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!
- [Surprising!] A children’s song that originated overseas. That familiar nursery rhyme is actually…
- A classic Mother Goose tune. A Mother Goose song that’s popular with children.
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- Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
- Ministry of Education songs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes. The heart of Japan passed down in song.
- Get pumped with popular songs from “Okaasan to Issho”! A collection of timeless tunes everyone will want to sing together
- [Minna no Uta] Tear-jerking masterpiece. A moving song you want to hear again.
- Let's sing together! A collection of nursery rhymes everyone knows
- [Christmas Songs] Christmas songs to sing with children
- Nursery rhymes you’ll want to sing at karaoke: classic and popular songs everyone can enjoy together.
Nursery Rhymes of the World: Children's Songs Passed Down Overseas (21–30)
Who Killed Cock Robin
It is one of the most famous poems among the Mother Goose nursery rhymes and was adapted into a film by Disney in 1935.
In Japanese, the title translates to “Who Killed Cock Robin?” In Japan, manga artist Mineo Maya frequently parodied it in his hit series Patalliro!, and when the series was adapted into an anime, the original song “Cock Robin Ondo” became a hit.
“Cock Robin” refers to a robin.
Wee Willie Winkie
Originally a Scottish nursery rhyme, it is loved by children all over the world.
The song has the kind of spooky yet thrilling content that children tend to enjoy: if a naughty child won’t go to sleep at night, a scary man called Wee Willy Winky will come to fetch them and carry them away.
Polka Tramblanka
To the cheerful polka rhythm—originally a Polish folk song and a Czech folk dance—children join hands, spin around, and dance.
In Japan, it appears in collections of children’s songs under the title “Odorou Tanoshii Pōre’chike.”
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
This song is so famous that every American can sing it.
It’s from the musical “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” and Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly sang it in the film.
At baseball games, everyone sings it during the seventh-inning stretch, standing up to loosen up after sitting for so long.
Here we go round the mulberry bush
“Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” is a fingerplay and action song loved by children.
It even appears in Through the Looking-Glass, the sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Children sing it while doing choreography that imitates everyday actions—such as pretending to go around a tree in a circle with several people, or miming washing one’s face and brushing one’s teeth.
It’s a good way to warm up on a cold day.
In Japan, it might be comparable to oshikura manju (a game where children huddle and jostle to keep warm).
Another nice aspect is that it helps you learn how to say everyday actions in English.
Ten Little Indians
This is the familiar “Ten Little Indians.” Composed in 1868 by American Septimus Winner, it has continued to be loved as a children’s song in the English-speaking world.
The video is the Beach Boys’ surf version, resulting in a bright arrangement with lovely electric guitar and choral work.
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
Many people may find the parody song from the Yodobashi Camera commercial stuck in their heads.
This melody has an abundance of parodies: the widely known Japanese “Tomodachi Sanka” and even the 1940 song “Otamajakushi wa Kaeru no Ko” are actually parody versions.
The original is a United States folk and patriotic song that served as a marching tune for the Union Army during the Civil War.