Nursery Rhyme & Lullaby Lyrics > Ring Around the Rosy Lyrics

Ring Around the Rosy Lyrics

Did you know that this cute little nursery rhyme was written in reference to the Bubonic Plague that swept London in 1665? 'Ring around the rosy' refers to the red ring of rash that would break out on the skin, 'pockets full of posies' is what people used to wear thinking that the disease was carried along by bad smells. And of course 'ashes, ashes' refers to the cremated bodies. While it's a dreadful story, the Ring Around the Rose nursery rhyme is a lot of fun to sing with children.

Ring around the rosy
A pocketful of posies
"Ashes, Ashes"
We all fall down!