If You're Happy and You Know IT

"If You're Happy and You Know It" is a popular repetitive children's song, stemming from an old Latvian folk song. The song is supposed to belong to the public domain, although many of the different versions of the song are still protected by copyright law. Music to this song coincides with the music of the song "Molodejnaya" written by Isaak Dunayevsky for the 1937-1938 Soviet film Volga-Volga. Another version was written by songwriter Alfred B. Smith (1916–2001). It has, like many familiar childhood cantations, been altered in various ways over the years for various uses.

The original song as it is known to many people begins:

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.

If you're happy and you know it,

And you really want to show it,

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.

A common variation of the fourth line is "Then your face will surely show it."

The song usually proceeds with other verses that replace "clap your hands" with alternate phrases such as "stomp your feet."

OTHER VARIATIONS

If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it

If you're happy and you know it, then you really ought to show it

shout "Hurray!"

(hoo-ray!)

say "Amen"

(Amen)

slap your legs

(slap slap)

turn around

snap your fingers

(snap snap)

slap your knees

(slap slap)

nod your head

(nod nod)

tap your toe

(tap tap)

honk your nose

(honk honk)

stomp your feet

(stomp stomp)

clap your nose

(sniffle sniffle)