《倫敦橋要倒了》（London Bridge Is Falling Down）是一首非常知名的傳統童謠，來自《鵝媽媽童謠》。它們絕對不像大家對童謠的印象大多是充滿童趣與溫馨的。這些古老且殘酷的童謠可以追溯到當時的時代背景及社會人文風貌，藉由童謠的黑暗面，能讓近代的人們更了解歷史。
基本介紹
創作背景,歌曲歌詞,其他版本,衍生遊戲,社會影響,
創作背景
建橋說
歌曲的含義還不清楚。可能只是簡單的與建造跨越泰晤士河的橋時困難重重有關，但也有一些其他的理論。
海盜說
起源理論中的一個是：歌曲和1014年（或1009年）倫敦大橋被挪威奧拉夫二世摧毀的假設有關。1844年由塞繆爾·拉寧出版的北歐傳奇《挪威王列傳》譯本包含了一段Óttarr svarti的詩。該詩有些類似童謠：
- 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!
然而，由現代的翻譯中可以十分清楚的知道，拉寧當時以童謠為模子來進行他相當“自由”的翻譯，在一開始的詩中沒有提及倫敦橋，而這首詩也不太可能是《倫敦橋要倒了》的早期版本。某些歷史學家質疑是否曾發生過這種攻擊事件。
孩童說
關於埋葬（可能還活著的）小孩（人柱）到橋基里的理論出自於愛麗絲·柏莎·高姆（後稱為高姆小姐）的《The Traditional Games of England, Scotland and Ireland》（1894-8）一書，並被總是抱持懷疑的艾奧娜（Iona）和彼得·奧佩（Peter Opie）“發揚光大”。這想法根基於一種“原始”文化的思想，即只要把人埋在橋的地基里，這橋就不會倒。但至今並沒有考古證據顯示倫敦橋的橋基里有任何人類軀體。
- 瓦立克郡（Warwickshire）斯通萊公園（Stoneleigh Park）的利（Leigh）家有個家族傳統，他們相信建築下有人的獻祭活動。
仙女說
已有數個試圖解釋歌詞中提到的仙女（'fair lady', 'lady gay' 或 lady 'lee/lea'）的嘗試，包括：
- Matilda of Scotland，亨利一世的妻子，與許多在1110年到1118年間興建的一系列橋樑有關，這些橋橫跨 Bow 與史特拉福（Stratford）間的利河（River Lea）河和其支流，連線倫敦和科爾切斯特。
- Eleanor of Provence，亨利三世的妻子，掌握1269年到約1281年的橋樑稅收。
歌曲歌詞
常見版本
《倫敦橋要倒了》歌詞的押韻有相當大的變化。最常用的第一詩句是：
London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down.
London Bridge is falling down,my fair lady.
London Bridge is falling down,my fair lady.
1951年版
這是引述1951年由Iona和Peter Opie的歌詞：
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, myfair 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.
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, myfair 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.
1744年版
最早期的印刷記錄版本是1744年的Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book，歌詞如下：
London Bridgeis Broken down,dance over my Lady Lee.
London Bridgeis Broken down,with a gay Lady.
How shall we build, it up again,dance over my Lady Lee.
Build it up with Gravel, and Stone,dance over my Lady Lee.
Gravel, and Stone,Will wash away,dance over my Lady Lee.
Build it up withiron, and Steel,dance over my Lady Lee.
Iron, and Steel,will bend, and Bow,dance over my Lady Lee.
Build it up with Gravel, and Stone,dance over my Lady Lee.
Gravel, and Stone,Will wash away,dance over my Lady Lee.
Build it up withiron, and Steel,dance over my Lady Lee.
Iron, and Steel,will bend, and Bow,dance over my Lady Lee.
Build it up withSilver, and Gold, dance over my Lady Lee.
Silver, and GoldWill be stolen away,dance over my Lady Lee.
Then we'l setA man to Watch,dance over my Lady Lee.
Then we'l setA man to Watch,with a gay Lady.
Silver, and GoldWill be stolen away,dance over my Lady Lee.
Then we'l setA man to Watch,dance over my Lady Lee.
Then we'l setA man to Watch,with a gay Lady.
1823年版
現存最古老的版本可能是在1823年《紳士雜誌》的一名記者聽見了一名的婦女在查爾斯二世（1660至1685年） 統治時期成長的口述:
London Bridge is broken down,
Dance over the Lady Lea;
London Bridge is broken down,
With a gay lady (la-dee).
