This Classic Children’s Song Taught Grit Before It Was Cool

“Poor old Michael Finnegan, Begin Again”

Photo by Edi Libedinsky on Unsplash

“More!”

My daughter is a growing toddler. She loves to listen to music in the car. Specifically, children’s music. Therefore, I’ve been listening to a lot of children’s music.

As I drive her to daycare, a song stands out to me. Though I’ve heard it dozens of times, today the words rattle around in my brain more than usual. When I replay the song and listen to the words closely, I notice that, above the fun rhythm and catchy rhymes, there is a message. Sure, it has the silliness of other children’s songs, but there is something deeper to be gleaned.

Within that song is a lesson of grit.

Michael Finnegan

The song is Michael Finnegan. Here are the lyrics:

“There was an old man
Named Michael Finnegan
He had whiskers
On his chin-ne-gan
The wind blew them off
And blew them on again
Poor old Michael Finnegan, Begin Again

There was an old man
Named Michael Finnegan
He went fishing
With a pinnegan
Sat all day
Reeled it in again
Poor old Michael…