Tuesday February 7, 2012
Remember those children’s songs you used to sing when you were a kid? I remember being in elementary school and having a jolly old time singing those cute little songs with my classmates. The alphabet song, “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep,” “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,”–they’re timeless classics we all learned as kids, and can still sing even though we’re well past adulthood.

But if you ever stop and think about the lyrics to these songs, you start to realize that some of them aren’t as kid friendly as you’d think. Sure, they sound innocent, but don’t let their simple-yet-whimsical tunes fool you. These songs are totally anti-children.

For instance, let’s look at the words to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Sure, it seems like a song about some star in the sky…but in reality, the message it’s trying to get across is that children are retarded.

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You see what I mean?!

And then there’s the crappy parent anthem, “Rock-A-Bye Baby”:

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I used to sing this song thinking it was just about a baby in a tree–which it was. What I didn’t know, however, was that the tree baby was in a cradle that was hanging precariously off a rickety-ass bough–which later snaps in the wind, and causes the baby to fall to the ground. This song is a hot freaking mess! I mean, why would you lull a child to sleep with a lullaby about an unwanted baby that ends up doing a face plant into dirt and roots?

And finally, there’s that children’s song about bells–aptly entitled “The Bells”:

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Umm…I might have made up the part about the bell being a crackhead with a gambling problem…but you get the idea.

Posted 2/7/2012 at 4:42 PM

21 Comments

Not so much those songs, but “Centerfold” (J. Geils Band), “My Sharona” (The Knack) and “Roxanne” (The Police)…  not ’til I was much older >_<

Posted 2/7/2012 at 5:0 PM by npr32486

Yeah, someone had pointed that out years ago, somewhere (tv, maybe?)

LOL! Good stuff, as usual.

Posted 2/7/2012 at 5:0 PM by Unstoppable_Inner_Strength

poor kitty.

Posted 2/7/2012 at 5:8 PM by cbr600

How did you get Walnut to agree to appear in your enactment of “Rock-a-bye Baby”?

Posted 2/7/2012 at 5:28 PM by CEC32

I have a running argument with some kids about whether the spider is “Itsy Bitsy” or “Eensy Weensy.” I say eensy and I should know – it’s my favorite. I like it when sun comes out and dries up the rain. I mean, I like rain, too, but not when I get washed out. Like you I’ve always wondered about “Rockabye Baby’s” horrific libretto. Better to keep the baby’s cradle where the wind won’t blow it down, I’d say. Plain common sense.

These are some of the best graphics of yours I’ve seen.

Posted 2/7/2012 at 5:42 PM by dirtbubble

ring around the rosie ashes full of posies ashes, ashes, we all fall dead.

Those are the real lyrics some say.

Posted 2/7/2012 at 5:58 PM by Colorsofthenight

your paintshop skills have improved so much

Posted 2/8/2012 at 1:21 AM by mistermino

I love your piece on “Rock-A-Bye, Baby!”

Posted 2/7/2012 at 7:16 PM by Southeast_Beauty

Negligence! NEGLIGENCE!

Posted 2/7/2012 at 6:4 PM by randaness

Factoid: Many of the old lullaby’s were rhymes based on historical figures or references (ex: Humpty Dumpty & Rock a Bye Baby), that through some twisted way, got put into use as a children’s song. It explains why the verses of some are either mysterious or dark.

Applying that structure/method to “The Bells” would make it relate to the old bell, AT&T talking to the new phone hot shot, Apple…..so you just called Apple a crackhead/gambler…..gasp!!!

Posted 2/7/2012 at 9:44 PM by SoullFire

Sad, but true.  Old school songs & fairy tales were pretty messed up.  Come to think of it, most classic cartoons, or comedy sketches like the 3 Stooges, wouldn’t survive the scrutiny of modern standards either. :\

Posted 2/7/2012 at 9:21 PM by Lakakalo

Oh hell how I missed reading your blog! lol!

Posted 2/8/2012 at 2:3 AM by ExposedWrists

This could explian why some kids turn out the way they do, huh?!   Just a thought.

Posted 2/7/2012 at 6:26 PM by suefa_lee

“I hear it likes the girls
I ain’t afraid a no ghost
Who you gonna call (ghostbusters)
Mm… if you’ve had a dose
Of a freaky ghost baby
You better call ghostbusters
Bustin’ makes me feel good”

– Ghostbusters Theme Song

Posted 2/7/2012 at 7:9 PM by SAM_in_LA

All the King’s horses, all the King’s men couldn’t put him back together again.

Posted 2/9/2012 at 1:22 AM by infinitiNY

I hate that one about the stupid baby falling, i dont know why they would sing that to a kid, that would be traumatizing and anxiety inducing if I was told that by my parents.

Posted 3/7/2012 at 8:50 PM by joooolie

I also heard fairy tales such as “little red riding hood” used to be plays for entertaining horny noblemen back in the days in england…haha the things we pass down to kids.

Posted 3/7/2012 at 8:52 PM by joooolie

lol Good stuff! To be honest I never really actually thought about the lyrics of the children songs until I read your post, and you’re absolutely right. lol. Thanks just browsing through…

Posted 2/8/2012 at 4:55 PM by adrenalinerush11

NEGLIGENCE! NEGLIGENCE!!!

God I love your posts….

Posted 2/8/2012 at 10:7 AM by nimbusthedragon

Haha! These are so funny! 🙂 Love these! ❤

Posted 2/8/2012 at 2:8 AM by Xbeautifully_broken_downX

hahahaha

Posted 2/8/2012 at 8:51 AM by maniacsicko

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