Found a Peanut

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"Found a Peanut" is a repetitive and cyclical children's song, popularly sung on road trips to the tune of "Oh My Darling, Clementine".

One version of the variable lyrics is:

Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut last night. Last night I found a peanut, found a peanut last night.
Cracked it open, cracked it open, cracked it open last night Last night I cracked it open, cracked it open last night.
It was rotten, it was rotten, it was rotten last night, last night it was rotten, it was rotten last night.
Ate it anyway, ate it anyway, ate it anyway last night, last night I ate it anyway, ate it anyway last night.

The song continues in this format with various substitutes for the phrase "Found a Peanut." The phrases may tell a story by cataloging a sequence of events. For example:

  • "Got a stomach ache"
  • "Called the doctor"
  • "Penicillin"
  • "Didn't work"
  • "Operation"
  • "Died Anyway"
  • "Went to Heaven"
  • "Wouldn't take me "
  • "Went the other way"
  • "Didn't want me"
  • "Woke up"
  • "It was a dream"
  • "Found a peanut" ...

Or

  • "Found a Peanut"
  • "Cracked it open"
  • "It was rotten"
  • "Ate it anyway"
  • "Made me sick"
  • "Called the doctor"
  • "Said I wouldn't die"
  • "Died anyway"
  • "Went to heaven"
  • "Said a bad word"
  • "Down below"
  • "Shoveling coal"
  • "Didn't like me"
  • "Back to earth"
  • "Found a peanut"

OR

  • "Got a stomach ache"
  • "Called the doctor"
  • "Appendicitis"
  • "Cut me open"
  • "Died Anyway"
  • "Went to Heaven"
  • "Kicked an angel"
  • "Went the other way"
  • "Liked it better"
  • "Woke up"
  • "It was a dream"
  • "Found a peanut" ...


The song thus repeats itself ad infinitum.

[edit] Variants

In some versions, the lyrics "last night" are replaced by "just now."

Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut just now. Just now I found a peanut, found a peanut just now.

Another common variation on "last night" is "yesterday" which scans more suitably. It is the example used by in the now defunct comedy "This Morning With Richard Not Judy" (TMWRNJ) by Stewart Lee and Richard Herring.

Other substitutions include:

  • "green and mouldy" by "found it rotten" or "it was rotten".
  • "Wouldn't take me" by "Kicked an angel" or "Punched St. Peter".
  • "Penicillin" by "Didn't Work"
  • "Operation" by "Cut Me Open" / "Took the Peanut Out" / "Sewed Me Up Again" / "Left The Scissors In" / "Cut Me Open Again".
  • "Didn't want me," by "Woke up," and
  • "It was a dream" by "Shovelling coal."

Further lyrical variation after "Went to Heaven":

  • Didn't like it there
  • Went the other way
  • Found a job there
  • Selling peanuts

Or

  • Called the doctor called the doctor called the doctor last night
  • Last night i called the doctor called the doctor last night
  • Cut me open cut me open cut me open last night
  • Last night he cut me open cut me open last night
  • Took the peanut out took the peanut out took the peanut out last night
  • last night he took the peanut out took the peanut out last night
  • Sewed me up again sewed me up again sewed me up again last night
  • last night he sewed me up again sewed me up again last night
  • Left the scissors in left the scissors in left the scissors in last night last night he left the scissors in left the scissors in last night
  • Died anyway died anyway died anyway last night
  • last night I died anyway died anyway last night

Or

  • Met St. Peter
  • Didn't like him
  • Went down there
  • Met the Devil
  • Got a job
  • Selling Peanuts

Or

  • Met some friends there
  • Had a party

Or

  • Went to Heaven
  • Saw an Angel
  • Gave me a box
  • Opened the box
  • Looked inside
  • It was a peanut

Other foods can also be used, such as an apple, for which the second line can be "it was wormy"

After he "called the doctor", chant "said I'd be ok, said I'd be ok, said I'd be ok just now, said I'd be ok, said I'd be ok, said I'd be ok just now." Then continue with "died anyway"

Later after he "got to heaven" he got kicked out" then he "went the other way" then he "found a job there" "shoveling coal"

found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut last nignt last nignt, i found a peanut, found a peanut last night.

contninue:

it was rotten got sick called the doctor died anyway went to hell shoveling coal

[edit] Alternative


It goes: Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut yesterday, found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut yesterday...
...then swap the lines for these:
-where'd you find it?
-in a dustbin
-what d'you do with it?
-I ate it
-got a stomach ache
-went to the doctor
-cut me open
-what'd he find there?
-found a peanut....and the whole song repeats over again.

Alternative second line
-Had a worm in it.