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Jack And Jill (song)




There are many modern versions of it (many of them are Parodies ), all sharing the same first rhyme:

:Jack and Jill went up the hill
:To fetch a pail of water.
:Jack fell down and broke his crown,
:And Jill came tumbling after.

The second verse of the song is less commonly performed:

:Up Jack got and down he trot
:As fast as he could caper;
:And went to bed and covered his head
:In vinegar and brown paper

There is an even rarer third verse, as follows:

:When Jill came in how she did grin
:To see Jack's paper plaster;
:Mother vexed, did whip her next;
:For causing Jack's disaster

There are several speculations about the origin of the nursery rhyme, including:
  • marking the event in English History , when, in the 17th Century , King Charles I tried to reform the taxes on liquid measures. He was blocked by Parliament , so subsequently ordered that the volume of a Jack (1/2 pint) be reduced, but the tax remained the same. This meant that he still received more tax, despite Parliament's veto. Hence "Jack fell down and broke his crown" (many pint glasses in the UK still have a line marking the 1/2 pint level with a crown above it) "and Jill came tumbling after". The reference to "Jill", (actually a "gill", or 1/4 pint) is an indication that the gill dropped in volume as a consequence.

  • the village of Kilmersdon in Somerset has a long tradition of association with the nursery rhyme. It has been demonstrated that the surname Gilson probably originated in this area and could have been derived from 'son of Jill'.

  • Jack and Jill are Louis XVI of France who was deposed and beheaded (lost his crown) followed by his Queen Marie Antoinette (who came tumbling after). The words and lyrics were made more palatable for the nursery by giving it a happy ending The first publication date for the lyrics of this nursery rhyme is 1795 which ties in with this history.

  • See also Vidfinn and the external link for more speculations on a possible origin.

  • ---Very few of these actually make sense once the second and third verse are added, so it's possible that it could be none of them.

  • See [http://www.radstock4u.com/Local_History/chrishowell/



PARODIES


:Jack and Jill went up the hill
:for some hanky panky
:Jill forgot to take her pill
:And now there's little Franky.

:Jack and Jill went up the hill
:to fetch a pail of water
:Jill came down with Half A Crown
:but not for carrying water

:Jack and Jill went up the hill
:to have a little fun,
:but silly Jill forgot the pill
:and now they have a son.

:Jack and Jill went up the hill
:To fetch a pail of water.
:God knows what they did up there,
:They came down with a daughter.

:Jack and Jill went up the hill
:To fetch a pail of water.
:Jack fell down and died.
:Jill slipped into a deep depression and eventually killed herself.
:The End.

:Jack and Jill
:Went up the track
:To fetch the pail again:
:They went with care,
:Got safely there,
:And finished the job they began.

:Jack and Jill
:Went up the hill
:Both with a buck and a quarter.
:Jill came down with two and a half.
:Did you think Jack went up for water?

:Jack and Jill
:Went up the hill
:Smoking marijuana.
:Jack got high
:And unzipped his fly
:And asked Jill, "Do you wanna?"
:Jill said, "yes"
:And dropped her dress
:And said "let's have some fun."
:But stupid Jill forgot her pill
:And now they have a son.
___________________________________
:Jack and Jill went up the hill,
:to do the hanky panky
:Jack said ooh, Jill said ahh
:and out popped little franky

''from the Animaniacs parody of The First Noel ''
:Jack and Jill went up the hill
:To fetch water from a well
:But when neither one could find it
:Jill started to yell.
:No well, no well
:Can't believe there's no well!
:We walked all the way here
:And I'm mad, can't you tell.

Two individuals proceeded towards the apex of a natural geologic protuberance, the purpose of their expedition being the procurement of a sample of fluid hydride of oxygen in a large vessel, the exact size of which was unspecified. One member of the team precipitously descended, sustaining severe damage to the upper cranial portion of his anatomical
structure; Subsequently the second member of the team performed a self
rotational translation oriented in the same direction taken by the first team member.


POP MUSIC


In 1978, the pop group Raydio had a hit song entitled "Jack and Jill" in which Jack snuck down from the hill to get "love he couldn't get from Jill". Another Raydio song, "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)" (1981) provided an apparent continuation of the earlier song by saying that when Jack returned up the hill, "somebody else had been loving Jill". The Dresden Dolls song "Half Jack" also contains references to the rhyme.


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