There was an old lady who swallowed a fly

"There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" ("There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly", "I Know an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly") is a children's song with a cumulative structure. The song was written by Alan Mills, the lyrics were by Rose Bonne^[1]  Probably the best-known version of the song was released on Brunswick Records in 1953 by Burl Ives.

The song tells the story of an old woman who swallowed increasingly large animals, each to catch the previously swallowed animal. There are many variations of phrasing in the lyrics, especially for the description of swallowing each animal.