Go Tell Aunt Rhody

 Go Tell Aunt Rhody" is an English language folk song of nineteenth-century American origin. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3346. The tune is older, dating to the 18th century. It originated as a gavotte in the 1752 opera Le devin du village (The Village Soothsayer) by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

The subject of the song is grief associated with loss, in this case from the death of an "old gray goose".

A darker version of the song is depicted in the video game Resident Evil 7. 

Go Tell Aunt Rhody” may have originated as a play-party song during New England’s colonial days. Most Protestant communities had restrictions against dancing and playing musical instruments. Play parties were designed to sidestep those restrictions by using only handclaps for accompaniment and the simple patterns of children’s games to replace the intricate patterns of country dances. Depending on the locale in which this song was sung, the aunt may have had a name such as Patsy, Dinah, or Nancy. 

To download the easy alphanotes sheet music, look here. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

Go tell Aunt Rhody,
Go tell Aunt Rhody,
Go tell Aunt Rhody
The old gray goose is dead.

The one she's been saving,
The one she's been saving,
The one she's been saving
To make a feather bed.

The goslings are weepin',
The goslings are weepin',
The goslings are weepin',
Because their mammy's dead.

The gander is mournin',
The gander is mournin',
The gander is mournin',
Because his wife is dead.

She died in the mill pond,
She died in the mill pond,
She died in the mill pond
From standin' on her head.

Go tell Aunt Rhody,
Go tell Aunt Rhody,
Go tell Aunt Rhody
The old gray goose is dead.