English Folk Game · Elementary Music · Grades K–3
Full lyrics, how to play the tunneling chase game, the history behind this ancient British folk song, and a complete teaching guide. Also known as How Many Miles to Babylon — every version covered.
Complete lyrics
About this song
How Many Miles to London (or Babylon) is one of the oldest surviving folk game songs in the English-speaking tradition. References to the game appear as far back as the 17th century, and the song has been collected by folk song scholars including Cecil Sharp and the Opies, who documented it as one of the most widespread children's games in Britain.
What makes it especially valuable in elementary music is its solfège content — the song is entirely mi-re-do, making it one of the best songs in the repertoire for teaching Re. Once students know it well, have them play the game singing just the mi-re-do solfège instead of the words — they must still do the motions and act indignant, however! The haunting quality of the minor melody is immediately striking, and students often ask "why does this one sound different?" — which opens the door to a genuine conversation about mode.
"This song is entirely mi-re-do, making it great for recorders! Have the kids play the game but sing just the solfège instead of the words. They must still do the motions and act indignant, however!"
— Deborah Skydell Pasternack, The Singing ClassroomThe call-and-response structure — a group asking questions, two "gate keepers" answering — creates natural dramatic tension. Students playing the gate keepers have real power in the game, which makes the role exciting and motivating. The negotiation at the end ("not without a beck and a bow") adds theatrical richness that older students particularly enjoy.
What is "a beck and a bow"? A beck is a nod of the head, and a bow is a bow of the body — so the gatekeepers require travelers to show respect before passing through. This is wonderful material for a brief history conversation with older students.
Teaching guide
The call-and-response song structure makes it quick to learn. The game mechanics — how to set up the gate, manage the tunneling, and time the capture — have specific details that matter for keeping the game moving. The major vs. minor teaching moment at the end is one of the most effective aural demonstrations in the repertoire, and the exact way to set it up and frame the question to students is shown in the full video.
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What teachers say
"This is my go-to song for introducing minor mode. Students immediately notice the difference and ask why it sounds 'dark' — which opens a wonderful conversation about major and minor that sticks with them."
"The gate-keeper game is perfect for 2nd grade. Students love the drama of not knowing if they'll be caught — and the historical context ('a beck and a bow') gives older students something genuinely interesting to explore."
"I use the Babylon version with 3rd and 4th grade — the word itself sounds mysterious and the older students respond to that. The geography lesson ('threescore and ten' = 70 miles) is a bonus cross-curricular moment."
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See teaching guide →Common questions
Both are authentic versions of the same ancient song. "How Many Miles to Babylon" is generally considered the older version and appears in early folk song collections; "How Many Miles to London" is a later variant that became more widespread. Both work equally well in the classroom. The Babylon version has a slightly more haunting quality that older students tend to find appealing; the London version is more immediately accessible to younger students who know London as a real place.
A "score" is twenty, so "threescore" is sixty — making "threescore and ten" equal to seventy. The song is saying the distance to London (or Babylon) is seventy miles. This is a wonderful cross-curricular moment for older students — you can discuss archaic number systems, historical geography, and what it would have meant to travel 70 miles by foot or horse in the era when this song was composed.
The guards require travelers to show proper courtesy before being allowed through the gate. In the game, Group 2 waggles their fingers admonishingly at this line, and Group 1 gestures out to each side with "here's your please, here's your thanks." This theatrical moment is one of the most fun parts of the game — third graders especially enjoy acting indignant as the guards.
The game works from Kindergarten through 3rd grade, with different emphases at different levels. For K–1, focus on learning the song and experiencing the gate game — the minor quality is felt before it's understood. For 2nd–3rd grade, the full game with historical context about bows and becks is engaging. For 3rd–4th grade, use it as a springboard for teaching major vs minor mode — the contrast with a major version is one of the most effective aural demonstrations in the repertoire.
The real problem
Every teacher knows this feeling. You find a song, try it on Monday, and something goes sideways — the kids don't engage, you're not sure how to introduce it, the lesson loses momentum. It's not that the song was wrong. You just didn't have a clear picture of how it actually goes.
That's what makes The Singing Classroom different. Every song in the library — including this one — has a full video of Deborah teaching it with real students. You don't have to guess how to introduce it, how to structure the activity, or how to handle the tricky moments. You watch it. Then you teach it.
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