London
songs and games
A smooth road to London town
Anna Marie
Follow my leader to London Town
How
many miles to London town?
London Bridge
London Bridge is broken down
London’s burning
London Hill
Pop goes the weasel
Pussy cat, pussy cat
Saint Paul’s steeple
See
saw, sacradown /
The
merchants of London
The
Tottenham toad
The
winds they did blow / The squirrel
Three
pirates came to London town
Young
lambs to sell
Also see:
The songs below are part of ‘Away we
go’ Round and about compiled, adapted, translated
and illustrated by Dany Rosevear
Last updated: 9/11/2019
4:04 PM
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To watch and listen to music
from these songs click on 🔊
© Dany Rosevear 2014 All rights reserved
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A knee bouncing game to play with a baby or a toddler. |
A smooth road to London
town, A smooth road to London
town, (bounce baby gently on your knees) The road goes up and the
road goes down, (raise and lower knees) A smooth road to London
town. But … by and by we come to
a dell, There the roads are not so
swell, A bumpy road, a bumpy
road, a bumpy road to London town. (bounce baby up and down in a lively manner) A smooth road … But, by and by we come to
a wood, There the roads are not so
good, A bumpy road, a bumpy
road, a bumpy road to London town. (movements as before) |
Anna Marie O This is an old
Dutch song where Anne Marieken opines that without a man she will not get
beaten and without a child she won’t have to worry. This English
version now sounds rather outdated to the feminist ear but is one that I
taught in my early days of teaching and has a delightfully cheerful tune. |
Oh, where are you going,
my Anna Marie? Oh, where are you going,
my Anna Marie? Going to London the
soldiers to see, Hop sa sa sa, fa la la, Anna
Marie. Going to London the
soldiers to see, Hop sa sa sa, fa la la, Anna
Marie. Oh, where are you seeking,
my Anna Marie? Oh, where are you seeking,
my Anna Marie? Seeking a husband wherever
he be, Hop sa sa sa, fa la la, Anna
Marie. Oh, where are you looking
for, Anna Marie? Oh, where are you looking
for, Anna Marie? Looking for mother to get
me my tea, Hop sa sa sa, fa la la, Anna
Marie. |
Follow my
leader to London Town O Get the bands marching to
this cheerful song. Children take it in turns to be the leader and choose an
imaginary or real percussion instrument to play. To ensure all children get a
turn at being leader make five or six lines that weave in and out of each
other. Alternatively have one group marching with a set of instruments while
the others clap hands in time to the music. If instruments are lacking have verses such as Marching along..., tapping our shoulders, clapping our hands..., stamping our feet.....
|
London Bridge O This very old game is played
in many countries where rivers and bridges have had an almost mystical
resonance and bridge building has always been a dangerous occupation. This
song which is played in a similar way to ‘Oranges and lemons’ has
a Roud Folk Song Index
number of 502.
|
London Bridge is
broken down 🔊
Another version can be found
in Walter Crane’s ‘The baby’s bouquet’ published 1877. The game is the same.
Two children make
an archway with hands held high and quietly choose who will be ‘silver’ and who
‘gold’. The rest form a line and pass under the arch. The two making the arch
lower their arms over each child as they move through capturing one on the word
‘lady’. This child out of hearing chooses to be gold or silver and stands
behind either the ‘gold’ or ‘silver’ leader.
When all
children have been captured there is a tug of war.
London Bridge is broken
down, Dance over my Lady Lea; London Bridge is broken
down, With a gay lady. How shall we build it up
again? Dance over my Lady Lea; How shall we build it up
again? With a gay lady. Silver and gold will be
stole away, Dance over my Lady Lea; Silver and gold will be
stole away; With a gay lady. Iron and steel will bend
and bow, Dance over my Lady Lea; Iron and steel will bend
and bow; With a gay lady. Wood and clay will wash
away, Dance over my Lady Lea; Wood and clay will wash
away; With a gay lady. Build it up with stone so
strong, Dance over my Lady Lea; Hooray! Twill last for
ages long. With a gay lady. |
London’s burning O This song originated from the
Great Fire of London in 1666 which devastated much of the city. It is
commonly sung as a round.
|
London Hill O Make up your own verses for
this simple song.
