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Pocket Full Posies
Pocket Full of Posies
Songs of Death and Destruction – Nursery Rhyme Lyrics
Nursery rhyme lyrics sound like sugar and spice and everything nice, but many have real meanings that would send children into therapy for the rest of their lives. These seemingly innocent lyrics actually conceal nightmarish stories about beheadings, the black plague, and war. They’ve traditionally been passed down from generation to generation, and, even though it’s good to be honest with children, in the case of these lyrics, the old adage, “What they don’t know can’t hurt them,” holds true. But just for adults, here are the disturbingly real meanings of nursery rhyme lyrics you sang as a kid:
“Ring Around the Rosy”
Remember holding hands with your friends, giggling and happily skipping in a circle while singing these lyrics, “Ring around the rosy/A pocket full of posies/Ashes, ashes/We all fall down?” Well, guess what? You were singing about the bubonic plague that devastated London in the 17th century! The “ring around the rosy” lyrics describe the rosy red, ringlike rash that plague victims developed. Thinking that the plague was carried by bad odors, people kept sweet-scented posies in their pockets. The lyrics “we all fall down” and “ashes, ashes” refer to the countless deaths from the disease, and the burning of victims’ bodies.
“Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary”
The sweet-sounding lyrics, “Mary, Mary, quite contrary/How does your garden grow?/With silver bells and cockle shells/And pretty maids all in a row” actually refer to the gruesome reign of England’s Queen Mary Tudor, known as “Bloody Mary.” A devout Catholic, Mary demanded the torture or execution of countless Protestants. The lyrics’ “silver bells” refer to thumbscrews, the “cockle shells” refer to torture devices fastened to the genitals, and the “maids” refer to a beheading contraption called the “Maiden,” that was used before the invention of the guillotine. You just might think twice next time you feel like ordering a Bloody Mary!
“Rain, Rain, Go Away”
The singsong lyrics, “Rain, rain go away/Come again some other day” are actually about Spain’s attempt to wage war against England by sea in 1588. The mighty Spanish Armada set sail with a fleet of more than 130 ships. But heavy rain, which inspired the lyrics, “Rain, rain go away,” and speedy English vessels defeated the Spanish attackers and crippled their fleet, leaving them with a mere 65 ships.
“London Bridge”
Aside from its well-known lyrics, “London Bridge is falling down/Falling down, falling down/London Bridge is falling down/My fair lady,” are stanzas set to a cheery tune describing disaster after disaster endured by the famous bridge throughout history. The lyrics detail how the bridge was first cobbled together with wood and clay, which “will wash away.” In the 980s, invading Vikings completely demolished the bridge. It was rebuilt, only to be destroyed by a tornado in 1091. The bridge was ravaged by fire numerous times, including 1666’s Great Fire of London, which attacked its arches and foundations. This ditty, however, has nothing to do with Fergie’s version of “London Bridge,” and its suggestive lyrics, “How come every time you come around/My London, London Bridge wanna go down,” which probably shouldn’t be explained to children, either!
About the Author
To find more nursery rhyme lyrics that are less innocent than they sound, check out Dilyrics and their newest lyrics from nightmarish nursery rhymes.
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ring around to rosie……?
I was looking for the meaning behind ring around the rosie on the web and came up with the fallowing definition…one web site disputes it and the other stands behinds the meaning…what do guys think?
“Ring around the Rosie” describes the people of Europe who were stricken with the deadly plague. “Ring around the Rosie” refers to the ring that developed around the sores that characterized a victim of the plague. “A pocket full of posies” was carried to cover the smell of dead, decaying bodies. “Ashes, ashes” signify deteriorating black lungs and the decomposing bodies of the Europeans. And you know the rest of the story…… “We all fall down”.
Ring Around the Rosy Rhyme
Origins of “Ring around the rosy” in English History
Connections to the Bubonic Plague (Black Death)?
The words to the Ring around the rosy children’s ring game have their origin in English history . The historical period dates back to the Great Plague of London in 1665 (bubonic plague) or even before when the first outbreak of the Plague hit England in the 1300’s. The symptoms of the plague included a rosy red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin (Ring around the rosy). Pockets and pouches were filled with sweet smelling herbs ( or posies) which were carried due to the belief that the disease was transmitted by bad smells. The term “Ashes Ashes” refers to the cremation of the dead bodies! The death rate was over 60% and the plague was only halted by the Great Fire of London in 1666 which killed the rats which carried the disease which was transmitting via water sources. The English version of “Ring around the rosy” replaces Ashes with (A-tishoo, A-tishoo) as violent sneezing was another symptom of the disease. We recommend the following site for comprehensive information regarding the Bubonic Plague.
http://www.william-shakespeare.info/bubonic-black-plague-elizabethan-era.htm
Views of the Sceptics
The connection between this Rhyme was made by James Leasor in 1961 in his non-fiction book ‘ The Plague and the Fire. Some people are sceptical of the plague interpretations of this rhyme, many stating that words in the rhyme cannot be found in Middle English. The sceptics must be referring to the later version of the rhyme, possibly with American origins, the English version is “Ring a ring o’ rosies” using the Middle English “o” as a shortening of the word “of”. The written word ” posies” is first mentioned in a poem called ‘Prothalamion or A Spousal Verse’ by Edmund Spenser (1552-1599). We believe that this addresses the views of the sceptics.
