Verse 1: Nothing to do, Nellie Darling,
Nothing to do you say,
Let's take a trip on memory's ship,
Back to the by gone days
Sail to the old village school house,
Anchor outside the school door,
Look in and see, there's you and there's me,
A couple of kids once more

Chorus: School days, school days, dear old golden rule days,
Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic, Taught to the tune of a hick'ry stick,
You were my queen in calico, I was your bashful barefoot beau,
And you wrote on my slate, I love you Joe, When we were a couple of kids.

Verse 2: 'Member the hill, Nellie Darling,
And the oak tree that grew on it's brow?
They've built forty stories upon that old hill,
And the oaks an old chestnut now.
'Member the meadows so green dear,
So fragrant with clover and maize,
Into new city lots and preferred bus'ness plots,
They've cut them up since those days.

Chorus: School days, school days, dear old golden rule days,
Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic, Taught to the tune of a hick'ry stick,
You were my queen in calico, I was your bashful barefoot beau,
And you wrote on my slate, I love you Joe, When we were a couple of kids.