England, the south of the U.K., has given us so many great English songs for kids!
It’s surprising to find out that good old nursery rhymes, songs we all grew up with, have references to historical events which are often hard to discern or even imagine. Even more, songs that were supposedly written for kids sometimes contain lyrics that are bleak and harsh, making us wonder if there’s a hidden context that is almost impossible to understand.
Whether political or even a bit cruel, English nursery rhymes date back to the 17th century and were adopted by the entire English-speaking world, or sometimes even translated to other languages to finally become a global legacy.
This is our list of the best children’s songs from England. Note that we give you an instrumental version of all of these songs for free, so watch out for the links under the videos.
Table of Contents
- Top 10 English Songs for Kids
- 30 More kids’ Songs from England
- English Songs for kids Playlist
- More Blog Posts You Might Like
Top 10 English Songs for Kids
1.
Rain, Rain, Go Away
“Rain, Rain, Go Away” is a nursery song about driving away the rain, so the children can play outside. The lyrics are known at least from the 17th century, included in a collection of proverbs.
For free instrumental download, click here.
Lyrics
Rain, rain, go away
come again another day
Little Johnny wants to play
rain, rain, go to Spain
Rain, rain, go away
come again another day
Little baby wants to play
Rain, rain, go away
2.
Hickory, Dickory, Dock
“Hickory, Dickory, Dock” is a often sung as a counting-out song. The words to this 1744 rhyme is thought to have been based on the astronomical clock at Exeter Cathedral, in Devon, South England. The clock has a small hole in the door below the face for the resident cat to hunt mice.
For free instrumental download, click here.
Lyrics
Hickory, dickory, dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
The mouse ran down
Hickory, dickory, dock
3.
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
As times and social concepts change, this rhyme’s reference to black sheep caused some concern and debate over its political correctness. In reality, many tried to explain its meaning in several ways, which still remain purely hypothetical. However, both the title and its lyrics have been referred to in literature (Rudyard Kipling) and popular culture.
For free instrumental download, click here.
Lyrics
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.
4.
Pop! Goes the Weasel
In Britain, “Pop! Goes the Weasel” has been played as a children’s game since at least the late 19th century. That would look like a common story if only this rhyme (with lyrics of a vague meaning) hadn’t started to become popular as “an old English dance” performed on stage and in dance-halls according to a music sheet acquired by the British Library in 1853.
For free instrumental download, click here.
Lyrics
1. ‘Round and ’round the cobbler’s bench
The monkey chased the weasel,
The monkey thought ’twas all in fun
Pop! Goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
2. A half a pound of tupenny rice,
A half a pound of treacle.
Mix it up and make it nice,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
3. Up and down the London road,
In and out of the Eagle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
4. I’ve no time to plead and pine,
I’ve no time to wheedle,
Kiss me quick and then I’m gone
Pop! Goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
5.
London Bridge is Falling Down
Matilda of Scotland, Henry I’s consort, and Eleanor of Provence, consort of Henry III, had the responsibility of building or repairing works on early 11th and 13th century respectively and are two of the candidates for the “fair lady” of the chorus to this English classic.
For free instrumental download, click here.
Lyrics
1. London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
2. Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay,
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair lady.
3. Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, wash away,
Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair lady.
4. Build it up with bricks and mortar,
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar,
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
My fair lady.
5. Bricks and mortar will not stay,
Will not stay, will not stay,
Bricks and mortar will not stay,
My fair lady.
6. Build it up with iron and steel,
Iron and steel, iron and steel,
Build it up with iron and steel,
My fair lady.
7. Iron and steel will bend and bow,
Bend and bow, bend and bow,
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
My fair lady.
8. Build it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, silver and gold,
Build it up with silver and gold,
My fair lady.
9. Silver and gold will be stolen away,
Stolen away, stolen away,
Silver and gold will be stolen away,
My fair lady.
10. Set a man to watch all night,
Watch all night, watch all night,
Set a man to watch all night,
My fair lady.
11. Suppose the man should fall asleep,
Fall asleep, fall asleep,
Suppose the man should fall asleep?
My fair lady.
12. Give him a pipe to smoke all night,
Smoke all night, smoke all night,
Give him a pipe to smoke all night,
My fair lady.
6.
Humpty Dumpty
The rhyme of this English nursery rhyme, expressing probably a riddle, dates from the late 18thcentury and the tune from 1870, but there is no specific information about its origins. Humpty Dumpty is a figure usually illustrated as an anthropomorphic egg. As a character it is most known from Lewis Carroll’s novel “Through the Looking-Glass”.
For free instrumental download, click here.
Lyrics
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.
7.
Jack and Jill
In “Jack and Jill”, an 18th century English rhyme, the phrase of the two names suggests, possibly, a romantically attached couple, as in the proverb “A good Jack makes a good Jill”.
For free instrumental download, click here.
Lyrics
1. Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
2. Up Jack got and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper;
And went to bed and bound his head
With vinegar and brown paper.
3. When Jill came in how she did grin
To see Jack’s paper plaster;
Mother vexed did whip her next
For causing Jack’s disaster.
8.
The Muffin Man
Victorian households had many of their fresh foods delivered, such as muffins, which were delivered door-to-door by a muffin man, in this case from Drury Lane, a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London. The “muffin” in question was the bread product known in the United States as English muffins.
For free instrumental download, click here.
Lyrics
1. Oh, do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane?
2. Oh, yes, I know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, yes, I know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane
9.
Ring a Ring o’ Roses
Known as “Ring Around the Rosie” in the United States, this is a popular English playground singing game.
Concerning the meaning of lyrics and game, folklorists believe they are of pagan origins, while more recent readings, which appeared in the mid-twentieth century, associate the context with the Great Plague which happened in England in 1665, or with earlier outbreaks of the Black Death in England – although this is still considered speculation.
For free instrumental download, click here.
Lyrics
British version
Ring-a-ring-o’ roses
A pocket full of posies
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down
American version
Ring-around the rosie,
A pocket full of posies,
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down.
10.
Oranges and Lemons
Another traditional nursery rhyme and singing game from England, which makes reference to the bells of several churches located near or within the City of London.
In the game, the players file, in pairs, through an arch made by two of the players (made by having the players face each other, raise their arms over their head, and clasp their partners’ hands). On the last word, the children forming the arch drop their arms to catch the pair of children currently passing through.
For free instrumental download, click here.
Lyrics
1. Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement’s.
You owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin’s.
2. When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey.
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch.
3. When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney.
I do not know,
Says the great bell of Bow.
4. Here comes a candle
to light you to bed.
And here comes a chopper
to chop off your head!
30 More kids’ Songs from England
England is full of great kids songs, nursery rhymes and lullabies. Browse through our entire collection of songs from that part of the U.K.
English Songs for kids Playlist
Watch all 10 songs presented in detail in this article in this video playlist:
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