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In a cavern in a canyon,
Excavating for a mine,
Lived a miner forty-
And his daughter Clementine.
Oh, my darlin', Oh my darlin',
Oh my darlin' Clementine.
You are lost and gone forever,
Dreadful sorry Clementine.
Light she was and like a fairy,
And her shoes were number nine:
Herring boxes without topses,
Sandals were for Clementine.
Drove she ducklings to the water,
Every morning just at nine.
Stubbed her toe against a splinter;
Fell into the foaming brine.
Ruby lips above the water
Blowin' bubbles soft and fine.
But, alas, I was no swimmer,
So I lost my Clementine.
How I missed her, how I missed her,
How I missed my Clementine,
Until I kissed her little sister,
And forgot my Clementine!
forty-
Sing Out Loud Traditional Songs
For English Language Teachers Around the World
American English, United States Department of State.
Lyrics, MP3 and PDF download files for many songs available.
What is the meaning of the song?
Clementine drowns because the man cannot swim.
Can you invent your own words for extra verses?
Successful verses that fit the tune can be sent to
this website as a ‘footprint message’!
Here is an example with the suggestion that boy scouts and everyone should learn life saving skills!
Now you Boy Scouts, there’s a moral
To this little tale of mine.
Artificial respiration,
Would have saved my Clementine.
More activities:
Create your own arrangement of Clementine!
T. J. Perkins has done just that, and kindly shared
the piece with Musescore Community. Hear the score below!
OH MY DARLING, CLEMENTINE
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