George Washington's Favorite Song

George Washington's Favorite Song?

"The Derby Ram" song has been known since at least the beginning of the eighteenth century. The ram has even been incorporated into thecoat-of-arms of Derby, England.

The song and the association of a ram with the town of Derby as a ballad made it's public bow in child lore in The Only True Mother Goose Melodies, c1843, and has been repeated in nursery books many times since then.

This ballad about one of the most elaborate lies ever told is said to have been the favorite song of "he who never lied", George Washington.


By eyewitness accounts, President George Washington once sang "The Derby Ram" to the twin sons of Oliver Ellsworth, William Wolcott Ellsworth and Henry Leavitt Ellsworth (b. 1791), while staying at the Reeves - Wright mansion home in 1796 during one of his visits to Hartford, Connecticut. There are other examples of Washington singing this song.

We have created an arrangement of The Derby Ram song in PDF format, with the many humorous verses, including a basic keyboard accompaniment and guitar chords.

We have also created arrangements of 7 traditional tunes related to George Washington in PDF format...

George Washington's Favorite Cotillion
Washington's Reel
General Washington's March
Washington's March - The President's New March
Washington's Hornpipe - short MP3 sample
George Washington's Hornpipe
George Washington's Funeral Dirge

The above basic arrangements can easily be used to create your own versions of The Derby Ram and the tunes associated with George Washington.