# Two Little Blackbirds

"Two Little Blackbirds" is an English nursery fingerplay recorded since about 1765, in which two birds named Peter and Paul fly away and come back — acted out with two hidden and reappearing fingers.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | first recorded c. 1765 |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/two-little-blackbirds/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Two little blackbirds sitting on a wall,
One named Peter,
The other named Paul.

### Verse 2 (en)

Fly away, Peter!
Fly away, Paul!
Come back, Peter!
Come back, Paul!

## How to sing it

1. Hold up two index fingers as the two birds sitting on the wall.
2. On "fly away", send each finger up and behind your back in turn.
3. On "come back", bring each finger back to the wall — the delight is in the return.

## Common questions

**How do you play "Two Little Blackbirds"?**

As a fingerplay. Your two index fingers are the birds, Peter and Paul, perched on a wall. One at a time they "fly away" — the finger disappears behind your back — and then, to a child's great satisfaction, they "come back" again. It is a tiny game of disappearance and return, like peekaboo.

**How old is "Two Little Blackbirds", and why Peter and Paul?**

It was first recorded around 1765, in "Mother Goose's Melody". In the earliest version the birds were named Jack and Gill and sat on a hill; the names were changed to Peter and Paul (after the apostles), on a wall, in the 19th century.

**Why is it called "Two Little Blackbirds" sometimes and "dickie birds" other times?**

They are the same rhyme. "Two Little Dickie Birds" is the older British name ("dickie bird" is affectionate slang for a little bird), while "Two Little Blackbirds" is the more common American form.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — Two Little Dickie Birds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Little_Dickie_Birds)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7859054