Cobbler Cobbler Mend My Shoe

History & Origin

"Cobbler, Cobbler, Mend My Shoe" is a traditional nursery rhyme that dates back at least to the eighteenth century and possibly earlier. It belongs to a group of occupational nursery rhymes — songs about craftspeople and tradespeople — that offer children a glimpse into the world of work in an era when cobblers, tinkers, bakers, and chimney sweeps were familiar figures in every street.

A cobbler was a shoe repairer (as distinct from a cordwainer, who made new shoes), and in the days before mass manufacturing, cobblers performed an essential service. Shoes were expensive items, and having them resoled or stitched could extend their life by years. The urgency in the rhyme — "half past two is much too late, get it done by half past eight" — reflects the practical reality that people could not easily do without their shoes.

The coin offered as payment — "half a crown" — was worth two shillings and sixpence in pre-decimal British currency, a reasonable sum for a repair in the eighteenth or nineteenth century. The half crown coin, bearing the Royal Arms on its reverse, was a standard piece of everyday commerce from the Tudor period until decimalisation in 1971.

The rhyme's driving rhythm — almost like the sound of a cobbler's hammer — made it well suited to clapping games and action play, and its simple demands ("stitch it up, stitch it down") give children an active role in the imaginary transaction.

Our recording gives the cobbler a brisk, energetic treatment with a rock sensibility that suits the urgent tone of the lyrics perfectly.