"London Bridge is Falling Down" is one of the best known children's songs in the English language. Many versions exist around the world. Some are songs that simply use the tune. Others are songs that use the same game. While others use the theme of the broken bridge, the tune and game. You can find the songs we've collected below...
London Bridge
The earliest printed English version of the song can be found in "Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book," printed by John Newbery in London (c. 1744). The book itself is the first anthology of English nursery rhymes.
That version starts with the following verse:
London Bridge
Is Broken down,
Dance over my Lady Lee.
London Bridge
Is Broken down
With a gay Lady.
There have been a few tunes to go with the song in the past. But the tune now associated with the rhyme was first recorded in 1879 in the US in "Illustrated National Songs and Games" by A.H. Rosewig.
Variations of the bridge game that's played to the song have existed in many countries long before this game.
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There's also a version of Head, Shoulders knees and Toes in Chinese that's sung to the tune of "London Bridge".
There's also a group of songs from Scandinavia called Bro, Bro, Brille that's played like "London Bridge".
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