Behind the Meaning of the Traditional Nursery Rhyme, “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”

We all need reminders. In the 2000s, it was all about day planners. In the 1990s, it was Post-it sticky notes. At the dawn of time, it was cave drawings. But somewhere in between there, nursery rhymes helped. Nursery rhymes like, “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.”

Yes, in a time when not everyone could read or write, certain things were passed down word-of-mouth and it helped if those messages were melodic and could rhyme. Here below, we will dive into one such memory-aiding sing-song device.

[RELATED: Behind the Hard Working Nursery Rhyme “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”]

Hygiene Rules

There are several interpretations, versions and origin stories for the nursery rhyme, “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush,” but the most common lyrics today go like this:

Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush. Here we go round the mulberry bush On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we wash our face, Wash our face, wash our face. This is the way we wash our face On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we comb our hair, Comb our hair, comb our hair. This is the way we comb our hair On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we brush our teeth, Brush our teeth, brush our teeth. This is the way we brush our teeth On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we put on our clothes, Put on our clothes, put on our clothes. This is the way we put on our clothes On a cold and frosty morning.

Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush. Here we go round the mulberry bush On a cold and frosty morning.

What this version explains, as readers can see, is a progression of self-care, self-maintenance and hygiene. First the song, which is often sung while several people hold hands and move in circle about a bush or tree, perhaps (and likely) simulating the physical act of repetition, begins with washing one’s face. Then comes combing your hair, brushing your teeth and putting on clothes. From there, the day can begin. (Indeed, in some versions, there is a final verse that includes “This is the way we go to school.”)

Now, you might wonder, why would something like this be necessary? Well, for several reasons. The first would be to show those new to the song what a morning routine can and should be like. The second would be to instill cleanliness into a people when running water and alcohol face-wipes weren’t so prevalent. The third might also be to help eschew depression and sadness around the difficulty of life or the “cold” morning. Routines can help stave away the blues.

Its Origins

The first recorded version of the rhyme comes from James Orchard Halliwell from the 1800s. He has said that the rhyme at times has also included versions with verses like “This is the way we wash our clothes,” “This is the way we dry our clothes,” “This is the way we mend our shoes,” “This is the way the gentlemen walk” and “This is the way the ladies walk” All of these, of course, are lessons learned for a respectable life.

One historian R. S. Duncan has argued the song first came from female prisons, in which inmates would sing the song during the mornings before they started their day. Songs and routine—two ways to fight back depression. There is also the thought that the rhyme has roots in the time when Britain was having a hard time producing silk, since mulberry trees are known homes for silkworms. But this seems dubious. A rhyme doesn’t last centuries because of silkworms.

Final Thoughts

Any elementary school teacher will tell you: kids learn well with songs and music. That’s the real origin of this nursery rhyme. It’s a way to teach young people—likely specifically young people—how to take care of themselves first thing in the morning. That’s why this ditty has stuck around so long.

Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images