The origins of this popular cumulative children’s song are unclear. It is generally believed to be of French Canadian origin, and it was first published in Montreal in 1879 in A Pocket Song Book for the Use of Students and Graduates of McGill College, but Canadian folklorist Marius Barbeau believed it was originally from France. An “alouette” is a skylark, and the song is about plucking the feathers from various parts of the body to prepare it for eating. American servicemen learned it in France during WWI and took it back to America with them. I sing it here with a little help from my two-year-old grandson and my wife. Please excuse my poor pronunciation. After all, I’m only 25% French! A playlist of my children’s songs is here: www.youtube.com For lyrics and chords of my songs, please see my website: www.raymondcrooke.com