“Row Row Row Your Boat” is one of the simplest songs in the world. Little kids sing it. It’s obvious what time signature it’s in. Or so you would think. But people are arguing about it on Reddit, and more people are arguing about it on Twitter, and there is no consensus. Is it in 4/4 with a triplet or swing feel? Is it in 3/4? Or 6/8? Or maybe 12/8? Some people have seen it notated in 2/4. A number of people say that the answer is obvious, but they don’t agree with each other what that answer is. I decided to settle the question once and for all. Using my Time Signature Song as a backing track, I recorded myself singing it in 4/4, 2/4, 3/4, 6/8, 12/8, 5/4, 5/8, 10/4, 7/4, 7/8, 9/4, 9/8, 11/8, and 13/8.  

Hope that clears things up. You can all go on with your lives now.

By the way, here are the sources of my samples:

  • 4/4: Michael Jackson – “Billie Jean”
  • 2/4: Art Blakey – “Blues March”
  • 3/4: John Coltrane – “My Favorite Things”
  • 6/8: The Beatles – “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”
  • 12/8: Duke Ellington – “Blues in Orbit”
  • 5/4: Dave Brubeck – “Take Five”
  • 5/8: Lalo Schifrin – “Mission Impossible Theme”
  • 7/4: Peter Gabriel – “Solsbury Hill”
  • 7/8: Can – “One More Night”
  • 9/4: Balkan Beat Box – “9/4 the Ladies”
  • 9/8: Led Zeppelin – “The Crunge”
  • 10/4: Grateful Dead – “Playing in the Band”
  • 11/8: Allman Brothers Band – “Whipping Post”
  • 13/8: Mahavishnu Orchestra – “One Word”

Here’s a chart:

3 replies on “No one can agree what time signature “Row Row Row Your Boat” is in”

  1. Sounds like the sample list is missing “10/4: Bob Weir – “Playing in the Band””

    2. Came here to ask what that one was! It’s the best of them, too, IMO.

Comments are closed.