The time signature of this song is not constant, unlike most popular music. This irregular meter perhaps speaks for the song's folk origin. The introductory lines, such as "On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me", are made up of two 4/4 bars, while most of the lines naming gifts receive one 3/4 bar per gift with the exception of "Five gold(en) rings," which receives two 4/4 bars, "Two turtle doves" getting a 4/4 bar with "And a" on its 4th beat and "Partridge in a pear tree" getting two 4/4 bars of music. In most versions, a 4/4 bar of music immediately follows "Partridge in a pear tree." "On the" is found in that bar on the 4th (pickup) beat for the next verse. The successive bars of 3 for the gifts surrounded by bars of 4 give the song its hallmark "hurried" quality.
Poll Results
| Option | Votes |
| 10 Lords-a-Leaping | 8 |
| 8 Maids-a-Milking | 7 |
| FIIIIIIIIIVE GOOOOOOOOOOOOLDEN RIIIIIIIIIINGS | 6 |
| 2 Turtle Doves | 2 |
| 9 Ladies Dancing | 2 |
| 7 Swans-a-Swimming | 2 |
| 3 French Hens | 2 |
| a Partridge in a Pear Tree | 1 |
| 6 Geese-a-Laying | 1 |
| 4 Colly Birds | 0 |
| 11 Pipers Piping | 0 |
| 12 Drummers Drumming | 0 |
― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 19 December 2012 18:40 (thirteen years ago)