Nursery rhymes: we know them, we love them and we all have a favourite – whether that be an old childhood favourite or one that’s crept up over time. But what are the top five most popular nursery rhymes? We asked PAGE readers and these are your top five.
 |
| Illustration by Angelica Bacani for PAGE Magazine. |
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Dating back to 1806, the lyrics of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star originate from a poem written by Jane Taylor. The nursery rhyme is sung to the tune of the French melody ‘Ah! Vous dirai-je, maman’ and, although the full rhyme has five stanzas, only the first is generally widely known.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
The Grand Old Duke of York
First published in 1642, The Grand Old Duke of York is often performed as an action song, with movements generally revolving around the ‘up’, ‘down’ and ‘only halfway up’ phrases within the rhyme. Unlike many other nursery rhymes, The Grand Old Duke of York quite clearly refers to a historical figure although it is unclear which Duke is the subject of the rhyme – hence sparking debate about the origins of the rhyme.
Oh, The grand old Duke of York,He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up,
And when they were down, they were down,
And when they were only half-way up,
They were neither up nor down
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up,
And when they were down, they were down,
And when they were only half-way up,
They were neither up nor down
Incy Wincy Spider
Arguably one of the most commonly known nursery rhymes, Incy Wincy Spider is a popular rhyme and fingerplay also known as ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’. The date of the original publication of the rhyme is unknown, but it can be found in publications dating back to 1910.
Incy Wincy spider climbing up the spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain
And Incy Wincy spider climbed up the spout again
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain
And Incy Wincy spider climbed up the spout again
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Originally published in 1744, the rhyme of Baa Baa Black Sheep is sung to the French melody ‘Ah! Vous dirai-je, maman’ – the same tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. There has been much speculation over the origins of the nursery rhyme over time. Some theories suggest that the song refers to past resentment over heavy taxation on wool, while other theories speculate reference to the slave trade and racism.
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir,
Three bags full;
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir,
Three bags full;
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane
Humpty Dumpty
The first recorded versions of Humpty Dumpty date back to 1797, where it is probable that the rhyme was originally a riddle. Interestingly – perhaps due to these riddle-like roots - the rhyme does not explicitly state that the subject is an egg but Humpty Dumpty is widely portrayed as such.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again
Please note: this piece was originally written for PAGE Magazine.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again
Please note: this piece was originally written for PAGE Magazine.
Post a Comment