Go Tell Aunt Rhody

The Old Grey Goose - Le Rêve - Rousseau's Dream

Go Tell Aunt Rhody is a traditional American folk song.

The melody may be a folk tune from old France.

However, it is most often attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who used it in his pastoral opera bouffe Le Devin du village which premiered in Fontainebleau on October 18, 1752.

The Aunt Rhody tune appears as a gavotte in the Pantomime (divertissement or ballet).

The tune has no lyrics and is danced by a shepherdess, la villageoise.

With time, this tune came to be known as Rousseau's Dream, as it allegedly came to the composer while he was suffering from delirium.

This score is an easy arrangement for piano.

It is easy enough to be played by a beginner : both hands use the five-finger C-D-E-F-G position.

For your greater enjoyment, this sheet music includes the complete lyrics in English (6 verses).

Duration : 00:15 per verse

Source : Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Le Devin du village (1752).