A commonly used version uses these words and gestures:[3] The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout.
Out came the sun And dried up all the rain And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.
[5] It appears to be a different version of this song using "blooming, bloody" instead of "itsy bitsy".
A slightly earlier version recorded in 1909 in Indiana recorded from a college commencement more closely resembles the most common modern version:[8] There was a blooming spider Went up a blooming spout And down came the rain And washed the spider out Out came the sun And dried up all the rain But that bloody blooming son of a gun Went up that spout again The song is sung by and for children in countless languages and cultures.
It is similar to the melodies of the children's songs "Sweetly Sings the Donkey" in the United States, and "Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer [de]", "Ich bin ein kleiner Esel" (the German-language version of "Sweetly Sings the Donkey") and "Spannenlanger Hansel [de]" in German-speaking countries.