When I was a Bachelor
1833 
England Lyrics
And all the bread and cheese I got I laid upon the shelf;
The rats and the mice, they made such a strife,
I had to go to London to buy me a wife.
The streets were so bad and the lanes were so narrow,
I was forced to bring my wife home in a wheelbarrow.
The wheelbarrow broke and my wife had a fall;
Down came wheelbarrow, little wife and all.
History and Meaning
"When I Was a Bachelor" is an English folk rhyme that tells the story of a man living alone. Early versions with the opening line "When I was a bachelor, I lived by myself" appear in "Harry's Ladder to Learning" (1850), "The Only True Mother Goose Melodies" (c. 1833), and "Mother Goose, The Original Volland Edition" (1915). The rhyme revolves around the bachelor's struggle with solitude and vermin—he keeps his food on a shelf but the rats and mice cause him such trouble that he decides to go to London or the market to find a wife. The narrative continues with him acquiring a wife, whom he brings home in a wheelbarrow due to the broad streets and narrow lanes, but the wheelbarrow breaks, causing both wife and wheelbarrow to tumble down. The humorous and unfortunate conclusion reflects the bittersweet nature of many traditional folk rhymes.