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your head"; and on the final repetition of "chop" in the last line, the children forming the arch drop their arms to catch the pair of children currently passing through. These 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 has to run faster and faster to escape in time.
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Alternative versions of the game include: children caught "out" by the last rhyme may stand behind one of the children forming the original arch, instead of forming additional arches; and children forming "arches" may bring their hands down for each word of the last line, while the children passing
770:
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). The challenge comes during the final lines beginning "Here comes a chopper to chop off
873:
There is considerable variation in the churches and lines attached to them in versions printed in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, which makes any overall meaning difficult to establish. The final two lines of the modern version were first collected by
1082:
891:. Similar rhymes naming churches and giving rhymes to their names can be found in other parts of England, including Shropshire and Derby, where they were sung on festival days on which bells would also have been rung.
1542:
The
British Library Sound and Moving Images Catalogue - List Recording 1CD0323981 on Audio CD : Oranges & lemons. Tunes from the collection 'The Dancing Master' (includes notes by Annegret Fischer, and song
1182:", a similar song about church bells, although in Wales as opposed to London and also telling the story of labour disputes in the mining industry. The stanzas follow the pattern of "Oranges and Lemons".
807:'s marital difficulties. Problematically for these theories the last two lines, with their different metre, do not appear in the earlier recorded versions of the rhyme, including the first printed in
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The identity of the London churches is not always clear, but the following have been suggested, along with some factors that may have influenced the accompanying statements:
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ring out the tune of the rhyme—as reported in 1940 the church's playing of the tune was interrupted during World War II due to Nazi bombing of the church during
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from a drawing by Antony van den
Wyngaerde (c. 1543–50), showing the towers and spires of many of the churches mentioned in the rhyme
1592:
37:
1106:. As is the case with almost all traditional songs, there were minor variations in the melody. Collector of British folk songs,
1309:
The
Annotated Mother Goose, Nursery Rhymes Old and New, Arr. and Explained by William S. Baring-Gould & Ceil Baring-Gould
1098:, and the intonation of each line is said to correspond with the distinct sounds of each church's bells. Today, the bells of
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118:(one of many London churches associated with the rhyme) play the tune every day at 9am, noon, 3pm and 6pm.
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The rhyme has been referenced in a variety of works of literature and popular culture. The bells of
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and surrounding area with locations of churches mentioned in the song. Stepney is just to the east.
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Various theories have been advanced to account for the rhyme, including: that it deals with child
1493:
Opie, Iona; Opie, Peter (1985). The
Singing Game. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. 61–72.
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1148:. Entitled "London Bells", it is the third movement of "Songs and Cries of London Town" (2001).
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BBC School Radio online - Nursery Songs. "Oranges and Lemons" (with animation and lyrics)
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and surrounding area with locations of churches mentioned in the alternative lyrics.
1175:", another English nursery rhyme that plays a similar game to "Oranges and Lemons".
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through the arches run as fast as they can to avoid being caught on the last word.
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Definitely one of the churches mentioned in most popular version of the rhyme.
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composed music based upon the nursery rhyme which was performed in 2009 at
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which refers to the bells of several churches, all within or close to the
1375:"St Clement Danes, The Strand London WC2 : tourist information from"
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which began making bells in 1570. "Two sticks and an apple" may refer to
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1451:"Chilcott: Songs and Cries of London Town – Oxford University Press"
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as No 13190. The earliest known printed version appeared c. 1744.
1159:
983:, Aldgate. "Maids in white aprons" could be local market-sellers.
1426:"Bells of St [Clement's], The (VWML Song Index SN16826)"
1130:. These recordings show slight melodic and lyrical variations.
566:
1068:, as St Botolph's was notorious for being a meeting-place for
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19:
This article is about the nursery rhyme. For other uses, see
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Panorama of London in 1543 from a 19th-century engraving by
1259:
1216:(Oxford University Press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997), pp. 337–8.
1012:" may refer to foods sold nearby, as it was a grain market.
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near the
Barbican. "Kettles and pans" may refer to nearby
359:
259:
1507:
1361:
The Layman's
Magazine of the Living Church, Issues 1-20
1290:"The Meaning of the Oranges and Lemons Nursery Rhyme"
885:, published from the third (1657) edition onwards of
216:
168:
1473:"BBC – Today – Ringing the dust off London's bells"
1273:
Playford’s
Dancing Master: The Compleat Dance Guide
957:St. Helen's, in the longer version of the song, is
200:
1262:, an editable reference site hosted by bbc.co.uk).
1060:, while "old father baldpate" refers to the monk
1554:
1158:, London to honour 150 years of the great bell,
720:And here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
337:And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!
270:May possibly be alluded to in standard version.
152:
440:
1401:"Orange and Lemons (VWML Song Index SN19197)"
488:
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1333:Alchin, Linda Kathryn (5 December 2010).
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339:Chip chop chip chop the last man is dead
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881:"Oranges and Lemons" was the title of a
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718:Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
548:
335:Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
136:
1214:The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes
1193:
741:Playing Oranges and Lemons. Picture by
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1430:The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library
1405:The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library
1231:with Garrison Keillor, June 29, 2011"
759:Statue of the game in Surrey, England
504:
472:
1363:. Morehouse-Gorham. 1940. p. 5.
1336:The Secret History of Nursery Rhymes
1064:. It may also be an allusion to the
1038:used on prisoners. It could also be
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1249:
1034:; "pokers and tongs" may allude to
937:is just outside the old City walls.
789:The Only True Mother Goose Melodies
520:
376:
21:Oranges and Lemons (disambiguation)
13:
1548:Map of the likely church locations
1122:, and another somewhere in either
14:
1609:
1530:
1312:. C. N. Potter. 5 December 1962.
