Swimming Up the River

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Swimming up the river on a sunny day

Water's so warm for the fish to play

They dive over boulders that are sunk in the ground

Some are so big that they have to go around

Swimming up the river on a sunny day

Lots of debris getting in their way

So they dive to the bottom, swim underneath

But they have to close their mouths to protect their teeth

Swimming up the river on a sunny day

Darting through plants trying to catch some rays

The stalks are healthy and the leaves are green

They swim back and forth and in between

Swimming up the river on a sunny day

Fish are looking for a place to stay

Protection where they can rest their fins

So they find some shelter and they settle in

Swimming up the river on a sunny day

Water’s so warm for the fish to play

They swim back and forth then up and down

They swim in between, beneath and around

Anaphora* is a figure of speech in which words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. Any classroom teacher knows that repetition helps children learn and grow. In this song every verse starts with "Swimming up the river on a sunny day." Words that rhyme with day thus provides the fish directions they go throughout the song. It is fun to act out with two hands together swimming like a fish. It is also fun to invite the children to move about the room, pretending they are swimming up the river, while following the directions of the lyrics.