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School Days, School Days

Music by Gus Edwards; Lyrics by Will D. Cobb, 1907

School days, school days
Dear old golden rule days
Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic
Taught to the tune of the hickory stick
You were my queen in calico
I was your bashful barefoot beau
And you wrote on my slate
"I love you, so"
When we were a couple of kids
Nothing to do, Nellie Darling
Nothing to do you say
Let's take a trip on memory's ship
Back to the bygone days
Sail to the old village school house
Anchor outside the school door
Look in and see
There's you and there's me
A couple of kids once more

School days, school days
Dear old golden rule days
Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic
Taught to the tune of the hickory stick
You were my queen in calico
I was your bashful barefoot beau
And you wrote on my slate
"I love you, so"
When we were a couple of kids

'Member the hill
Nellie Darling
And the oak tree
That grew on its brow
They've built forty storeys
Upon that old hill
And the oak's an old chestnut now
'Member the meadows
So green, dear
So fragrant with clover and maize
Into new city lots
And preferred business plots
They've cut them up
Since those days

School days, school days
Dear old golden rule days.
Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic
Taught to the tune of the hickory stick
You were my queen in calico
I was your bashful barefoot beau
And you wrote on my slate
"I love you, so"
When we were a couple of kids

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When you encounter this image link to a non-NIEHS site

or the words "Non-NIEHS Link", it means that by following that link you will be leaving the NIEHS website. NIEHS is NOT responsible for non-NIEHS websites. Sites maintained by outside organizations may be changed without notice to NIEHS. Therefore, unless the link is to another U.S. government sponsored webpage, endorsement by NIEHS is not implied, and NIEHS does not guarantee their continuing safe content or privacy policies. So please ask your parent or guardian before continuing to any non-NIEHS website, and especially before providing any information via the internet or by e-mail. When last reviewed, the websites linked from the NIEHS Kids' Pages seemed suitable for you to visit, but that may have changed; if you have any difficulties or concerns with any linked materials, please let us know.