There seem to be different versions of “I Had a Little Mule”. I’d love to learn more of them! Here are the first two lines which seem to be in most versions…
I had a little mule, his name was Jack.
I rode his tail to save his back.
Here’s the version from The Journal of American Folk-lore:
(From Mississippi 1909)
I had a little mule, and his name was Jack;
I rode him on his tail to save his back.I had a little mule, and his name was Jay;
I pulled his tail to hear him bray.I had a little mule who was quite slick;
I pulled his tail to see him kick.This little mule he kicked so high,
I thought that I had touched the sky.I had a little mule; he was made of hay;
First big wind come along and blowed him away.
Here’s another:
(From East Tennessee 1908)
I had a little pony, en’ his name wuz Jack;
I rode him on his belly to save his back.
Please share the version you know in the comments below. Also let us know if you sang it or chanted it.
Thanks in advance!
Mama Lisa
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January 1st, 2011 at 11:16 pm
I had a little pony
his name was Jack
I put him in the stable
and he fell through a crack
January 1st, 2011 at 11:18 pm
I am trying to find the second verse to a poem my father used to recite (he has passed away), it has something to do with a cream bowl…… up to his ears.
Goes with:
I had a little pony
his name was Jack.
I put him in the stable
he fell through a crack.
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:18 am
So far, I found here:
I had a little dog and his name was Jack
I tied his tail to the railroad track…
I had a little pony and his name was Jack.
I rode on his belly to save his back…
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:23 am
Here’s another one I found that’s similar (from Mid-American Folk-lore):
l had an old mule, his name was Jack. l rode his tail to save his back. His tail got loose and l fell back. Whoa Jack. l put him in the stable. He crawled through a crack, And skinned his navel…
January 7th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
I had a little dog and his name was Jack
I tied his tail to the railroad track…
Along come a train, Choo choo choo, cut that dog tail smack in two…
I’m gonna get me a hammer and get me a nail and make that doggy a wooden tail.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:24 pm
I had an old mule
his name was Jack
I put him in a barn
and he jumped threw a crack
He jumped so high
that he touched the sky
and didn’t come back
’till the fourth of July
March 23rd, 2011 at 9:30 pm
i had a little pony his name was jack put in the stall and he peed out the crack
March 26th, 2011 at 11:47 am
Below is the version my dad sang to us and then to his grandchildren. We loved it and thought it was hilarious. He died 4 years ago so i can’t ask him but I think I remember my Grandfather singing it too. He knew lots of similar silly songs. This was in Prince Edward Island Canada and my family is of Irish decent.
I had a little dog and his name was Jack
He pooped all over the railroad track
The train came by, the poop flew high,
And hit ‘ole (insert name of choice) square in the eye!
May 4th, 2011 at 2:15 am
To the poster “Tammy”:
The only little bit I know of the song seems to be similar to what you are looking for. It’s been a while since you posted, but I hope this can be of some use to you.
I had a little mule, his name was Jack
I rode him to the store, I rode him back
I rode him in the kitchen, under a chair
He fell in the slop bucket up to his ears
My grandmother sang this song to me when I was little, along with a few other old “country nursery rhymes” (as I call them). It seems like we sang both “to town,” and, “to the store”. And instead of “in the kitchen, under a chair”, our version features “into the kitchen, jumped over the table and under a chair”, and there’s supposed to be a pause (like a punchline, I guess) before the final line so it will sync up. Because the line is so long I shortened it right now. Anyway, if the lyrics you’re looking for happen to be a variation of what I know, you can make some easy substitutions (yours is about a pony, not a mule) and hopefully come up with what you need. Also, I have to say your song has a much nicer ending than mine! Hope it helped (by the way, I’m only posting because of what you wrote). Bye.
A.P. Mesirow
(Carter) (Milton)
June 6th, 2011 at 6:28 pm
I had a little dog and his name was Jack,
He liked to sit on the railroad track.
The train came along and there was a splat,
There laid my little dog on the track.
June 7th, 2011 at 6:28 pm
My dad (a new grandpa) just started singing this song to my son, but he cant remember any more verses. I’d love to know more!
I had a little dog, his name was Jack,
hitched his tale to a railroad track,
along came a train, choo-choo-choo,
cut that little dog’s tail in two.
Toot a loo, toot a loo, singing polly wally doodle all day,
goin to Louisiana, for to see my Suseanna,
singin polly wally doodle all day.
Had a little monkey, took him to the country,
fed him on ginger-bread,
hankle-spankle shot him in the ankle,
now my monkey’s dead.
Toot a loo, toot a loo, singin polly wally doodle all day,
goin to Lousiana, for to see my Suseanna,
singing polly wally doodle all day.
