Oranges and Lemons Lyrics

Dating to around 1744 in England, Oranges and Lemons is a singing game rhyme that names a string of London churches, traditionally ending with players forming an arch that "catches" a child on the final line. It works best for ages 3-8, since following the sequence of church names and timing the arch game takes a bit more coordination than simpler toddler rhymes. Early-childhood educators often point to longer list-based rhymes like this one as useful for building sequential memory, since children must hold a growing chain of names and sounds in order as they sing. The rhyme's structure, built around real London landmarks and their distinctive bells, also makes it a small piece of local history embedded in a children's game. Its enduring popularity as a playground singing game speaks to how well rhythmic, physical rhymes hold up across centuries. To explore where classic rhymes like this one came from, see [the history and origins of nursery rhymes](/blog/nursery-rhymes-history-origins).

Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement's.
You owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin's.

When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey.
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch.

Here comes a candle
To light you to bed.
Here comes a chopper
To chop off your head!