When I’m Older I Shall Ride A Bicycle
Ding your bike bell, zoom along the roads and fly up to the moon in this fun version of the classic nursery rhyme.
Origin:
This rhyme is a variation on the pufferbilly song aka Down By The Station. A traditional American song first published in 1931 with the lyrics:
Down at the station, early in the morning,
See the little Pufferbillies standing in a row.
See the engine driver twist the little handle,
Tst! Tst! Toot! Toot! There they go
The melody is borrowed from "Alouette" – a traditional Canadian song first published in 1879
When I’m Older I Shall Ride A Bicycle uses a similar melody and was first published in 1969 in This Little Puffin compiled by Elizabeth Matterson from traditional songs found in British pre-schools. This version used the lyrics:
Here comes a policeman riding on a bicycle, Ting, Ling, Ling, keep the roadway clear. When I am older I shall ride a bicycle, Ting, Ling, Ling, keep the roadway clear. Here comes a policeman driving in a motor-car, Peep, peep, peep, keep the roadway clear. When I am older I shall drive a motor-car, Peep, peep, peep, keep the roadway clear.
This version was performed by Zippy, George and Bungle in 1973 in the popular British kids tv show – rainbow in series 2 in the episode “cars” Which can be seen here: https://youtu.be/5zpnPRnjW3E
In the 1980’s we didn’t sing about the policeman, only the aspirational verses. But the song was often sung with emergency service vehicles. So, after bicycle and motor-car, there was a police car, fire engine and ambulance.
When singing the song to my daughter I kept adding more and more exciting vehicles to keep the song going, ending with the most outlandish – a moon buggy! With the joke that in space nobody can hear you beep a horn.
For the little woolly vision version I kept the fire engine, to represent the emergency vehicles and added a racing car – the design based on a vintage Bugatti, a steam train, plane, helicopter, rocket and a nasa apollo mission moon buggy.
Lyrics:
When I'm older I shall ride a bicycle
Ding Ding Ding
Keep the roadway clear
When I'm older I shall drive a motorcar
Beep Beep Beep
Keep the roadway clear
When I'm older I shall drive a racing car
Zoom Zoom Zoom
Keep the race track clear
When I'm older I shall drive a fire engine
Nee Naa Nee Naa
Keep the roadway clear
When I'm older I shall drive a steam train
Choo Choo Choo
Keep the railway clear
When I'm older I shall fly an aeroplane
Neeeeoooow woosh
Keep the runway clear
When when I'm older I shall fly a helicopter
Chockka chockka chock
Keep the helipad clear
When I'm older I shall fly a space rocket
Zoom zoom zoom
Keep the launch pad clear
When I'm older I shall drive a moon buggy
There's no air up here
- - Ed Hartwell
Video Credits:
Produced by Sarah Harrison & Ed Hartwell (Woolly Vision)
Animation, Direction and Vehicles by Ed Hartwell
Art Direction by Sarah Harrison
Puppets, costumes and London scenery by Leeanne Bell
Additional Set elements and props by Leeanne Bell, Laura Gardener and Caroline Bletsis
Brick wall by Malia Drye
Music performed by Gemma Storr
Recorded by Steve Pretty
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