Traditional nursery rhymes

The origins of Willy Boy, Willy Boy are unclear but it was first seen published in the 1881 book “Mother Goose or the Old Nursery Rhymes” by Kate Greenaway. “Willy Boy, Willy Boy, Where Are You Going? ” Lyrics Willy

The first mention of Daffydowndilly was in the title of a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1843 called “Little Daffydowndilly”. It is not known when the rhyme was first sung but one slightly modified version (the petticoat is fine, not

This fun little poem has unknown origins. Structurally it bears some resemblance to rhymes like “If all the World Was Apple Pie” or “If all the World Were Paper“. “If All the Seas Were One Sea” Lyrics If all the

Little Tommy Tucker is an old nursery rhyme first documented in 1744. Little is known about who Tommy Tucker but the name might be a blanket name given to any orphan. In some versions of the song the bread is

This short and sweet nursery rhyme was first published in Harry’s Ladder to Learning in 1850 where the lyrics had two more lines at the end. Original version If all the world was apple-pie, And all the sea was ink,

Little is known about the origins of Little Polly Flinders and about her identity. The nursery rhyme has fallen out of use due to changing social norms. Initially, the “moral” of the rhyme was to teach young girls to pay

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean is a very popular old Scottish song that originated probably in the 18th century. It is theorized that the song refers to Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Stuart claimant to the throne of Great Britain.

Many of the popular nursery rhymes today are about a profession that no longer exists (like the candlestick maker in Rub-a-Dub-Dub). So is this nursery rhyme, describing the interaction between a cobbler, a common profession a hundred years ago and

In years gone by, in certain parts of England, to ask a maid if you could go ‘milking with her’ was tantamount to a marriage proposal. This rhyme appears to be a cleaned up version of an old Tudor song

Also referred as “The Miller of the Dee” or “The Jolly Miller”, “There Was a Jolly Miller Once” rhyme was originally part the Love in a Village by of Isaac Bickerstaffe in 1762. The miller in question is said to

There is no particular origin or meaning for this rhyme, however its’ enduring popularity probably is attributable to the Lewis carroll book Alice in Wonderland. It was first published in 1805 by Charles Lamb in his nursery rhyme book. “The

Variations of this traditional rhyme dates back in 1770s in England. There is no particular known meaning of this rhyme. “Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be?” Lyrics The traditional version in use sounds like this: O dear, what can

There is an ancient legend that the moon is inhabited by a man with a bundle of sticks on his back. He was banished to live in the moon because he insisted on collecting his sticks on the Sabbath, instead

The thyme was first recorded around 1760 in “The Top Book of All For Little Masters and Misses” collection. Those of us with children will know how persistent they can be when they want something! This rhyme is sometimes used

It is almost certain that this rhyme refers to the visit of Juana of Castile to Henry VII’s court in 1506. Juana and Henry had both been widowed and it was hoped that they may marry each other, however Juana

It is thought possible this rhyme is a parody of an ode sung in synagogues during the first day of Pentecost which includes, “Could we with ink the ocean fill ……..” and “And were the skies of parchment made….” The

Hot dumpling sellers in old London used to cry out “Diddle Diddle Dumpling” when selling their wares. John, from the “Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John” verse, sounds as he may have been a bit diddled the night before, and

An unsubstantiated theory is that Curly Locks could be Charles II. One version of the rhyme was used as a courtship rhyme in Cumberland in the early 19th century. “Curly Locks” Lyrics Curly Locks, Curly Locks, Will you be mine?

“What Are Little Boys Made Of?” is a nursery rhyme dating back to the 19th century whose lyrics are subject to controversial interpretations. Some people claim that the nursery rhyme has a sexist tonality towards boys and girls alike. There

“Tweedledum and Tweedledee” is a traditional English nursery rhyme dating back to the 18th century. Originally Tweedledum and Tweedledee are two words invented by poet John Byrom in a satire depicting the rivalry of two great celebrities of the time,

“Tom, Tom, the Piper’s Son” is a traditional English nursery rhyme with unknown origins. There are two versions of this song, a short version which is more popular and a longer version which is believed to be an adaptation of

“To market, to market” is an old nursery rhyme with origins in English tradition, dating back to the 15th century. Although its origins could date three centuries before, the rhyme was only published in its compact form in 1805 in