Mary Had a Little Lamb – Tab & Sheet Music

This page features the guitar tab (a chord melody) and sheet music (chords, melody, and lyrics) for “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

Mary Had a Little Lamb

The video below demonstrates the chord melody for “Mary Had a Little Lamb.

“Mary Had a Little Lamb” Tab

This is a fingerstyle solo guitar arrangement for “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” This style of arrangement can also be called a chord melody.

This tab is free online but also available for purchase as a PDF to support the site. Thank you for supporting more free content on FreeWheelinGuitar.com.

Mary Had a Little Lamb (solo guitar tab)

Download “Mary Had a Little Lamb” Guitar Tab as a PDF

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History & Lyrics

The nursery rhyme, “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” was published in 1830. Sarah Josepha Hale and John Roulstone are both credited for writing it with some controversy as to who really did write it and/or which parts of the poem were written by Sarah and which parts were written by John.

Who was Mary?

Mary Sawyer was born in 1806. In 1816, she took one of the lambs on her father’s farm as a pet because it was being neglected by the mother, and the lamb began to follow her everywhere and even followed her to school.

The Poem

Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school.

And so the teacher turned it out,
But still it lingered near,
And waited patiently about
Till Mary did appear.

Why does the lamb love Mary so?
The eager children cry;
Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,
The teacher did reply.

Lyrics (with Repetition)

A year after the poem was published, Lowell Mason put the poem to music, adding repetition in the verses to suit the melody.

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb,
little lamb, Mary had a little lamb
whose fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went
Mary went, Mary went, everywhere
that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.

He followed her to school one day,
school one day, school one day,
He followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rules,
It made the children laugh and play,
laugh and play, laugh and play,
It made the children laugh and play,
To see a lamb at school.

And so the teacher turned it out,
turned it out, turned it out,
And so the teacher turned it out,
But still it lingered near,
He waited patiently about,
ly about, ly about,
He waited patiently about,
Till Mary did appear.

"Why does the lamb love Mary so?"
love Mary so?" love Mary so?"
"Why does the lamb love Mary so?"
The eager children cried.
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,"
lamb, you know," lamb, you know,"
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,"
The teacher did reply.

Sheet Music

The sheet music below is the chords (with chord diagrams), the melody, and lyrics for “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

This tab is free online but also available for purchase as a PDF to support the site. Thank you for supporting more free content on FreeWheelinGuitar.com.

Mary Had a Little Lamb (sheet music)

Download “Mary Had a Little Lamb” Sheet Music (2 Pages) as a PDF

$3.99Add to cart

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