# Miss Polly Had a Dolly

“Miss Polly Had a Dolly” is an English-language action song of uncertain authorship, recorded by 1964, about calling a doctor for a sick doll.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Unknown |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | Recorded by 1964; earlier origin not established |
| Best for ages | 2–6 |
| Mood | playful, educational |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/miss-polly-had-a-dolly/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick,
So she called for the doctor to come quick, quick, quick.
The doctor came with his bag and his hat,
And he knocked on the door with a rat-a-tat-tat.
He looked at the dolly and he shook his head,
He said, “Miss Polly, put her straight to bed, bed, bed.”
He wrote on a paper for a pill, pill, pill,
“I’ll be back in the morning with my bill, bill, bill.”

## How to sing it

1. Begin slowly so everyone can hear the repeated words and the action cue.
2. Rock a doll, mime a telephone, knock three times, examine the doll and pretend to write a prescription.
3. Repeat the song once and invite a different child to lead the cues.

## Common questions

**What does “rat-a-tat-tat” mean in Miss Polly Had a Dolly?**

“Rat-a-tat-tat” represents the sound of the doctor knocking at the door. The three repeated beats turn the knock into an action children can perform while singing.

**Who wrote Miss Polly Had a Dolly?**

No named author was established. Johnny Richardson recorded “Miss Polly” in 1964, and Edith Fowke printed the rhyme in 1970, but the song may have circulated earlier.

## Sources

- [Smithsonian Folkways — Johnny Richardson, Children’s Activity Songs (1964)](https://folkways.si.edu/johnny-richardson/childrens-activity-songs/music/album/smithsonian)
- [Internet Archive — Sally Go Round the Sun (1970), “Miss Polly”](https://archive.org/details/sallygoroundsun300fowk/mode/2up?q=Miss+Polly)