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Three Blind Mice - Three blind mice, three blind mice,
See how they run, see how they run,
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a thing in your life,
As three blind mice?

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Three Blind Mice - According to Vagabomb, this rhyme is about Queen Mary I and three Protestant Bishops.

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Three Blind Mice - The three bishops were claimed to have been Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Radley, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer.

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Three Blind Mice - It is thought that the queen blinded and dismembered them before burning them at the stake.

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Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary - Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

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Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary - According to Vagabomb, the rhyme refers to Queen Mary's bloody reign. “Silver bells” and “cockleshells” are the torture devices she used on thousands of Protestants.

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The Grand Old Duke Of York - The Grand old Duke of York he had ten thousand men.
He marched them up to the top of the hill
And he marched them down again.
When they were up, they were up
And when they were down, they were down.
And when they were only halfway up
They were neither up nor down.

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The Grand Old Duke Of York - According to Aunty Acid, this is about the War of the Roses. The Duke of York marched his army up a massive hill to fight a war against the Lancastrians.

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The Grand Old Duke Of York - He then decided to change his strategy and marched them down. It turned out to be a terrible idea. His men were all killed.

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Baa, Baa Black Sheep - Baa, baa black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full!
One for the master, one for the dame,
And one for the little boy who lives down the lane.

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Baa, Baa Black Sheep - This rhyme has many unsubstantiated interpretations, including that it is about the slave trade.

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Baa, Baa Black Sheep - According to Vagabomb, the rhyme is about harsh taxes on wool imposed by King Edward I in the 13th century.

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Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush - Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush
So early in the morning.

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Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush - Aunty Acid states that, according to R. S. Duncan, the song comes from female inmates at Wakefield Prison. For exercise, they would run around the mulberry bush.

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Little Tommy Tucker - Little Tommy Tucker sings for his supper,
What shall we give him? Brown bread and butter.
How shall he cut it without a knife?
How shall he marry without a wife?

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Little Tommy Tucker - According to Aunty Acid, Tommy Tucker was a term for orphans.

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Little Tommy Tucker - The rhyme implies that Tommy Tucker was an orphan who had to sing for his supper. That's quite sad.

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London Bridge is Falling Down - "London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
Set a man to watch all night,
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.

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London Bridge is Falling Down - According to Vagabomb, one of several theories behind the rhyme is that it is about human sacrifice.

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London Bridge is Falling Down - It was believed that a human sacrifice was buried under the bridge to stop it from collapsing.

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Ring Around the Rosie - Ring around the rosie,
A pocketful of posies
Ashes, Ashes
We all fall down

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Ring Around the Rosie - 'Ring Around the Rosie' is probably the most infamous of all nursery rhymes. The most popular theory suggests the rhyme is about the Great Plague of London.

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Ring Around the Rosie - According to Mental Floss, the 'rosie' in the rhyme refers to the rash that covered the afflicted. It was also common to carry 'a pocket full of posies' in an attempt to guard against infection.

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Ring Around the Rosie - The ashes were the cremated remains of those who died.

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Jack and Jill - Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down,
And broke his crown.
And Jill came tumbling after.

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Jack and Jill - According to Mental Floss, the most common theory is that Jack and Jill are France’s Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, who were both beheaded for treason.

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Jack and Jill - This theory is questioned since the date of the rhyme and the events don't correlate.

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Goosey Goosey Gander - Goosey, goosey, gander,
Whither dost thou wander?
Upstairs and downstairs
And in my lady's chamber.
There I met an old man
Who wouldn't say his prayers;
I took him by the left leg,
And threw him down the stairs.

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Ring Around the Rosie - According to Mental Floss, this rhyme tells a dark tale of religious persecution.

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Ring Around the Rosie - Following King Henry VIII's creation of the Anglican Church, Catholics would be put to death if they were caught praying in Latin.

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