London Town

"London Town" is a local cousin of "How Many Miles to Babylon?", with far-off Babylon swapped for the nearest big city. A child asks how far it is, the answer comes back "three score and ten" (seventy miles), and the cheerful promise is that you can get there and back by candlelight.

Origins

The verse is a regional English variant of the older traditional rhyme "How Many Miles to Babylon?" The parent song was first recorded in print in 1801 in Songs for the Nursery. As the song spread throughout the British Isles, local singers replaced "Babylon" with more familiar local cities. In England, the song became commonly known as "How Many Miles to London Town" or "London Bridge."

Meaning & Interpretation

The lyrics describe the logistical challenges of travel during the pre-industrial era. The term "three score and ten" is an old English way of counting, where a "score" represents twenty, making the total distance seventy miles. Historically, seventy miles was a long distance to travel by foot or horse. The question of whether the traveler can arrive "by candlelight" refers to traveling in the dark using lanterns. The cheerful answer "Yes, and back again" implies that with determination and effort, the long journey can be completed in a single day. The rhyme was historically performed as a line game, where children held hands and danced back and forth, simulating a journey.

What is the origin of London Town?

The rhyme is a nineteenth-century English variation of the older nursery song "How Many Miles to Babylon," which was first printed in 1801. It was modified by English children to focus on London.

What does three score and ten mean in London Town?

The phrase "three score and ten" means seventy. Since a "score" is twenty, three scores equals sixty, and adding ten makes seventy. In this rhyme, it represents the seventy-mile distance to London.