Nursery rhymes aren’t really sunshine and rainbows if you think about it. Many of them have sad and gruesome backgrounds. Who Killed Cock Robin is one such nursery rhyme with origins in the 16th century or earlier.
The nursery rhyme deals with the death of a robin (bird) and its subsequent funeral. It shows how each bird steps up to do its bit for the funeral as an homage to the dead bird. It’s a sad song, which is probably why it fell out of fashion over time.
Continue reading to get the lyrics and find out more about the origins and symbolism of Cock Robin.
Written Lyrics
Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said the Sparrow,
with my bow and arrow,
I killed Cock Robin.
Who saw him die?
I, said the Fly,
with my little teeny eye,
I saw him die.
Who caught his blood?
I, said the Duck,
it was just my luck,
I caught his blood.
Who'll make the shroud?
I, said the Beetle,
with my thread and needle,
I'll make the shroud.
Who'll dig his grave?
I, said the Owl,
with my pick and trowel,
I'll dig his grave.
Who'll be the parson?
I, said the Rook,
with my little book,
I'll be the parson.
Who'll be the clerk?
I, said the Lark,
if it's not in the dark,
I'll be the clerk.
Who'll carry the link?
I, said the Linnet,
I'll fetch it in a minute,
I'll carry the link.
Who'll be chief mourner?
I, said the Dove,
I mourn for my love,
I'll be chief mourner.
Who'll carry the coffin?
I, said the Kite,
if it's not through the night,
I'll carry the coffin.
Who'll bear the pall?
I, said the Crow,
with the cock and the bow,
I’ll bear the pall.
Who'll sing a psalm?
I, said the Thrush,
as she sat on a bush,
I'll sing a psalm.
Who'll toll the bell?
I, said the Bull,
because I can pull,
I'll toll the bell.
All the birds of the air
fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,
when they heard the bell toll
for poor Cock Robin.
Printable Lyrics
Here is the downloadable printable version of the full lyrics. This is the extended version of the nursery rhyme first printed in 1770.
Photo Lyrics
Save the below image to get the lyrics.
Video Links
Here’s a video with a recurring refrain for the chorus (the last four lines of the poem):
Silly Symphony shot an animation cartoon based on the nursery rhyme in 1935. Watch it on this link:
Origins and History
Who Killed Cock Robin was first recorded in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book, published in 1744. This version contained only the first four verses. The longer version was printed after almost twenty years in 1770 in The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes. As if the nursery rhyme isn’t sad enough, it has an alternate ending where the sparrow is hanged for killing the robin (talk about crime & punishment!).
That said, the origins of Cock Robin are deeper than the mid-18th century. A 15th-century stained glass window at Buckland Rectory, Gloucestershire, shows the death of a robin with an arrow to its heart. Seems like too much coincidence, right?
In fact, John Skelton wrote Phyllyp Sparowe in 1508, which grieves the death of a pet sparrow. It is very much similar to Who Killed Cock Robin.
It appears that the actual origins of the nursery rhyme are not clear. But there are several versions of it belonging to different countries. The rhyming words and the phrasing show that it was written in the Middle English language.
The interpretations are as varied as they can get. Some say it depicts the death of the god Balder from Norse mythology. Others say it’s a parody of King William II's death (who got killed by an arrow when hunting). Some people link the rhyme to the fall of Robert Walpole's government (1742). However, the first interpretation is the most popular.
FAQs
There is no connection between the two. A few people came out with a theory that the rhyme shows the death of Robinhood and how many came to help. But there’s no backing for this theory.
Yes, it is a part of the collection and is listed at 494.
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