1144:version for choir was written by
1112:Vaughan Williams Memorial Library
813:(c. 1744), where the lyrics are:
766:The song is used in a children's
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787:Illustration for the rhyme from
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979:St. Catherine's is most likely
943:is also outside the City walls.
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1141:Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book
810:Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book
1:
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1173:London Bridge Is Falling Down
966:St Mary Matfelon, Whitechapel
848:Ring y Bells at y Old Bailey,
58:
1593:Traditional children's songs
964:"Whitechapple" may refer to
921:St Sepulchre-without-Newgate
725:
224:St Sepulchre-without-Newgate
7:
1165:
1094:The tune is reminiscent of
844:Ring y bells at S Clements,
563:Gay go up, and gay go down,
95:" is a traditional English
10:
1614:
743:Agnes Rose Bouvier Nicholl
18:
1349:– via Google Books.
1322:– via Google Books.
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1583:English children's songs
1475:. BBC News. 10 July 2009
1377:. TourUK. Archived from
970:Whitechapel Bell Foundry
935:St Leonard's, Shoreditch
931:where debtors were held.
915:St. Martin-in-the-Fields
860:Ring y Bells at Stepney,
624:Two sticks and an apple,
572:Bull's eyes and targets,
176:St Leonard's, Shoreditch
1108:James Madison Carpenter
876:James Orchard Halliwell
711:Says the great bell at
700:Pray when will that be?
328:Says the great bell at
208:St Clement's, Eastcheap
160:St Martin-in-the-Fields
1578:English nursery rhymes
1504:"The Bells of Rhymney"
1138:A setting of the full
1091:
1036:instruments of torture
1002:St Peter upon Cornhill
959:St Helen's Bishopsgate
917:near Trafalgar Square.
871:
834:Maids in White Aprons,
792:
723:
709:I'm sure I don't know,
653:Say the slow bells at
615:Pancakes and fritters,
558:
448:St Giles in the Fields
342:
107:. It is listed in the
72:Children's street song
1276:. playforddances.com.
1212:I. Opie and P. Opie,
1087:
1017:St Pancras Old Church
941:St Dunstan's, Stepney
898:St. Clement's may be
846:When will you pay me,
832:Ring y Bells Aldgate,
830:Old Father Bald Pate,
818:Two Sticks and Apple,
815:
786:
682:When will you pay me?
660:Maids in white Aprons
644:Say the bells at St.
565:To ring the bells of
560:
552:
367:St Pancras Old Church
299:When will you pay me?
274:
1237:on 19 September 2016
1229:The Writer's Almanac
1180:The Bells of Rhymney
1058:St Botolph's Aldgate
1047:St Anne and St Agnes
995:St Giles Cripplegate
988:St Margaret Lothbury
909:St. Martin's may be
904:St Clement Eastcheap
803:; that it describes
799:; that it describes
651:Old Father Baldpate,
581:Brickbats and tiles,
537:class=notpageimage|
345:Alternative versions
249:class=notpageimage|
109:Roud Folk Song Index
31:"Oranges and Lemons"
1514:on 10 February 2009
1453:. OUP. 19 July 2001
1381:on 22 February 2012
1040:St John Clerkenwell
1019:, located near the
842:Oranges and Lemons,
779:Origins and meaning
606:Oranges and lemons,
277:Oranges and lemons,
1588:English folk songs
1573:Songs about London
1256:Oranges and Lemons
1092:
986:St. Margaret's is
888:The Dancing Master
858:When will that be,
793:
559:
555:Nathaniel Whittock
317:When will that be?
93:Oranges and Lemons
42:1902 machine print
1085:
981:St Katharine Cree
801:public executions
702:Say the bells of
693:Say the bells at
691:When I grow rich,
684:Say the bells at
675:Say the bells of
662:Say the bells of
642:Kettles and pans,
635:Say the bells at
633:Pokers and tongs,
626:Say the bells at
617:Say the bells of
608:Say the bells of
599:Say the bells of
583:Say the bells of
574:Say the bells of
432:St Katharine Cree
319:Say the bells of
310:Say the bells at
308:When I grow rich,
301:Say the bells at
292:Say the bells of
279:Say the bells of
89:
88:
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1563:English folklore
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1510:. Archived from
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1339:. Linda Alchin.
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1233:. Archived from
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1114:website: one in
1100:St Clement Danes
1089:St Clement Danes
1086:
1028:St John's Chapel
1015:"Fleetditch" is
913:in the City, or
900:St Clement Danes
864:Ring y Bells at
852:Ring y Bells at
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1598:London folklore
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1296:. 7 April 2013.
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993:St. Giles' is
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948:St Mary-le-Bow
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1120:Oxfordshire
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1021:River Fleet
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628:Whitechapel
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528:Whitechapel
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252:Map of the
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925:Old Bailey
854:Fleetditch
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686:Old Bailey
637:St. John's
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464:St Peter's
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1104:the Blitz
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726:As a game
671:shillings
595:farthings
591:Halfpence
512:St Anne's
480:St Paul's
288:farthings
55:Published
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1518:25 April
1166:See also
1010:fritters
1006:Pancakes
1160:Big Ben
1030:in the
946:Bow is
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655:Aldgate
416:Aldgate
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1543:texts)
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1077:Melody
791:(1833)
745:, 1874
567:London
122:Lyrics
1479:4 May
1457:4 May
1385:4 May
866:Pauls
820:Ring
646:Ann's
569:town.
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1481:2012
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1341:ISBN
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1243:2020
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