How to Play Pop Goes the Weasel on the 6 Hole Ocarina

About Pop Goes the Weasel

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Pop Goes the Weasel began as an English dance and singing game in the 1850s, then quickly picked up lyrics that no one has ever fully explained. It mentions a cobbler’s bench, a monkey and the mysterious weasel, and people still argue over whether the words hide Cockney slang or are simply nonsense. Either way, the whole song is a setup for the one sudden pop everyone waits for.

On the six-hole ocarina that pop is a genuine jump. The line springs up to a high E right on the word, so the tune doubles as practice for reaching a distant note cleanly after a run of lower ones.

Pop Goes the Weasel Lyrics

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All around the mulberry bush,
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey thought ’twas all in fun,
Pop! goes the weasel.

A penny for a spool of thread,
A penny for a needle.
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.

Pop Goes the Weasel Ocarina Tab

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