The Real Meaning Behind Nursery Rhymes

It's Raining, It's Poring

ITS RAINING ITS PORING



this is a little toon my father used to sing me to sleep with.
It was very relaxing.

Lyrics

It's raining; it's pouring.
The old man is snoring.
He went to bed and bumped his head,
And he wouldn't get up in the morning.

Or

It's raining, it's poring
The old man is snoring
He bumped his head, and went to bed,
And he wouldn't get up in the morning.

Decoding it

One source, Wikipedia ( who would believe them?) states it is a description of a classic head injury.

But doing further research. I found three other descriptions.

1) during the Middle Ages Europe had lots of rain, causing famine and caused crops to die. It also caused the ground to be very slippery, meaning, slipping and falling to your death was very likely.

2) the nursery rhyme was also a warning for people, to be carful and watch your step.

3) The third interpretation is much darker than either of these. It recalls Oliver Cromwell and his New Model Army in 17th century Ireland. An early report, dismissing the Burren as 'neither having a tree to hang a man, nor a pool to drown him', will give you a clue as to how deadly this invasion became. There are whole areas of Ireland still empty due to Cromwell's rampage, two centuries before the potato blight genocide was enacted.

" it's raining, it's poring"

The whole campaign was fought in horrible weather.

" the old man is snoring"

Many men where hung in the gallows

"He bumped his head, and went to bed,

Cromwell not only hung these men but others had there skull bashed open, others, buried alive.

" and wouldn't get up in the morning"

The brave irish fighters never gave up, so they where all executed.



We'll. looks like dad needs a new bed time song.