London Bridge Is Falling Down

History & Origin

"London Bridge Is Falling Down" is one of the oldest and most widely distributed nursery rhymes in the English tradition, with possible origins stretching back to medieval times. It first appeared in print in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book in 1744, though oral versions were certainly much older.

London Bridge, the only crossing over the Thames in the city for many centuries, had a troubled history of collapses, fires, and near-failures. The original wooden bridge burned repeatedly, and various rebuilding attempts used whatever materials were available. The nursery rhyme traces this history in its verses: wood and clay wash away, gold and silver are too expensive, pins and needles bend and break, but stone so strong will last so long.

The mysterious "my fair lady" at the end of each verse has generated considerable debate. One theory holds that it refers to the guardian spirit or toll-keeper of the bridge; another suggests it refers to Eleanor of Provence, wife of Henry III, who held the bridge revenues for a time; a third identifies her as a general personification of the bridge itself. None of these theories is definitive.

The song is also used as a kissing or catching game, in which two children form an arch and capture others on the final line — a practice that may itself preserve some memory of bridge tolls or guardianship. Our arrangement gives the rhyme considerable energy, making it one of the liveliest pieces in the collection.