Oranges and Lemons

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This article is about the nursery rhyme. For other uses, please see Oranges and Lemons (disambiguation).

Oranges and Lemons is an English nursery rhyme which refers to the bells of several churches, all within or close to the City of London. In its common version, the lyrics refer to, in turn, St Clement Eastcheap, St Martin Orgar, St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, St Leonard's, Shoreditch, St Dunstan's, Stepney, and St Mary-le-Bow. Some claim that the St Clement's mentioned is actually St Clement Danes.[In and around Covent Garden - St Clement Danes School] The tune is reminiscent of change ringing, and the intonation of each line is said to correspond with the distinct sounds of each church's bells.

Contents

1 Common lyrics
2 Party game
3 Alternative lyrics
4 Origins
5 Trivia
6 See also
7 References

Common lyrics

The most common lyrics are as follows:[Nursery Rhymes - Oranges and Lemons]

"Oranges and Lemons" say the bells of St Clement's.

"You owe me five farthings" say the bells of St Martin's.

"When will you pay me?" say the bells of Old Bailey.

"When I grow rich" say the bells of Shoreditch.

"When will that be?" say the bells of Stepney.

"I do not know" says the great Bell of Bow.

Party game

The song is used in a children's party game with the same name, in which the players file, in pairs, through an arch made by two of the players (made by having the players face each other, raise their arms over their head, and clasp their partners' hands). Two (or three) lines are added at the end:

Here comes a candle to light you to bed.

Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.

(Chip chop, chip chop, the last man's dead.)

On the last word, the children forming the arch drop their arms to catch the pair of children currently passing through, who are then "out" and must form another arch next to the existing one. In this way, the series of arches becomes a steadily lengthening tunnel through which each set of two players have to run faster and faster to escape in time. The game works best with a pianist to play the tune, so that unpredictable changes of tempo can be introduced.

Alternative lyrics

A less well known version of Oranges and Lemons (also known as the London Bells" nursery rhyme) includes a number of other London churches:[Nursery Rhymes - London Bells Nursery Rhyme]

Gay go up and gay go down, to ring the bells of London town.

"Oranges and Lemons" say the bells of St Clement's.

"Bull's eyes and targets" say the bells of St Margaret's.

"Brickbats and tiles" say the bells of St Giles'.

"Halfpence and farthings" say the bells of St Martin's.

"Pancakes and fritters" say the bells of St Peter's.

"Two sticks and an apple" say the bells of Whitechapel.

"Pokers and tongs" say the bells of St John's.

"Kettles and pans" say the bells of St Anne's.

"Old Father Baldpate" say the slow bells of Aldgate.

"You owe me ten shillings" say the bells of St Helen's.

"When will you pay me?" say the bells of Old Bailey.

"When I grow rich" say the bells of Shoreditch.

"Pray when will that be?" say the bells of Stepney.

"I do not know" says the great bell of Bow.

Here comes a candle to light you to bed,

Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.

Chip chop, chip chop, the last man's dead.

The lyrics may reflect trades and activities that took place near the location of the churches mentioned.

Origins

The origins of Oranges and Lemons are not well known, but are thought to date to at least the 17th or 18th century. A square dance named "Oranges and Lemons" dates to 1665.

Some believe that it may be a reference to when King Charles I was beheaded and all the church bells rang to mark his execution. The final lines in the children's party game may refer to capital punishment. The tenor bell of St Sepulchre-without-Newgate was rung to mark executions at Newgate prison.

In Heavy Words Lightly Thrown, published in 2003, Chris Roberts claimed that Oranges and Lemons is a wedding song: for example, "a candle to light you to bed" describes a new bride tempting her new husband.[Sex and scandal in nursery rhymes] (BBC News, 2 March 2004)[Article] from H2G2

Trivia

The lines of "Here comes a candle to light you to bed/Here comes a chopper to chop off your head" are spoken in the Supertramp song "Brother Where You Bound," with "your head" repeating over and over. It appears from 1:20 until the "your head"s fade out at 1:37, segueing into the first major melodic section of the song (the first section is entirely of speeches and stuff played with notes from various sounds).
The rhyme makes an appearance in Nineteen Eighty-Four as a snippet of nursery rhyme that Winston Smith cannot remember the ending to. Various characters contribute snippets of the rhyme as the book goes on, and the last lines figure symbolically into the closing events of the second section. It serves as an example of the near-complete eradication of shared culture, and is foreshadowed as being lost forever after the final few people who remember it die.
The rhyme plays a prominent role in the opening scenes of the British black comedy Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly, in which the eponymous characters take the last three lines of the rhyme literally.
"Here Comes a Candle" is the title of a book written by the fictitious arthur Richard Murdock, from Neil Gaiman's Sandman comic titled "Calliope".
An instrumental version of the rhyme's melody appears in the 1973 film The Wicker Man as "Chop Chop". The tune soundtracks a scene in which characters, chanting "chop chop", conduct a cermony with swords reminiscent of the children's party game mentioned above.
The song is featured many times in the Michael Morpurgo book Private Peaceful. One of the book's characters, Big Joe, due to mental complications, tends to sing this song in times of joy, or when there is other singing going on.
The less well known version of the lyrics are featured in the book The Night Watch by Sarah Waters.

References

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