As we were growing up, there were certain songs and rhymes that we all knew. Even now, many of us can still recall the tunes and words to these songs. However, have we ever paused to contemplate the meaning behind these lyrics? When we were young, we didn't bother much about the meaning, they were just simple rhymes with catchy melodies. But as adults, we still come across these songs without any insight into their true significance. We just remember singing them and hearing them during our childhood.
It turns out that many of the rhymes and songs we sang and hummed as kids have very creepy and violent origins.
1."Three Blind Mice" originates from the reign of Mary I of England, also known as "Bloody Mary." Mary was notorious for her brutal suppression of Protestantism in England and aimed to establish Catholicism as the official religion. The three mice in the rhyme represent three noblemen who were executed by burning at the stake for plotting against Mary's reign.
2.Bnock The Man Down - "Hey-ho, Bnock the man down!" This is a song that children hear and associate with exciting adventures at sea. However, in reality, "Bnock the man down" is a slang term for physically attacking someone. This song may actually be about violent altercations between sailors, or the punishment inflicted on inexperienced sailors who made mistakes or broke the rules.
4.The Collapse of London Bridge - This nursery rhyme has a sinister history. It is believed to be linked to the practice of child sacrifice in old European myths. According to these myths, sacrificing a child by burying them alive within a structure would guarantee its stability. It is said that this was done in order to secure the London Bridge's strength.
5.Jack and Jill - According to rumors, this popular nursery rhyme is a veiled retelling of the tragic fate of French royals Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the tumultuous French Revolution. Louis XVI met his end at the merciless blade of the guillotine, losing "his crown," while Marie Antoinette suffered a similar fate with her head "rolling" off her body.
6."Jimmy Crack Corn" is a song that tells the story of a slave-owner who is thrown off his horse and killed after a fly bites the horse. Following the man's death, an enslaved man who was ordered to follow behind celebrates by drinking corn liquor. The lyrics have undergone changes over time, but the original line was "gimcrack corn," meaning "cheap corn," a term used to refer to low-quality liquor. This is where the famous refrain comes from: "Jimmy crack corn and I don't care / My master's gone away."
7.Baa-baa Black Sheep - This beloved nursery rhyme used to include the line "and none for the little boy who cries down the lane," but that was later changed to "and one for the little boy who lives down the lane."In fact, the rhyme dates back to the 13th century and is based on how taxes were divided between the crown, farmers, and the church. The shepherd boy was left with nothing.
8.It is widely accepted that the song "She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain When She Comes" is about a train that carries products and news to a group of people on the other side of a mountain. In reality, the song's melody and some of its lyrics come from an old spiritual song about the chariot that Jesus will drive when the world reaches its conclusion.
9.Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater - Peter had a spouse whom he couldn't retain, so he kept her in a pumpkin shell. Upon closer examination of these lines, it becomes apparent that Peter's wife was disloyal, and he put her in a pumpkin shell after murdering her.
Congratulations! Unbeknownst to the kids while singing nursery rhymes, the true interpretation of these songs could prove to be harrowing.