The following began as a response to Hill Country Gal But posted because Haloscan won't carry the whole thing Some title Huh?

CREDIT: Rosskam, Edwin, photographer. "Children Playing "Ring around a Rosie" in One of the Better Neighborhoods of the Black Belt, Chicago, Illinois." April 1941. America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA and OWI, ca. 1935-1945, Library of Congress.

Ring a-round the roses,
A pocket full of posies,
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down!

Hi Hill. Quite a few are macabre.

I tend to think that some were made by the children themselves, so as to taunt others (like ones that are named Elizabeth who happen to be the current target) or coping with Death or other calamities. And others were used just to piss off the Giants.

One of the songs that we 1st grade kids would sing(mid sixties mind you)
went like this-
"Hurrah! Hurrah!
Off to school we go!
With Hand Grenades and Green Berets
Hi Ho Hi Ho!"

An obvious play on a Snow White Song.

Another taught to us by older kids went like this -
Marijuana! Marijuana!
LSD! LSD!
Scientists make it!
Teachers take it!
Why can't we?!
Why can't we?!

The shock on the passing faces of adults was priceless.

Another one that was quite upsetting to the Giants(and what fun that is!)was -
"Do not laugh as the Hearst goes by.
For you may be the next to die.

They wrap you a bloody sheet.
And throw you down 'bout six feet deep.

All goes well for about a week
Then the Casket begins to leak

Worms crawl in.
Worms crawl out.
Worms play pinnocle on your snout

Your stomach turns to a slimy green.
and puss rolls out like whipped cream."

Most rhymes and such that you and I know came from Jolly Old England.
Most have been shortened. Your comment
prompted me to find out just what the "London Bridge" song was all about.

Here are the lyrics in full -
"London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, Falling down.

London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.

Take a key and lock her up,
Lock her up, Lock her up.

Take a key and lock her up,
My fair lady.

How will we build it up,
Build it up, Build it up?

How will we build it up,
My fair lady?

Build it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, Silver and gold.

Build it up with silver and gold,
My fair lady.

Gold and silver I have none,
I have none, I have none.

Gold and silver I have none,
My fair lady.

Build it up with needles and pins,
Needles and pins, Needles and pins.

Build it up with needles and pins,
My fair lady.

Pins and needles bend and break,
Bend and break, Bend and break.

Pins and needles bend and break,
My fair lady.

Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, Wood and clay.

Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair lady.

Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, Wash away.

Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair lady.

Build it up with stone so strong,
Stone so strong, Stone so strong.

Build it up with stone so strong,
My fair lady.

Stone so strong will last so long,
Last so long, Last so long.

Stone so strong will last so long,
My fair lady."

I think that the 1st few London Bridges did fall. I don't know what the thing about A Fair Lady locked up is about. Maybe that was the norm thing to do to Fair Ladies. If so I guess the Burka is a huge leap forward for women as compared to being "Locked Up" in a tower.

Peace.