The song London Bridge is Falling Down is one of the traditional English nursery rhymes sung all over the world. Children often like to play games while they sing the song. It has different versions everywhere, but the earliest record is from the 17th century. The actual London Bridge has fallen multiple times over the past few centuries. There is a possibility that those events inspired the song. The song talks about the broken condition of the famous London Bridge and the narrator’s attempts to repair the bridge using different solutions.
London Bridge is Falling Down Lyrics in English
Below are the lyrics of London Bridge is Falling Down poem:
London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair Lady.
Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay,
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair Lady.
Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, wash away,
Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair Lady.
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar,
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
My fair Lady.
Bricks and mortar will not stay,
Will not stay, will not stay,
Bricks and mortar will not stay,
My fair Lady.
Build it up with iron and steel,
Iron and steel, iron and steel,
Build it up with iron and steel,
My fair Lady.
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
Bend and bow, bend and bow,
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
My fair Lady.
Build it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, silver and gold,
Build it up with silver and gold,
My fair Lady.
Silver and gold will be stolen away,
Stolen away, stolen away,
Silver and gold will be stolen away,
My fair Lady.
Set a man to watch all nigh,
Watch all night, watch all night,
Set a man to watch all night,
My fair Lady.
Suppose the man should fall asleep,
Fall asleep, fall asleep,
Suppose the man should fall asleep?
My fair Lady.
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.
What Will Your Child Learn From London Bridge Is Falling Down
Explain the poem’s origin to your child and its history. In the context of this rhyme, they will learn about important landmarks of the world, like the London Bridge, improving their general knowledge.
You can make your child understand problem-solving and build character through this rhyme. In the poem, we see that no matter what problem comes, the narrator constantly comes up with a solution for the same. You can teach this lesson to your little ones and help them face real difficulties in life!
You can also take the opportunity to explain the properties of different materials mentioned in the rhyme and help your child understand why the clay, wood, silver or gold couldn’t be used to make the bridge.
Making them narrate and possibly act out the rhyme will develop their verbal and interactive skills.
Theme Of London Bridge Is Falling Down
The poem London Bridge is Falling Down may be understood in many different ways. There are poems found all over Europe that talk about similar events. The actual London bridge can be traced back to when it was made of wood but was destroyed. The bridge was then reconstructed and destroyed multiple times.
In the poem, we see that the narrator is talking about the London Bridge falling down and the various ways in which they are trying to build it back. The narrator tells us about the different materials they use to build the bridge and why these materials are unfit.
At the end of every paragraph, the narrator says, “My Fair Lady.” However, it is unclear who the narrator is addressing. In the end, the narrator comes up with the solution to have a man with a pipe guard the bridge made of silver and gold.
Rhyming Scheme Of London Bridge Is Falling Down
The rhyming scheme or pattern of the poem London Bridge is Falling Down is AAAB CCCB. The ‘B’ is a constant repetition throughout the poem.
Every first and third line is the same in each paragraph, and every second line is unique. We also see that the fourth line is repeated in every paragraph.
Words that Your Child Will Learn From London Bridge Is Falling Down
Your child will learn the sounds and structures of rhyming words as the first three lines of each paragraph are rhyming.
They will also learn different verbs such as falling, building, stealing, bowing, bending, etc. Make your child enact the verbs out to help them understand the actions!
Suggested Activity
1. Sing And Play
While reciting the poem to your little one, you should sing it to them and encourage them to sing along with you. Once your child has a hang of it, you can play a little game with them as you sing it. You will require at least three people. Two people must join their hands above their heads and make a bridge or arch structure. As you sing the song, the third person must pass from below the hands and keep doing so until the song is over. As the song is near completion, the other two participants must catch the third participant between their arms. This will encourage your child to participate and help develop their interest in rhymes.
2. Building A Bridge
You can use building blocks to construct ‘bridges’ for your little one. For each material, you can use different kinds or colours of blocks to show them the difference between materials. You can ask your child to knock over each bridge as they recite the song. Towards the end, you can use a small figurine to play the man on the final bridge. This will help your child visualise what is happening in the rhyme and make it fun!
FAQs
1. Is the story of ‘London Bridge Is Falling Down’ true?
It is hard to know the real story of the London Bridge. The bridge has been destroyed multiple times throughout history and has been rebuilt the same number of times. This poem was first published in the 17th Century. So, it is hard to know if the narrator was talking about the actual bridge or simply penning down his thoughts.
2. What game can you play along with the nursery rhyme London Bridge is Falling Down?
You can play a popular game in which two people form an arch, and the others pass by from under the arch. As they recite the song the two forming the arch must capture someone towards the end.
Enjoy this poem with your child. Once they have memorised this rhyme, they can even perform it for poem recitation competitions in school or simply build their confidence at home by asking them to perform for the family, surrounded by applause.
