London Bridge
Kids Party Music Players Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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 god and silver
Gold and silver, gold and silver
Build it up with gold and silver
My fair lady
London Bridge is falling down
Falling down, falling down
London Bridge is falling down
M-y-y f-a-i-r l-a-d-y
The song "London Bridge" is a popular nursery rhyme that tells the story of the famous bridge across the Thames River in London, which has been in use for over 2,000 years. The song begins with the opening lines, "London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, my fair lady" which set the stage for the rest of the song. These words are sung in a lilting melody that is easy to remember and to sing along with.
The following lines tell listeners that the bridge can be rebuilt with iron bars, gold and silver. The next stanza reveals that iron bars can bend and break, and then the song goes back to the idea of building it up with gold and silver.
Some theories about the origin of the song include the idea that it was based on medieval depictions of the bridge collapsing, but there is no concrete evidence to support this theory. Another theory suggests that the song is about a Viking attack on the bridge, but this too is largely unfounded.
Line by Line Meaning
London Bridge is falling down
The structure of London Bridge is deteriorating and in danger of collapsing
Falling down, falling down
This issue is continuous and serious
My fair lady
A term of endearment used to address a woman
Build it up with iron bars
Proposing a solution to reinforce the bridge with strong materials
Iron bars, iron bars
Emphasizing the specific material recommended for reinforcement
Iron bars will bend and break
Acknowledging the limitations of iron bars and the possibility of them failing under pressure
Bend and break, bend and break
Reiterating the fragility of the proposed solution
Build it up with gold and silver
Suggesting a more valuable and seemingly stronger material to reinforce the bridge
Gold and silver, gold and silver
Emphasizing the luxurious and valuable nature of the proposed material
M-y-y f-a-i-r l-a-d-y
Addressing the woman again and ending the song
Writer(s): Stacy Ferguson, Sean Garrett, Emilo Castillo, Stephen Kupka, David Garibaldi, Jamal F. Jones, Michael Hartnett
Contributed by Mackenzie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.