one, two, three (Andy said) four, five, six (Johnny said) seven, eight, nine ten, eleven, twelve twe-e-elve swingin on a tree twe-e-elve swingin on a tree
twelve children swingin on a tree mommmy says come down before you break your knee (Mommy said) twe-e-elve swingin on a tree twe-e-elve swingin on a tree
mom says what to do before it gets too late four come climbin down it leaves us only eight (and I say) ei-ei-eight swingin on the tree ei-ei-eight swingin on the tree
mommy said come down ya have a well to fix two, a pair'll listen it brings us down to six si-i-ix swingin on the tree si-i-ix swingin on the tree (mommy said)
listen up, listen up if you want to stay alive one of them feared his life playtime only five fi-i-ive swingin on the tree fi-i-ive swingin on the tree
(INTRO RIFF)
five little children all of them are fun mommy went and shook the branch all fell down but one (and she say) come on now, Johnny boy listen to what I say there's a lot of work to do no more time to play (because we got) work to do, work to do work to do, work to do work to do, work to do work to do, work to do (INTRO RIFF) work to do, work to do work to do, work to do