10 Famous Songs Whose Meaning The Fans (And The Pundits) Got Wrong

10. Ring A Ring O' Rosie - Writer Unknown

Bet you didn’t see this one coming.

Arguably one of the most famous songs in history, it is a fixture of kindergartens the world over and one of few songs anyone in the English speaking world will be able to sing until the day they die.

In modern times the meaning of the song has been linked to the Great Plague. The idea is that a rosy rash was a symptom of the plague, posies of herbs were carried as protection, that sneezing and coughing was a final symptom, and the falling down marked the inevitable end to the matter.

However, this interpretation of the rhyme emerged after World War 2. Before that, there is no mention of the connection to the Black Death. Instead, the song is likely pagan in origin. The theory cities a passage from Jacob Grimm’s Deutsche Mythologie which states: “Gifted children of fortune have the power to laugh roses, as Freyja wept gold,” (Freyja being the Norse goddess of beauty, fertility and gold, among others).

Whatever the origin, having children sing about magic is far better than chanting a sarcastic and macabre take on the worst plague in history.