8 Innocent Songs With Incredibly Disturbing Histories
6. Oranges And Lemons Is About Mass Execution
Oranges And Lemons is commonly taught in primary schools and is frequently used as a beginner's tune when learning many different kinds of musical instrument. Yet in most instances the final few lines are disregarded, usually because they seem bizarrely dark when compared to the rest of the song. Oranges and lemons say the bells of St. Clement's. You owe me five farthings, say the bells of St. Martin's. Right, so the song is about debt, right? And the promise to become rich in the future. Problem is, Oranges And Lemons was written in 1744. You know what happened to people with unresolved debts back then, right? The final, frequently forgotten verse tells all: Here comes a chopper to chop off your head! Chip, chop, chip, chop, the last one is dead! The bells belong to several famous churches in London. It's believed that condemned criminals would pass these churches on the way to their death. The song details, then, the plight of every criminal who claims that they'll make a change or remedy a situation in the future. They're all disregarded and killed anyway.
