London Bridge is Broken Down


London Bridge is broken down,
Broken down, broken down,
London Bridge is broken down,
My fair lady.

Built it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay,
Built 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.

Built up with bricks and mortar,
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar,
Built up with bricks and mortar,
My fair lady.

Biricks and mortar will not stay,
Will not stay, will not stay,
Bricks and mortar will not stay,
My fair lady.

Built up with iron and steel,
Iron and steel, iron and steel,
Buit 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.

Built up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, silver and gold,
Built 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 naight, 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 a all night,
My fair lady.



　この唄は昔、ロンドン橋の建設がどんなに困難だったかを示しています。造っても造っても流されたり壊されるので、生け贄に人柱を立てて橋梁建設をしたという残酷な話があったそうです。My fair ladyというフレーズが繰り返されていますが、これは人柱になった女性のことだとする説もあります。
　ミュージカル『マイ・フェア・レディー（My fair lady）』の題名はここからの引用です。
　世界的に最も人気のある唄の一つで、遊戯唄としても親しまれています。向かい合った二人が腕を上げて作った橋の下を、一列になってくぐらせ、一連を歌い終わると同時に腕を下ろして一人を捕まえるという遊びです。