What Does “London Bridge Is Falling Down” Really Mean?

You’ve probably sung the lyrics “London Bridge is falling down” before, but have you ever thought about what caused it to fall? And who exactly is this “fair lady” you’re singing to? “London Bridge Is Falling Down” is an iconic nursery rhyme with a murky past and an even more sinister deeper meaning. In this article, we’ll break down the best dark theories about what the words really mean, discover who the “fair lady” might be, and review the fascinating history of the real London Bridge. Read on to learn more!

What does “London Bridge Is Falling Down” mean?

There are several dark theories about what the lyrics mean. Some claim they’re about a vicious Viking attack in 1014 that destroyed the London Bridge. Others say the words allude to human sacrifice. In Medieval times, superstition said that bridges needed a sacrifice entombed in the foundations to stay standing.

Section 1 of 7:

“London Bridge Is Falling Down” Overview & Lyrics

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“London Bridge” is a popular—but mysterious—classic nursery rhyme. The rhyme's origins are uncertain. It may have Medieval roots, but exploded in popularity in the mid-18th and 19th centuries when it was first published and circulated in the UK and US. The lyrics describe the dilapidation of the iconic London Bridge—the only major crossing of the River Thames for centuries—and suggest some practical and some whimsical ways to fix it across its 12 verses.^{[1]
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- It’s unknown exactly who first wrote “London Bridge” and what the true meaning of the lyrics is.
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The first verse is the most well known and popular. You’ve probably heard “London Bridge” many times before, but chances are you’re only familiar with the first verse. This verse describes the premise of the nursery rhyme (the bridge is “falling down”) and introduces the mysterious “fair lady” to whom the lyrics are directed:
- London Bridge is falling down,
  Falling down, falling down.
  London Bridge is falling down,
  My fair lady.

Section 2 of 7:

What do the lyrics really mean?

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Theory 1: A Viking attack destroyed the London Bridge. In 1844, Scottish travel writer Samuel Laing translated the Norse saga Heimskringla into English from 13th-century Icelandic. According to Heimskringla, King Olaf II of Norway destroyed London Bridge during a Viking raid in either 1009 or 1014.^{[2]
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Research source} Although there are no other historical accounts of this attack outside the Heimskringla, it does contain one verse that sounds eerily like the first verse of “London Bridge”:
- London Bridge is broken down.
  Gold is won, and bright renown.
  Shields resounding,
  War-horns sounding,
  Hild is shouting in the din!
  Arrows singing,
  Mail-coats ringing.
  Odin makes our Olaf win!
- Is it true? It’s definitely true that the Vikings raided England repeatedly throughout the Middle Ages. However, some scholars doubt Laing’s translation and suggest that he moved the Norse words for “London” and “bridge” (which did not originally occur in the first line of the poem, or even on the same line together) to the beginning to be reminiscent of the nursery rhyme.^{[3]
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Theory 2: Human sacrifices were offered to keep the bridge standing. In ancient and Medieval Europe, it was believed that immurement—the practice of entombing a person within a structure, like churches or castles—would keep the structure stable. These ritual sacrifice victims were often minors, and many buildings in Europe do indeed have skeletons in their foundations (including another bridge in Bremen, Germany).^{[4]
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Research source} In 2007, skeletons were found beneath London Bridge, fueling rumors that Londoners in the Middle Ages participated in the practice.^{[5]
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- In an alternate version of the rhyme, there is a verse alluding to a prisoner being taken to the bridge, perhaps to be immured as punishment:
  - What have this poor prisoner done,
    Prisoner done, Prisoner done,
    What have this poor prisoner done?
    My fair lady.^{[6]
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- In the more commonly known version, the “man to watch all night” could also refer to a prisoner or other person being sacrificed to the bridge in order to watch over its stability.
- Is it true? Probably not. Although immurement is popular in folklore, scholars debate how common it was in real life. The skeletons found under London Bridge were in a tomb (not the bridge’s foundations) and were not children, making it unlikely they were sacrifices.^{[7]
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Theory 3: Centuries of damage made it hard to maintain the London Bridge. London Bridge may have been doomed from the start. Before a stone version was constructed in 1209 (the Old London Bridge), the wooden version of the bridge collapsed from a tornado in 1091 and a fire in 1135.^{[8]
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Research source} In 1212, another fire killed 3,000 people and destroyed all of the homes and shops atop the bridge. Later, in 1282, heavy winter ice caused 5 or the bridge’s 19 arches to collapse.^{[9]
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Research source} In the 1600s, two more fires wreaked havoc on the bridge: one in 1633, and the great Fire of London in 1666.^{[10]
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- Some suggest that the nursery rhyme and its suggestions on how to improve the bridge are just a reflection of London’s constant efforts to maintain what seems to be a doomed structure.
- Is it true? It very well could be. We don’t have direct proof that this is the inspiration for the rhyme, but it’s the theory with the most evidence and reasoning to back it up.

