There Was An Old Woman Tossed Up In A Basket
Lyrics
There was an old woman tossed up in a basket,Seventeen times as high as the moon,Where she was going, I could not but ask it,For in her hands she carried a broom.
'Old woman, old woman, old woman' quath I,O wither, O wither, O wither so high?To sweep the cobwebs from the sky,But I’ll be with thee by-and-by.
There was an old woman tossed up in a basket,Seventeen times as high as the moon,Where she was going, I just had to ask it,For in her hands she carried a broom.
'Old woman, old woman, old woman' said I,Please tell me, please tell me why you’re up so high?To sweep the cobwebs down from the sky,And I’ll be with thee by-and-by.
History and Meaning
An old woman flies up in a basket "seventeen times as high as the moon," carrying a broom, and when asked why, she answers that she is going "to sweep the cobwebs from the sky." It is glorious nonsense from 1765, sometimes read as a friendly witch clearing away the storm clouds.
Origins
The song has roots in English folk history, with the lyrics appearing in print around 1765. It was included in the famous collection Mother Goose's Melody; or, Sonnets for the Cradle, compiled by John Newbery and published in London. Historically, the rhyme was frequently sung to the melody of the popular seventeenth-century political tune "Lilliburlero," which itself has traditional Irish musical roots.
Early publications of the rhyme often featured humorous, mock-scholarly footnotes. In John Newbery's original printing, a satirical note attempted to link the old woman's celestial flight to King Henry V's historic campaigns in France, poke fun at academic historians of the period, and add amusement for adult readers.
Meaning & Interpretation
The central focus of the rhyme is the old woman's flight to sweep the cobwebs from the sky. Folklorists and literary scholars have interpreted this imagery in various ways. One popular interpretation describes the character as a friendly witch or nature spirit who sweeps away storm clouds, ensuring clear views of the moon and stars for travelers.
Alternative versions of the song exist in folklore collections, with the old woman sometimes being tossed in a blanket rather than a basket. The height she reaches also varies across different regions, ranging from seventeen to ninety-nine times as high as the moon.
What is the meaning of There Was an Old Woman Tossed Up in a Basket?
The rhyme is a nonsense song describing an old woman traveling to the sky to sweep away cobwebs. Many readers interpret this character as a friendly witch or elemental figure who clears away storm clouds to reveal the stars.
When was There Was an Old Woman Tossed Up in a Basket first published?
The lyrics were first compiled and published around 1765 in John Newbery's landmark children's book Mother Goose's Melody; or, Sonnets for the Cradle.
Music Video
Lyrics from nurseryrhymes.info