Who Killed Cock Robin?
The solemn inquest into the death of Cock Robin — one of England's oldest rhymes
Listen
Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
Who killed Cock Robin?
"I," said the sparrow, "with my little bow and arrow,
I killed Cock Robin."
Who saw him die?
"I," said the fly, "with my little eye,
I saw him die."
Who'll dig his grave?
"I," said the owl, "with my spade and trowel,
I'll dig his grave."
Who'll be the parson?
"I," said the rook, "with my little book,
I'll be the parson."
And all the birds of the air
Fell sighing and a-sobbing
When they heard the bell toll
For poor Cock Robin.
Who will be chief mourner?
"I," said the dove, "for I mourn my love,
I'll be chief mourner."
Who will sing the psalm?
"I," said the thrush, "as I sit in a bush,
I'll sing the psalm."
Who will carry the coffin?
"I," said the kite, "if it's not in the night,
I'll carry the coffin."
Who'll toll the bell?
"I," said the bull, "because I can pull,
I'll toll the bell."
For all the birds of the air
Fell sighing and a-sobbing
When they heard the bell toll
For poor Cock Robin.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
"Who Killed Cock Robin?" is one of the oldest surviving English nursery rhymes, with a version appearing in print as early as 1744, though oral versions certainly predate that. The rhyme takes the form of a formal inquest: a succession of birds and creatures is called upon to give evidence about the death of Cock Robin, to dig the grave, to ring the bell, to mourn — each one stepping forward with its small, grave offer of service. The whole of the natural world pauses to mark the passing of one small bird.
The emotional effect of the rhyme is surprisingly powerful. The repeated structure — question, witness, answer — gives it the quality of a ceremony, and the refrain in which all the birds of the air fall sighing and sobbing is genuinely moving. The robin has been associated with Christmas and with the soul in English folklore for centuries, which may explain why its death is treated with such solemnity.
Some scholars have proposed political interpretations, connecting the rhyme to figures such as William Cecil or Robert Walpole, but the evidence is inconclusive. What is certain is that the rhyme has endured for nearly three hundred years, and that this recording — spare, folk in character, with Ian Watts's music allowing the weight of the text to carry — does full justice to its gravity.