Section 3 of 7:

Who is the “fair lady”?

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Several historical women are thought to be the infamous “fair lady.” It’s possible that there is no real fair lady and that the character is simply used as a narrative device throughout the nursery rhyme. However, there are a few theories that suggest the fair lady may have been based on a historical figure:^{[11]
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- Matilda of Scotland: King Henry I’s consort Matilda oversaw the construction of several bridges from 1110 to 1118, including a bridge over the River Lea that connected the road from Colchester to London.
- Eleanor of Provence: Another regal consort, Eleanor retained custody of all bridge revenues from about 1269 to 1281.
- A member of the Leigh family: According to this Warwickshire family’s lore, there is a Leigh buried under the bridge as a sacrifice.
- The River Lea: This river is a tributary to the Thames and may be a metaphorical “lady.”
- The Virgin Mary: Supposedly, Olaf II’s attack on the London Bridge occurred on September 8th, or the Virgin Mary’s feast day. The bridge was taken, but the city survived thanks to the protection of the “fair lady.”

Section 4 of 7:

Full Lyrics

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The verses suggest ways to fix the bridge (and why they won’t work). After the popular first verse establishes that the bridge is falling down, the other verses describe increasingly advanced and expensive ways to make the bridge stable again (from “wood and clay” to “iron and steel”). The verses alternate between a suggestion and an explanation for why that suggestion will fail eventually. The nursery rhyme ends with a reference to a man who watches the bridge all night to ensure its safety, and each verse is directed at the “fair lady.”^{[12]
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- London Bridge is falling 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.
- Listen to the full nursery rhyme set to music on YouTube.

Section 5 of 7:

Where did the rhyme come from?

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It probably evolved from similar rhymes in non-English cultures. The origins of “London Bridge” are murky, but it’s likely that the rhyme (and its associated game) evolved from other “bridge games” and rhymes that were popular in continental Europe prior throughout the Middle Ages and the first publishing of “London Bridge.”^{[13]
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Research source} It’s thought that the rhymes about other bridges were translated into English and adapted to fit the largest and most important bridge Londoners knew of—the London Bridge.
- Medieval rhymes that may have inspired “London Bridge Is Falling Down” include “Knippelsbro Går Op og Ned” (“Knippel Bridge Goes Up and Down” from Denmark), “Die Magdeburger Brücke” (“The Magdeburg Bridge” from Germany), “Sur le Pont d'Avignon” (“On the Bridge of Avignon” from France), and “Le Porte” (“The Doors” or “The Bridge” from Italy).
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The earliest known version of the lyrics was printed in 1744. In Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book, a rhyme titled “London Bridge” begins with the line “London Bridge is broken down” and continues to suggest ways to fix it in the following verses. The exact words are recognizable, but different from the modern version we know today:
- London Bridge is broken down,
  Dance over my Lady Lee.
  London Bridge is broken down,
  With a gay lady.^{[14]
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- The line “We daunc't (danced) the building of London-Bridge” in the 1659 play The London Chaunticleres might be an early reference to “Sur le Pont d'Avignon” from France, which describes dancing on a bridge.^{[15]
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- Henry Carey’s satirical poem Namby Pamby (1725) also alludes to the rhyme when it states:^{[16]
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  - Namby Pamby is no Clown,
    London bridge is broken down:
    Now he courts the gay Ladee,
    Dancing o’er the Lady Lee.
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A melody was added to the rhyme by 1879. In the second volume of John Playford’s The Dancing Master (1710), there is a melody for a song called “London Bridge,” but no lyrics are given (meaning there’s a chance it’s not related to the rhyme). The tune we associate with “London Bridge” today first appeared in A. H. Rosewig’s Nursery Songs and Games in 1879.^{[17]
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- It’s almost certain this rhyme was sung to a melody prior to 1879 or even 1710. But, without written records, we can’t be sure exactly what that melody was.
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The rhyme became a hit in the UK and US after publication. Once the published rhyme was able to circulate, it exploded in popularity among English-speaking regions (especially the UK and what would eventually become the US).^{[18]
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Research source} Some Americanized versions were even published, like the 1788 reprint of Tommy Thumb’s Song Book, which changed the lyrics to “Charlestown Bridge” (a local bridge in Massachusetts near where the reprint was published).^{[19]
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- The success of the nursery rhyme and its spread across continents is what helped make it an iconic and enduring nursery rhyme.

