 1907 text on this page calls the dog “Bobby Bingo”. Alice Gomme had already collected related forms in 1894.

**Is the letter-clapping pattern historical?**

Replacing one more letter with a clap is now the best-known classroom game, but it is not printed in the 1907 source used for these lyrics.

**Why are there two lyric versions?**

The first panel preserves the 1907 “Bobby Bingo” stanza. The second gives the supplied modern six-round spelling game, replacing one additional letter with a clap in every round.

## Sources

- [A. B. Gomme, The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland, vol. I (1894)](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41727)
- [Dorothy Canfield Fisher, What Shall We Do Now? (1907)](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31186)
- [Mississippi Department of Education — Songs and Poems for All Units (B-I-N-G-O)](https://mdek12.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2024/11/MDE_All-Songs-and-Poems_FINAL-11212024.pdf)