Lyrics
I’m a little teapot, short and stout; Here is my handle, and here is my spout; When I get all steamed up, then I shout; Tip me over, pour me out.
#Rights
The words of this song are by George H. Sanders and Clarence Z. Kelley and are still in copyright. They are reproduced here, credited, for family and classroom singing; no reuse licence has been obtained, and nothing on this page may be copied further. Rightsholders can ask for a correction or removal — see lyrics & credits.
I’m a Little Teapot at a glance
- Country of origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Sung in
- English
- Words by
- George H. Sanders and Clarence Z. Kelley
- First known
- 1939 copyright registration; 1941 sheet-music edition
- Best for ages
- 2–5
- Mood
- dancing, playful, educational
- Last updated
- 27 August 2026
How to sing it
- Stand with one hand on your hip to make a handle and curve the other arm outward to make a spout.
- Bend your knees gently while pretending the teapot is warming, keeping enough room between children.
- Lean sideways slowly as if pouring, then return upright before changing sides.
Meaning and origin
“I’m a Little Teapot”, also called “The Teapot Song”, is an American action song written by George H. Sanders and Clarence Z. Kelley. A U.S. copyright record dates it to 1939, while the Morgan Library catalogs a 1941 Kelman Music Corporation sheet-music edition with music, words and dance steps.
The familiar game turns a singer’s body into a teapot: one arm suggests the handle, the other the spout, and a careful sideways lean suggests pouring. The complete four-line classroom stanza supplied for this entry appears above.
Rights status: the song is not classified here as traditional or public domain. The licensing record consulted for this page identifies Marilyn Sanders O’Bradovich d/b/a Marilyn Sanders Music as publisher and 100% owner. Publishing the supplied lyric here does not grant a reuse licence; permission is still required for reproduction, arrangement or other licensed uses.
Common questions
- Who owns the rights to “I’m a Little Teapot”?
- The song was written by George H. Sanders and Clarence Z. Kelley and copyrighted in 1939. The current licensing record consulted for this page names Marilyn Sanders O’Bradovich d/b/a Marilyn Sanders Music as publisher and 100% owner; permission should be obtained there before reproducing the complete words or music.
- May I reuse the lyrics shown on this page?
- No reuse licence is granted by their appearance here. The complete classroom stanza was supplied for this entry, but the song is not treated as traditional or public domain; anyone republishing, arranging or commercially using it should obtain the appropriate permission.
- When was the song published?
- The U.S. Copyright Office record dates the registration to 1939, and a 1957 children's hymnal reprint indexed by Hymnary carries the notice “© 1939, Kelman Music Corporation”. The Morgan Library catalogs a New York sheet-music edition published by Kelman Music Corporation in 1941, possibly the first sheet-music edition.
