When I was younger even than Morpheus, my grandmother would sing me this nursery rhyme on the see-saw in Kissena Park.

See-Saw
Knock at the door
Who’s there?
Grandpa.
What do you want?
A glass of beer.
Where’s your money?
In my pocket.
Where’s your pocket?
In my pants.
Where’s your pants?
I left them home.
Get out of here, you drunken bum!

I’ve checked this memory out with my siblings. I’m not making it up.

On the other hand, times have changed.
— Trey Desolay    Jun 3, 10:20 AM    #

this is so very weird, i just googled see saw knock on the door, and i found this site. my grandmother use to sing it to me and i have now taught it to my 2 children. our ending is a little diffrent, we end it with get out of here you son of a gun. i didn’t take much time to see where this originated from but my mother was always under the assumption that my grandmother made it up. any info on it would be greatly appreciated. i was about to type it up and put it in a frame above my daughters bed b/c it is her favorite good nite song.
— karen    Jun 27, 01:51 PM    #

Interesting. We used to sing this song—“see saw”—growing up in Brooklyn in an immigrant community. Karen, you’re right—Googling it brings up very few results. I’m curious to see if we can find a common thread among those familiar with the rhyme.
— theodore    Sep 8, 03:29 PM    #

I, too, remember it as “drunken bum” (I grew up in the NY area as well). But I seem to remember “marjorie door” instead of “knock at the door”.
— Andy    Sep 26, 07:06 PM    #

My mom said her grandma and grandpa use to sing this to her, she sings it to my neice now and she loves it. i think my great g-ma and g-pa were from cali.

— Jess    Jan 31, 08:42 AM    #

My grandfather used to sing it with an Italian accent so it was like “see saw, knocka the door” who’s a there” . I also grew up in NYC

— Dawn    Feb 26, 04:54 PM    #

I was teaching this to my two kids and tried to google it as well because my grandmother had a thick Sicilian accent and some of the words didn’t make sense. My sisters and bother and I all remeber it as see saw “rockidy daw” who’s there grandpa what do you want a glass if beer…etc. With the ending as get out if here you bum! Funny how we all thought “rockidy daw” was italian for something. We grew up in queens ny.

— Ann    Mar 30, 12:46 PM    #

I, too, remember it as “drunken bum” (I grew up in the NY area as well). But I seem to remember “marjorie door” instead of “knock at the door”.

— Dating    Apr 13, 02:56 PM    #

his song has been passd down to my daughter, starting with my Italian ancestors….

— Lexy    May 18, 12:52 PM    #

I grew up hearing that song from my dad. I was born in Brooklyn, he’s from the Bronx. I learned it “see saw marjorie daw”

— Scott    Dec 11, 02:45 PM    #

Fantastic post, many thanks from designer fashions

— Anonymous    Jan 27, 02:43 PM    #

Wow, glad I found this!! I grew up in Brooklyn and my grandparents taught me this. The ending I remember was “where’s your pants, in the washing machine or at the cleaners or I left them home- then get out of here you dirty rat!!” .. funny

— christina    Feb 7, 06:17 PM    #

My family sang this song to me, too. It’s so nice to see that it has carried on, and of course, all of my siblings have sung it to their children so the tradition will go on. I’m from Philadelphia, born to Irish/Scotch parents.

— Donna    Aug 8, 02:35 PM    #

I forgot this for so many years until we had our own children. From our Italian family in Jersey City, NJ we had a different ending: ”... where’s your pants?, across the street, what number?, cucumber!”

— John    Oct 2, 01:59 PM    #