Nursery Rhyme

The Wooden Bridge The ‘London Bridge is falling down’ Nursery Rhyme is based on the one of the most famous landmarks in London. Its history can be traced to the Roman occupation of England in the first century. The first Bridge was made of wood and clay and was fortified with the various materials mentioned in the children’s nursery rhyme. Many disasters struck the bridges – Viking invaders destroyed the bridge in the 1000’s which led to a fortified design, complete with a drawbridge. Building materials changed due to the many fires that broke out on the bridge. The first stone bridge was designed by Peter de Colechurch and built in 1176. It took 33 years to build and featured twenty arches the dimensions of which were sixty feet high and thirty feet wide and was complete with tower and gates. The flow of the Thames under the bridge was used to turn water wheels below the arches for grinding grain. By the 1300’s the bridge contained 140 shops, some of which were more than three stories high. (The reference to Silver and Gold in the rhyme relates to the trading which was conducted on the bridge) London Bridge survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 but its arches and foundations were weakened. (Buildings with thatched roofs were banned in London following the Great Fire of 1666.

The Modern Re-builds! In the 1820s a new London Bridge was built on another site, north of the old one. This new bridge opened in 1831. The original bridge was then demolished. In the 1960s yet another London Bridge was built. The London Bridge of 1831 was transported, stone by stone, to Lake Havasu in Arizona, USA.

♦  Lake Havasu Community ↓ History of the London Bridge

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.

♦ Spectrum ↓ ‘London Bridge Is Coming Down’ [1969]

London Bridge is coming down . . .

London Bridge is coming down – coming down  –  coming down 

London Bridge is coming down – it’s on through every town now

 

Piece by piece they break it, wrap it up and take it

Put it on a […?] and take it to the [. . . ?]

[. . . ?] handle it with great care

Going to America – old days where grannie grows

[. . . ?] go it’s being around a long time ago

The river Thames is not so wide but are we gonna get to the other side?

 

London Bridge is coming down – coming down  –  coming down 

London Bridge is coming down – it’s on through every town now

[. . . ?] city will look mighty pretty

We will build it up again and the bridge will be the same

Times have changed you know it so [ . . . ?] to show it

Knocking down the bridge for a new highway

 

LONDON Bridge is coming down . . .