Nursery Rhymes - Goosey Goosey Gander
Goosey Goosey Gander (1784)
Nursery Rhymes
Singing and dancing have been the part of world history since the beginning of time. The rhythmic songs developed to keep children busy and learn while singing was called nursery rhymes. The world heard first about the terminology describing these children songs as nursery rhymes in the 18th and 19th century. They are now an essential part of a child’s education in his/her early years, be it in school or at home.
Food for Thought
Many nursery rhymes were written for children but had a lot of subliminal messages. Stories and songs would be told generation to generation passed down throughout time. Humpty Dumpty was based upon a famous British Canon protecting a tower for over three months that finally fell, not to be found by the King’s search party. Many other nursery rhymes had similar synopsis beyond just the literal meanings. However, some rhymes were written with a real meaning on the face of it as well as between the lines.
The Religious Perspective
Any nursery rhyme with a phrase ‘Goosey Goosey’ will have anything to do with a dark hidden meaning. This is one nursery rhyme which has actually got a real dark substance to it. This rhyme describes a time when soldiers were hunting priests by throwing them off the stairs because of religious differences. The original version narrates how the old man will be thrown off the stairs because he did not say his prayers. These prayers refer to the ones in English rather than in traditional Latin.
Lyrics
Whither shall I wander?
Upstairs and downstairs
And in my lady's chamber.
There I met an old man
Who wouldn't say his prayers,
So I took him by his left leg
And threw him down the stairs
The Real Meaning
The literal meaning of the lady’s chamber is the resting/change room inside the room of a high-born lady. However, the connotation of this room is the bolt room that priests had built in their churches in order to hide from the soldiers looking for them. The goosey phrase is related to the ‘goose step’ in which the Cromwell’s soldiers used to march. The priest not saying his prayer is a Catholic priest, which assumes that his prayers were in English and not in Latin. Therefore, the overall meaning is related to the round head soldiers who march up and down the stairs in a church to find the priest and kill him for a reward once he is found.
My Take
Nursery rhymes which have violent undertones should not be taught to children. “Goosey Goosey Gander” is the perfect example of such rhymes. These nursery rhymes negate the positivity in the young one's brain and could scar them for the years to come. This nursery rhyme not only has a hidden meaning but also offensive on the face of it.