Children’s songs of the world: songs passed down and sung by children overseas
We’re introducing nursery rhymes and children’s songs that have been sung across countries and regions around the world!
From songs found in Japanese textbooks to tunes actually sung overseas and popular songs used in English education, we’ve gathered a selection from various perspectives.
As you’ll see in this article, there are actually many songs people in Japan think are Japanese that are originally from other countries.
If you want to know “famous foreign nursery rhymes in Japan” or you’d like to sing children’s songs in other languages, be sure to check these out and give them a try!
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World Nursery Rhymes: Children's Songs Passed Down Overseas (1–10)
Edelweiss
The Japanese title is “Edelweiss.” It is a song from the 1959 musical The Sound of Music.
In the story, Captain von Trapp sings about Austria, his homeland, with the edelweiss as its symbol.
In Japan, Hiroo Sakata’s Japanese lyrics are well known and were even included in school textbooks.
Winter Wonderland
This song, which is also beloved as a Christmas tune in countries in the Northern Hemisphere, was composed by Felix Bernard in 1934 with lyrics by Richard B.
Smith.
The original lyrics describe a winter romance between a man and a woman and a promise of marriage, but in 1947 additional lyrics were added about children playing in the snow.
If you look at the introductory section before the main part—called the verse—you can tell it’s a song about romance.
Many older songs have verses like this, so it’s fun to know about them.
BINGO
Songs themed around dogs are common worldwide, even among nursery rhymes.
One of them is the American song about a farmer who has a dog named BINGO.
With its friendly melody, it has long been sung as a children’s song, though its origins are unclear.
As the song progresses, one letter of the five-letter spelling is dropped at a time and replaced with claps or stomps.
It’s more than just a song—it’s a fun tune with a bit of brain-training flair.
World nursery rhymes: Children’s songs passed down overseas (11–20)
Father Abraham
The Japanese title is “Abraham no Ko” or “Abraham no Shichinin no Ko” (“Abraham’s Child” or “Abraham’s Seven Children”).
It was introduced to Japan in the 1970s.
It is said to be based on an American children’s song, and once Japanese lyrics were added, it was sung by artists including Masato Shimon.
Among children, it is used for play activities in kindergartens and nursery schools.
Auld Lang Syne
It is a Scottish folk song that spread throughout Europe and to the Americas.
In Japan, it was given lyrics by Chika Inagaki in 1881 as an elementary school song and has been loved ever since.
Its Japanese title is “Hotaru no Hikari.”
Rain Rain Go Away
When it rains, kids can’t play outside, so most of them probably think, “Oh no, not again.” This song is a little wish for rainy days to go away and come back another day.
It’s an old, traditional rain song that’s also included in the Loud Folk Song Index, a collection of about 25,000 songs gathered from oral traditions in English around the world.
The placement of the stresses in the English lyrics is spot-on, and just singing it lets you feel the true charm of the language.
Three Blind Mice
This song is a traditional Mother Goose rhyme from England, said to date back to the early 1600s.
While some Mother Goose rhymes contain rather grim elements, this one tells of three blind mice who chase a farmer’s wife and end up having their tails cut off with a carving knife.
It is also said that the story hides a reference to three Protestant bishops executed by Queen Mary I of England.