- published: 17 Jun 2015
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"London Bridge Is Falling Down" (also known as "My Fair Lady") is a well-known traditional nursery rhyme and singing game, which is found in different versions all over the world. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 502.
There is considerable variation in the lyrics of the rhyme. The most frequently used first verse is:
<poem>London Bridge is falling down, Falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, My fair lady.</poem>
In the version quoted by Iona and Peter Opie in 1951 the full lyrics were:
<poem>London Bridge is broken 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 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. 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.</poem>
Coordinates: 51°30′29″N 0°05′16″W / 51.50806°N 0.08778°W / 51.50806; -0.08778
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London. On the south side of the bridge are Southwark Cathedral and London Bridge station; on the north side are the Monument to the Great Fire of London and Monument tube station.
It was the only bridge over the Thames downstream from Kingston until Putney Bridge opened in 1729. The current bridge opened on 17 March 1973 and is the latest in a succession of bridges to occupy the spot and claim the name.
The bridge carries part of the A3 road, which is maintained by the Greater London Authority; the bridge itself is owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, an independent charity overseen by the City of London Corporation. The area between London Bridge and Tower Bridge on the south side of the Thames is a business improvement district (BID) and is managed by Team London Bridge.
London i/ˈlʌndən/ is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium. London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century, the name London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core. The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region and the Greater London administrative area, governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly.
London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. It is the world's leading financial centre alongside New York City and has the fifth-largest city GDP in the world (and the largest in Europe). London has been described as a world cultural capital. It was the world's most visited city during 2011 and London Heathrow is the world's busiest airport by number of international passengers. London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe. In 2012 London will become the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.
London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady!
Build it up with iron bars,
Iron bars, iron bars.
Build it up with iron bars,
My fair lady!
Iron bars will bend and break,
Bend and break, bend and break.
Iron bars will bend and break,
My fair lady!
Build it up with needles and pins,
Needles and pins, needles and pins.
Build it up with needles and pins,
My fair lady!
Pins and needles rust and bend,
Rust and bend, rust and bend.
Pins and needles rust and bend,
My fair lady!
Build it up with penny loaves,
Penny loaves, penny loaves.
Build it up with penny loaves,
My fair lady!
Penny loaves will tumble down,
Tumble down, tumble down.
Penny loaves will tumble down,
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!
Gold and silver I've not got,
I've not got, I've not got.
Gold and silver I've not got,
My fair lady!
Here's a prisoner I have got,
I have got, I have got.
Here's a prisoner I have got,
My fair lady!
What's the prisoner done to you,
Done to you, done to you?
What's the prisoner done to you,
My fair lady!
Stole my watch and broke my chain,
Broke my chain, broke my chain.
Stole my watch and broke my chain,
My fair lady!
What'll you take to set him free,
Set him free, set him free?
What'll you take to set him free,
My fair lady!
One hundred pounds will set him free,
Set him free, set him free.
One hundred pounds will set him free,
My fair lady!
One hundred pounds we have not got,
Have not got, have not got.
One hundred pounds we have not got,
My fair lady!
Then off to prison he must go,
He must go, he must go.
Then off to prison he must go,