June 24th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
My Grandmother, born in 1910, taught us this, one of her favorites. I named my dog Jack in her honor
I had a little dog and his name was Jack
and he did ( a loud raspberry sound inserted here) on the railroad track
Along came a train, and the wind blew high
and all the (sound again) went in the conductors eye!
Fond memories!
December 4th, 2011 at 8:29 am
Atlantic Canadian version. My dad used to sing this to me when I was a kid.
Well I had a little dog, and his name was Jack,
And he peed all over the railway track.
Well the train came by, and the pee flew high,
And it hit the conductor right in the eye.
March 15th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
Had an old horse, his name was Jack.
I rode his tail to save his back.
His tail fell off and I fell back.
That’s what I got for riding old Jack
March 15th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Had a little dog, his name was Rover,
when he died, he died all over,
All but his tail and it turned over.
May 18th, 2012 at 11:48 am
My Grandfather sang: “I had an old mule, his name was Jack
put’em in the barn and he jumped out the crack
went down the road, and he never came back
I had an old mule, & his name was Jack.
June 29th, 2012 at 11:38 pm
My grandmother taught me this song:
I had a little dog
And his name was Jack.
He sat right down
On a railroad track.
Along came a big train
Choo-choo-choo
And cut my little doggie’s tail in two.
July 1st, 2012 at 10:44 am
Had an old mule
his name was Jack
his eyes was red as charcoal
I picked up a stick
hit him in the d**k
and fire flew from his ***hole
August 4th, 2012 at 7:22 pm
This was one of my father’s favorites. Born in 1921 I’m sure he got it from his father who was from rural NW CT. They both had a slew of these ditties:
“I had a dog and his name was Jack,
Followed me down to the railroad track,
Along came a train with a Choo Choo Choo,
Cut my poor dog’s tail in two.”
That was it, no extra line, but he would howl like an injured dog after it.
August 15th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
I had me a mule and his name was Jack…
Tied him up to the railroad track.
Here comes the train! “Toot-Toot-Toot!”
Ole Jack brayed an went: “Pooot-Pooot-Pooot!”
October 20th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
My grandfather use to sing a similair song to me: I had a little monkey put in the country, fed him on gingerbread. I say Brasso Brasso, kick him in the a**o. Now my little monkey’s dead.
December 25th, 2013 at 10:07 am
I had a little mule his name was Jack,he pooped all over the railroad track.When the train came by,the poop flew high and hit the conductor right in the eye.
January 1st, 2014 at 8:26 pm
my pap taught me this was I was wee little…
Had a little dog
His name was jack
Put him in the corner
And he peed out his crack.
There was much more to this song from a wishing well to a railroad track but can’t for the life of me remember this whole song. But it popped into my head the other day and have been trying to maybe google it but can’t seem to find it
February 1st, 2014 at 1:37 am
My grandfather always sang:
Had a little mule
His name was Jack
Took him down to the railroad track
Along came a train, said ‘toot, toot, toot’
My little mule went ‘poot, poot, poot’!
February 14th, 2014 at 6:05 pm
There once was a mule, his name was Jack,
Tied his tail to the railroad track,
Along came a train, “toot-y, toot, toot”
Pulled old Jack’s tail out
By the root-y root root
POOOOOR Jack
September 30th, 2014 at 4:01 pm
This is what my father-in-law used to get his niece in trouble with at Sunday school as she shared whatever her Uncle Jimmy told her, mortifying her mother:
I had a little mule. I fed him lots of corn. He lifted up his tail and tooted like a horn.
September 30th, 2014 at 4:04 pm
Very funny!
October 20th, 2014 at 4:32 pm
My daddy told me this poem about 70 years ago. I had a little dog his name was Jack, put him in the barn and he peed out out a crack, and he pooped on the floor and wiped his butt on the knob of the door. Maggie Shepherd
March 14th, 2015 at 8:57 pm
My Grandmother sang!! I had a little dog and his name was Jack . I took him down to the railroad track . Along came a train with a choo choo choo. And cut my little dogs tail into!!
August 3rd, 2015 at 5:31 am
My dad(born 1913) use to say, “I had a little dog, and his name was Jack. I put him in the stable and he jumped through the crack”.
October 9th, 2015 at 10:25 pm
My dad (born 1934) sang this:
I had a dog whose name was Rover,
Rover died when he was a pup.
He could stand upon his hind legs,
if you held his front legs up.
I always wondered if it was a real song or just something he made up.
February 11th, 2016 at 4:08 pm
My grandfather often sang us a song when we were growing up. He was born in 1889. His song was very similar to the Little Dog Jack songs listed above. Grandpa’s version went like this.
Had a little dog, his name was Jack. Put him in the frying pan, he came out black. Chick has a short tail, chick can’t fly.