Section 6 of 7:

Playing the “London Bridge” Game

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Gather an even number of players to form “the bridge.” Have pairs of players face each other and join hands above their heads to make an archway. Typically, 8 or more players form the bridge (making at least 4 arches).^{[20]
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Research source} However, you can play with as little as 2 people making a single arch.
- London Bridge works best with large groups so you can have several arches and a long line of people walking through them.
Gather all the remaining players into a single file line and have them hold the shoulders of the person in front of them. Have the line begin walking through the arches while the entire group sings the first verse of “London Bridge Is Falling Down.”^{[21]
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Lower the bridge on the last line of the verse to “capture” a player. On the lyrics “My fair lady,” the players forming the arches of the bridge will lower their arms to trap a player in the line passing through. What happens next depends on which version of the game you’re playing:^{[22]
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- Option 1: Place all captured players in an area called the “Tower of London.” At the end of the game, the bridge players chase the captured players. The first 2 players caught form the arches of the next bridge.
- Option 2: Have the captured players form two teams and compete in a round of Tug-of-War.
- Option 3: Each captured player pays a forfeit. This may be linked to the earliest version of the game, relating to the superstition that a bridge needs a sacrifice to stand.

Section 7 of 7:

History of the London Bridge

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The earliest London Bridge(s) were built of wood by the Romans. There is no single London Bridge, since it has been rebuilt and destroyed many times over its history. The earliest structure was built by the Romans to cross the Thames around 50 CE and was made of timber. Although some people lived part of the year in this area, there wasn’t a permanent settlement near the bridge. The city of Londinium (modern day London) grew around the new bridge.^{[23]
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- These wooden bridges were repeatedly damaged or destroyed and then replaced over more than 1,000 years until the stone Old London bridge was erected in the Middle Ages.
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Old London Bridge was built of stone and completed in 1209. In 1176, Peter of Colechurch began construction on the foundation for a new and improved stone bridge, a little downstream from the location of the previous wooden bridges. Known as Old London Bridge, it was the first stone arch bridge built in Britain and stood for 622 years.^{[24]
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- Old London Bridge was more than just a bridge. In addition to a carriageway, it also contained shops and residences. You could live on the London Bridge!
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New London Bridge was completed in 1831. After centuries of repair and renovations, the old bridge became too much of a burden and it was decided to fully replace it in the late 1700s. Construction began in 1824 and was completed in 1831, when the bridge officially opened with a ceremony led by King William IV and Queen Adelaide.^{[25]
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- Old London Bridge was dismantled the following year in 1832.
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The modern London Bridge was built between 1968 and 1972. The New London Bridge was dismantled and shipped to Lake Havasu City in Arizona, a resort town where the bridge now stands over the Colorado River as a tourist attraction. The current bridge in London was finished in 1972 and built using the cantilever method, which represented a major innovation in post-WWII bridge engineering. However, the bridge does not have as much historical significance as its predecessors.^{[26]
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