Alphabe Thursday O is for oranges and lemons

Oranges and lemons,

Say the bells of St Clement’s.

You owe me five farthings,

Say the bells of St Martin’s.

When will you pay me?

Say the bells of Old Bailey

When I grow rich,

Say the bells of Shoreditch.

When will that be?

Say the bells of Stepney.

I’m sure I don’t know,

Say the great bell at Bow.

Here comes a candle to light you to bed,

Here come a chopper to chop off your head.

This old song is known to young children even when they never played the game that accompanies it.  

The game is played in the manner of ‘London Bridge’ two bigger players determine in secret which one will be an ‘orange’ and the other a ‘lemon’  ; they form an arch by joining hands, and sing the song as the other players troop underneath in a single file.  When the two players who form the arch approach, with quickening tempo, the climax of their recitation,

Here comes the candle to light you to bed,

Here comes the chopper to chop of your head,

They repeat ominously ‘chop, chop, chop, chop, chop!’ and with the last ‘chop’ they bring down their arms down around whichever child is at that moment passing under the arch.  The captured player is asked privately whether he will be an ‘orange’ or ‘lemon’ he goes behind his chosen fruit.  The games and the singing continues until all the players are behind one or other of the arch; whereupon there is a tug-of-war to test which is the stronger the ‘oranges’ or ‘lemons.’   

The execution formula has been seen by some folklorists as a relic of the gory past, the days of public executions have been cited, when the condemned were led along the street to the sound of tolling bells.  

What ever its background it was a favourite in the playground when I was at school.