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A seemingly scary nursery rhyme: a children’s song that gives you the chills when you hear it

When you think of children’s songs, you probably picture the cute tunes kids sing in daycare or kindergarten.

But did you know that some of them have chillingly scary lyrics when you listen to the whole song? In this article, we’ve gathered nursery rhymes that turn out to be frightening once you dig into the lyrics.

You’ll also learn the intriguing backgrounds behind these songs—not just the scare factor—so if there’s a nursery rhyme you’ve always wondered about or never quite understood the meaning of since you were a child, be sure to check it out!

Playlist

A seemingly scary nursery rhyme: a children’s song that gives you the chills when you hear it
show_chartTitlePlaylistOne point
1eastLondon BridgeBritish folk songA bright folk song that conceals a dark history
2eastteru teru bozu (a traditional Japanese handmade doll hung to wish for good weather)Lyrics by Kyomura Asahara / Music by Shinpei NakayamaThe white cloth or paper you hang when you really want it to be sunny...
3eastKagome Kagomechildren’s songCircle around the demon and walk around it while singing, and the song...
4eastSeven-year-old childLyrics by Ujō Noguchi / Music by Nagayo MotooriA Crow at Dusk: A Song of Parental Love
5north_eastSacchanLyrics by Hiroo Sakata / Music by Megumi OonakaThe children's literature author Hiroo Sakata, who wrote the lyrics, in his child…
6south_eastDona DonaYiddish folk songA melancholy folk song of a calf and a swallow: fate and freedom
7south_eastI Stepped on the CatComposer unknownThe Strange Tale of a Protagonist Who Stepped on a Cat
8eastThe Hare and the TortoiseLyrics by Kazasaburō Ishihara / Music by Benjirō NōshoThe moral and human drama of the Tortoise and the Hare
9eastThe monk of the mountain templeLyrics by Shoji Kubota / Music by Ryoichi HattoriPlayful spirit behind lyrics that are both scary and lighthearted
10eastOchara-ka-hoichildren’s songA Japanese pop song known for its simple lyrics and upbeat rhythm…
11north_eastWhere are you from?children’s songThough it's a familiar children's song, it has a deep historical background...
12eastHow many are the moons?children’s songThe terrifying endings and eeriness of nursery rhymes
13south_eastThe railroad tracks go on forever.American folk songThe tracks go on: the truth of the labor song
14eastMomotaroLyrics by Unknown / Music by Teiichi OkanoLyrics of Momotaro: invasive and with historical background
15eastAbuku-tattachildren’s songThe game of the nursery rhyme Abuku Tatta
16eastCaro’s eyeballchildren’s songCharacteristics of the nursery rhyme 'Kyāro no Medama'
17eastlittle foxGerman folk songThe lyrics of “Kogitsune” vary by country.
18eastMy shoes are squeaking.Lyrics by Katsura Shimizu / Music by Ryutaro HirotaUnexpected Interpretations and Appeal of “Kutsu ga Naru” (The Shoes Are Ringing)
19eastRainy moonLyrics by Ujō Noguchi / Music by Shinpei NakayamaA poignant children's song about a bride traveling alone on a rainy night: 'Rainy Moon'
20eastAn Apple’s SoliloquyLyrics by Toshiko Takeuchi / Music by Mitsuaki KōyōNostalgia and Tears Embedded in the Apple Song
21eastPlease let me pass.children’s songSaid to have originated at shrines in Saitama and Kanagawa Prefectures, it spread throughout Edo...
22eastrainfallLyrics by Hakushu Kitahara / Music by Shinpei NakayamaLyrics by the poet Hakushu Kitahara and numerous...
23eastRed ShoesLyrics by Ujō Noguchi / Music by Nagayo MotooriWidely known even today as a symbol of Yokohama…
24eastPinky promiseWhen you make a promise with someone, always keep it.
25north_eastsoap bubbleLyrics by Ujō Noguchi / Music by Shinpei NakayamaLyrics in the Buddhist children's magazine 'The Golden Tower' during the Taisho era...
26south_eastShōjōji’s Raccoon Dog Festival MusicLyrics by Ujō Noguchi / Music by Shinpei NakayamaThis piece, released in 1924, is about tanuki (Japanese raccoon dogs)...
27south_eastThe Spinning SongLyrics by: Yoshiko Kayama / Music by: Akihiro KomoriThe song “Ito-maki no Uta” that you sing while doing hand motions. Kaori…
28eastgoldfishLyrics by Hakushu Kitahara / Music by Tamezo NaritaThe lyrics, mixing a child's affection with cruelty, send shivers down my spine...
29eastHana Ichi MonmeLyrics: Yoshiharu Shiina / Music: Yoshiharu Shiina, Hiroo YamaguchiSplit into two groups to sing a song, and the membe…
30eastSparrows’ SchoolLyrics by Katsura Shimizu / Music by Ryutaro HirotaThe title “Sparrows’ School” and the lyrics include…
31eastIroha poemIt is said to have been composed between the 10th and 11th centuries...
32eastZuizui Zukkorobashichildren’s songMake a circle with your hand and then, one by one, put your fingers into the circle…
33eastClose It, Open ItMonbushō Shōka (Ministry of Education Songs)Jean, known as a French philosopher…
34eastWhen I Become a First GraderLyrics by Michio Mado / Music by Naotsugu YamamotoGraduation ceremonies from kindergarten, entrance ceremonies, welcome parties, and so on—still today, children’s ...
35eastMr. ElephantLyrics: Michio Mado / Music: Ikuma DanSociety in terms of politics, government, education, economy, and war…
36eastred dragonflyLyrics by Rofū Miki / Music by Kōsaku YamadaFilms such as “Here Is a Fountain” and “The Red of Yuuyake Koyake”…
37eastThe Bear of the ForestAmerican folk songBased on an American folk song with unknown lyricist and composer...
38eastMysterious PocketLyrics by Michio Mado / Music by Shigeru WatanabeKnown for putting children's innocent wishes into song…
39eastThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtLyrics and Music: Taeko OnukiIn the music program “Minna no Uta,” in 1984…
40eastDojojiAnchin and Kiyohime, whose tale remains at Dojoji Temple in Wakayama Prefecture...