# Do Your Ears Hang Low?

"Do Your Ears Hang Low?" is a playful action song, usually sung to the tune of "Turkey in the Straw"; today's silly children's version is a cleaned-up descendant of a song British soldiers sang in the First World War.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | children's version popularised after WWI |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/do-your-ears-hang-low/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them o'er your shoulder like a Continental Soldier?
Do your ears hang low?

### Verse 2 (en)

Does your tongue hang down? Does it flop all around?
Can you tie it in a knot? Can you tie it in a bow?
Can you throw it o'er your shoulder like a Continental Soldier?
Does your tongue hang down?

### Verse 3 (en)

Does your nose hang low? Does it wiggle to and fro?
Can you tie it in a knot? Can you tie it in a bow?
Can you throw it o'er your shoulder like a Continental Soldier?
Does your nose hang low?

### Verse 4 (en)

Do your eyes pop out? Do they bounce all about?
Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them o'er your shoulder like a Continental Soldier?
Do your eyes pop out?

## How to sing it

1. Mime each action as you sing — pull your ears down long, wobble them, tie a knot, tie a bow.
2. Throw them "over your shoulder like a Continental soldier" with a big arm swing.
3. Speed up each time round, and swap in new body parts (tongue, nose, eyes) for extra silliness.

## Common questions

**What is "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" about?**

Pure silliness. It asks whether your ears (then your tongue, nose and eyes) can do impossible things — hang low, wobble to and fro, be tied in a knot or a bow, and be thrown over your shoulder "like a Continental soldier". Children act it all out, which is the whole point.

**What tune is "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" sung to?**

Most often to a short version of the American folk tune "Turkey in the Straw" (it can also be sung to the "Sailor's Hornpipe"). The bouncy melody suits the exaggerated, comic actions.

**Where does "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" come from?**

The children's version we sing today is a tidied-up one. A rowdier adult version was sung by British soldiers on the Western Front during the First World War; afterwards the words were cleaned up and it was taken up by the Scouting movement as a campfire favourite.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — Do Your Ears Hang Low?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Your_Ears_Hang_Low%3F)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5286402