The subsequent verses began with the lines, with lines in italics above repeated between them:
Then we must build it up again.
What shall we build it up withal?
Build it up with iron and steel,
Iron and steel will bend and break.
Build it up with wood and stone,
Wood and stone will fall away.
Then we must set a man to watch,
Suppose the man should fall asleep?
Then we must put a pipe in his mouth,
Suppose the pipe should fall and break?
Then we must set a dog to watch,
Suppose the dog should run away?
Then we must chain him to a post.
Dance over the Lady Lea;
London Bridge is broken down,
With a gay lady (la-dee).
The subsequent verses began with the lines, with lines in italics above repeated between them:
Then we must build it up again.
What shall we build it up withal?
Build it up with iron and steel,
Iron and steel will bend and break.
Build it up with wood and stone,
Wood and stone will fall away.
Then we must set a man to watch,
Suppose the man should fall asleep?
Then we must put a pipe in his mouth,
Suppose the pipe should fall and break?
Then we must set a dog to watch,
Suppose the dog should run away?
Then we must chain him to a post.
其他版本
類近的歌韻早已從英格蘭從傳遍歐洲，包括丹麥的歌謠《Bro, Bro Brille》，德國的歌謠《Die Magdeburger Brück》，法國自16世紀已唱頌的《pont chus》，與及14世紀的義大利歌謠《Le porte》。亦有可能這些歌謠的樂韻，組成這首在英倫三島非常家傳戶曉的歌謠。
而這首歌謠的粵語版本是發源於香港，這是由於香港在19世紀中葉後淪為英國的殖民地，在香港製定教育制度，而這首簡單的曲調，亦容易成為學校音樂課堂的教材，和容易上口的兒歌。粵語版本的《倫敦橋要倒了》（London Bridge is Falling Down）的曲名為《有隻雀仔跌落水》（意思是：有一隻小鳥跌落水中）。歌詞如下：
有隻雀仔跌落水
跌落水 跌落水
有隻雀仔跌落水
被水衝去
還有同一音調的另一中文版本：
頭兒肩膀膝腳趾
膝腳趾 膝腳趾
頭兒肩膀膝腳趾
眼耳鼻舌口
衍生遊戲
《倫敦橋要倒了》的音韻成為多種不同種類的兒童遊戲時的伴唱曲目。其中一種為人熟悉的兒童遊戲，是由兩名玩家站在兩邊，舉高並互握雙手形成一道橋拱，而其他玩家連串成一長列，當大家唱起《倫敦橋要倒了》的時候，那一列的玩家便連串地走過那道“橋拱”，而當唱到尾聲時，那兩名站在兩邊的玩家便將高舉的雙手放下，就如同倫敦橋塌下的狀況，將正正穿越二人的那個玩家捉著，那個被捉著的玩家便輸了。
社會影響
這首歌與文化方面影響不少,，包括了：
文學
影視
- 1993年美國電影《怒火風暴》是受到此歌曲啟發，並於電影內歌唱此歌曲。
- 在1966年，Lucille Ball主演的黃金時段電視特別節目《Lucy in London》里，Dave Clark Five出現的時候唱了《倫敦橋要倒了》。
- BBC電視系列劇《A Ghost Story for Christmas》的《A Warning to the Curious》一集裡提到該童謠表達關於獻祭處女的墳墓的意思。
- 電視節目《Dark Shadows》（1966 - 1971）以一個幽靈女孩莎拉‧柯林斯為特色，她的招牌演出是唱《倫敦橋要倒了》。
音樂
- Walter Kaner一首在二戰時期，名為《もしもし、あのね》（Moshi, Moshi Ano-ne）的歌，和《倫敦橋要倒了》相同的旋律很受日本的孩童和美國大兵歡迎，以至於美國陸軍的報紙《Stars and Stripes》把這首歌稱作“日本占領主題曲”（the Japanese occupation theme song）。
- 樂團Mindless Self Indulgence樂有首叫做《倫敦橋》（London Bridge）的歌，不過這首歌和原來那首沒什麼關係。
- 來自波士頓的State Radio樂團的《Riddle in London Town》在一行歌詞里提到了《倫敦橋要倒了》，那行歌詞是“It ain't the bridges that are falling down.”
- 來自美國舊金山的樂團Switchblade Symphony在他們《Serpentine Gallery》專輯的《Gutter Glitter》一曲里用了這首童謠的一段詞。