|
Pop! goes the
weasel O This song was based in
London’s East End; the Eagle was a music hall in the City Road. ‘Pop’ meant
to pawn. It was popular as a singing game possibly as early as the 17th
century and it is suggested linked with the Huguenots silk weaving trade. It is said that Queen Victoria and
Albert enjoyed dancing to this music making it the height of fashion to do
so. For simplicity walk or skip
around the room and then at the word ‘Pop!’ jump high and clap hands above
the head. Another simple game can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-syqPaxuf7Q&feature=related The dance below is a version
of the Virginia reel. Yet another dance can be found in ‘La belette‘ see
Allons-y’ The French collection and such movements would also work well with
‘with the song below. Split class into sets of six
or eight
|
Pussy cat,
pussy cat O
It is likely that the queen in this popular nursery rhyme was Queen Elizabeth 1st It would be lovely to think this event actually happened to such a strong character! Roud Folk Song Index
number of 15094
|
See saw, sacradown / How many miles to London town? O There is also an U.S.A.
version of this rhyme (The Only True Mother Goose Melodies, by Munroe and Francis) that goes ‘That is the way
to Boston town’. It
has a Roud number 20213. Sit toddler facing you on
your lap and holding their hands and move back and forth. Alternatively older children
can sit in pairs opposite each other and move back and forth.
Which is the way to London
town? One foot up and the other
foot down. That is the way to London
town. SPOKEN (Roud
8148) How many miles to London
town? Three score and ten; Can I get there by candlelight? Yes, and back again. If your heels are nimble and
light, You may get there by
candle-light. See saw, sacradown... |
Saint Paul’s
steeple O
This nursery
rhyme is not as well known as many probably because it is difficult for young
children to sing, it replicates the peel of church bells. It is a song from
the Middle Ages and refers to the original St Pauls when the city was much
more rural in nature with hedges and lanes predominating
|
The merchants of London 🔊 This is one of several nursery rhymes that can be found in Beatrix
Potter’s ‘The tailor of Gloucester’. From ‘Sixty songs for little children’
music by W. Gillies Whittaker published in 1933. |
Hey
diddle, dinkety, poppety pet! The merchants of London, they wear scarlet, Silk in the collar and gold in the hem; So merrily march the merchant men. |
The Tottenham toad O Tottenham is a
borough of London UK; this 400 year old folk song is about a Tottenham lad
(toad) courting a young Enfield lass (squirrel) but the flooded River Moselle
makes life difficult for them. Cecil Sharp
collected this nonsense song in Virginia USA; ‘Nursery Songs from the
Southern Appalachians’ 1921 Roud nos 3624. It has a
cheerful steady beat and would work well with percussion instruments. It also
lends itself to moving about the room in different ways; running up the road,
skipping…, jumping… - ask children for suggestions! d
|
The winds they did blow / The squirrel 🔊 This traditional rhyme has been adapted and set to
‘a familiar tune’ by George Linley from ‘50 Nursery songs and rhymes’
published 1864. Music arranged by Dany Rosevear. I have a feeling I
sang it to a different tune in my early days of teaching but cannot recall
it. |
The leaves they did wag, Along came a beggar boy, And put me in his bag. He took me up to London town, A lady did me buy, She put me in a silver cage, And hung me up on high; With apples by the blazing fire, And nuts for to crack, Besides a little feather bed, To rest my little back. |
Three pirates came to
London town 🔊 An old English sea shanty. This is part of a much longer song about drinking and courting; you
can find the longer version at:http://www.joe-offer.com/folkinfo/songs/591.html. Some say it is based on the tune ‘Mademoiselle from Armentieres’. I first came across it in a Singing Together, Autumn 1971, BBC
Publication. Raise three fingers. For
each Yo ho! throw fist in the air and look fierce. Put telescope (rolled
fist) to eye and crown on head. Each time the song is sung
make diffent action during the last lines: Raise anchor, hoist the mainsail,
scrub deck, climb rope ladder, in the crows nest, check no-one has fallen
overboard. |
Three pirates came to
London town, Yo ho! Yo ho! Three pirates came to
London town, Yo ho! Yo ho! Three pirates came to
London town To see the king put on his
crown, Yo ho, you lubbers, Yo ho,
you lubbers, Yo ho! Yo ho! Yo ho! |
Young lambs to sell 🔊 Originally a London street cry for selling toy lambs made of wool and
wood. The song comes from ‘Little songs from long ago’ by Alfred Moffat
published in 1912.Arranged by Dany Rosevear. |
Young lambs to sell, young
lambs to sell, Young lambs to sell, young
lambs to sell; If I'd as much money as
I’ve heard tell, I wouldn’t come here with young
lambs to sell. Get ready your money and
come to me, I’ll sell a young lamb for
one penny. One for a penny, eight for
a groat, As fine young lambs as
ever were bought. |
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