The old man

[Gnisy]

If you know the old nursery rhyme that goes:
This old man, he played one, he played knick nack on my drum, with a knick nack, paddywhack, give a dog a bone, this old man came rolling home.

Was any part suppose to make sense at all? and if possible, what is the origin to this weird old man's tale of the jiggy?

[mata hari]

I don't know where it originated from, but isn't it a counting song i.e. my old man, he played two, he played knick knack on my shoe etc ?

[sunnyside]

I remember it as a counting song. I think it's just supposed the rhyme and teach counting.

[1rovert]

I don't know where it originated from, but during the war, we used to sing this, making up our own words ie: three - knee, four - door, five - hive(beehive), six - sticks etc. We sang it when the bombs were dropping, it took our minds off of them. (As you would say today -NOT).