March 18th, 2016 at 6:06 am
My grandpa used to always say to us:
Had a little pony and his name was Jack
Put him in the barn and he peed through the crack!
June 24th, 2016 at 12:49 pm
My neighbor always taught me songs to sing when I was little (this being the cleaniest haha!!)
I had a dog, his name was Jack.
Tied his tail to the railroad track.
Long came a train,
Went Choo, Choo, Choo..
My little dog went poo, poo, poo!! :)
September 8th, 2016 at 3:41 am
Had a mule, his name was Jack,
Rode his tail to save his back,
Backbone broke and marrow flew,
(Whoa Jack…or Get along Jack)
There was more, but I haven’t heard it since I was like seven, so the last line is lost. I love this thread and all of the different versions of a childhood favorite! If anyone has heard this take on it, please get in touch!
January 12th, 2017 at 3:26 am
I had a little dog and his name was Jack, and he pooped all over the railroad track. When the train came by, the poop flew high, hit the conductor right in the eye.
February 22nd, 2017 at 3:01 pm
This is a version my late wife sung to our son while he rode her leg while playing. I had a horse whose name was jack, I rode his tail to save his back, tail flew up! Head flew back! WOAH! Jack
That’s how I remember it. I just loved it and so did he.
March 13th, 2017 at 12:45 pm
I had a little mule
His name was jack
I rode his tail
To save his back
His tail broke
I fell off
That’s what gave me
The whooping cough!
April 4th, 2017 at 10:49 pm
My nana used to sing it like this:
I had a little dog
His name was jack
He liked to sit on the railroad track
One day the train came so very fast
It knocked poor Jack right on his a$$.
May 2nd, 2017 at 12:02 am
My dad taught me something a little different. Funny thing is, on our way home from church one Sunday in Fayette Co GA about 8 years ago. We heard part of this on the radio played by the Georgia state college playing OLD music.
I hah a little dog, his name was Jack.
Took him down by the railroad track.
Along came a train and ran over him.
Peanut butter!!!
Dad from MD, said there was lots more with many animals and verses. But I will never forget the surprise of my kids hearing it on the radio. I sure would love to hear the whole record.
Renee Marr. GA
May 2nd, 2017 at 5:44 pm
That’s interesting Renee, I think that version is a combination of two songs.
November 19th, 2017 at 8:52 pm
I had an ole mule his name was Bob
I fed him some corn, but he ate the cob
His belly got round and his feet got flat
And on that cob ole Bob got fat
From my grandpa in Eastern Ky.
February 23rd, 2018 at 1:17 am
My mom, from the west coast originally, always sang this to us. She would bounce us on her knee. Especially high on the word popped, and would stretch out the word back while she leaned our heads back. I have yet to see a kid who doesn’t love this.
I had an old pony,
His name was Jack.
I rode on his tail,
To save his back.
His tail POPPED off,
And I fell baaaaack.
And that was the end of my little black jack.
May 8th, 2019 at 8:49 pm
I had a Lil dog and his name was jack I put him in a box and he jumped out a crack. Along came a choo choo and cut off his tail he’s a short tail puppy now
Oh where oh where did my Lil dog go.
Oh where oh where could he be…
With his ears long and his tail cut short
Oh where oh where can he be…
Woof woof!!!
November 13th, 2019 at 1:00 am
My grandfather used to sing a version of this to us:
I had a little dog, his name was Jack
He s*** all over the railroad track
The train came by, the s*** flew high
and hit the conductor right in the eye
hahahah
November 30th, 2019 at 6:45 am
I had an old mule
And his name was Jack
I rode his tail
To save his back
His tail popped off
And I fell back
That’s what I get
For riding old Jack
So I got me a hammer
And I got me a nail
And I made old Jack
A wooden tail
Comma-Ki-ki-yippee-yippee-ay-yippee-ay-comma-ki-ki-yippee-yippee-ay
December 11th, 2019 at 3:03 am
My Grandpa taught us a dirty version much to my Grandma’s liking.
I had a little dog and his name was Jack
He used to dirty on the railroad track
The train came by and the dirt flew high
And it hit the conductor right in the eye !
September 3rd, 2020 at 1:46 pm
Brenda K. wrote,
“That wasn’t all of it.
I got me a hammer and I got me a nail and I made jack a brand new tail.
My mom told me that growing up.
I had a little mule and his name was Jack. I put him in a barn and he jumped out a crack.
Wish I remembered it all.”
December 23rd, 2020 at 10:36 am
I had a little dog called Jack
I wish they’d bring him back
He chased the big dogs over the fence
And the little ones through the crack
January 13th, 2021 at 1:45 pm
I had a little donkey and his name was Jack. The farmer tied him up the railroad track. Along came a train going choo choo choo. It made little Jackie go poo poo poo