The Grand Old Duke of York The Marching Action Rhyme, With Lyrics and a Free Printable

🎵 The Grand Old Duke of York Lyrics

Both verses of the marching rhyme — the Duke and his ten thousand men, up the hill and down again.

Oh, the grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.

And when they were up, they were up,
And when they were down, they were down,
And when they were only halfway up,
They were neither up nor down.

🎺 Sing It Together — The Actions

This rhyme is sung standing up. March in place through the first verse, then move with the second: stand tall on “up,” crouch right down on “down,” and freeze in a half-crouch — knees bent, wobbling — on “only halfway up,” because the men are “neither up nor down.” The halfway freeze is the line every child waits for, and it is worth holding a second longer than feels sensible.

Once your child knows the moves, let them be the Duke: they sing (or shout) the orders and everyone else marches. It is direction-following, big-movement practice and a first lesson in opposites — up, down, and the funny place in between — all disguised as a game.

🖨️ How to Use This Rhyme

1. Stand up and sing it with the moves. Tall for up, crouched for down, frozen halfway in between. The actions above are the traditional ones — start there.
2. March a lap. On the first verse, march around the room like the ten thousand men, then turn around and march back down the “hill.”
3. Print the lyrics sheet. Prop it against a chair or wall at marching height, so the leader of the parade can sing straight from the page.
4. Let your child lead. Hand over command: your child calls the verses and the whole family marches. Leading the song is the part they will ask for again.