Three Little Fishies

Words and music by Saxie Dowell | Sung by Kay Kyser (#1 song in 1939)

Down in the meadow in a little bitty pool
Swam three little fishies and a mama fishie too
"Swim" said the mama fishie, "Swim if you can"
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam all over the dam

"Stop" said the mama fishie, "or you will get lost"
The three little fishies didn't wanna be bossed
The three little fishies went off on a spree
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea

"Whee!" yelled the little fishies, "Here's a lot of fun
We'll swim in the sea till the day is done"
They swam and they swam, and it was a lark
Till all of a sudden they saw a shark!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Till all of a sudden they saw a shark!

"Help!" cried the little fishies, "Gee! look at all the whales!"
And quick as they could, they turned on their tails
And back to the pool in the meadow they swam
And they swam and they swam back over the dam
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam back over the dam.

The music was sequenced by Ted Keener

For Parents

We hear that fish is a healthy source of Omega 3 fatty acids but also a possible source of contaminants. Should we serve fish to our families? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Food & Drug Administration have developed advice, including 3 recommendations especially aimed at women of child-bearing age and children.

For Kids

Dirt, bacteria, and fertilizers can be good for the environment, but they can also contribute to river and stream pollution. These waters, in turn, flow into ponds, lakes, and the sea. Keeping streams and rivers clean helps keep all the water downstream clean, too. That’s good for fish—and for people, too!

For Teachers

Small fish, big opportunities for research: that was the topic of a workshop help at NIEHS in May 2014. More than 150 researchers from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia discussed the use of small fish or fish embryos in testing to assess chemical safety at the Collaborative Workshop on Collaborative Models and 21st Century Toxicology.