Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John Explained

"Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John" is an English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19709.

Lyrics

One modern version is:

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John,

Went to bed with his trousers on;

One shoe off, and the other shoe on,

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John.^[1]

Alternate versions include:

Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John

Went to bed with his britches on.

One shoe off, and one shoe on;

Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John.^[2]

Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John,

Went to bed with his stockings on;

One shoe off, and one shoe on,

Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John.^[3]

Origins

The rhyme is first recorded in The Newest Christmas Box published in London around 1797. It may be derived from 'Diddle, diddle, diddle Dumpling', a traditional street cry of hot dumpling sellers.^[1]

References

• BBC 'Inside number 9' TV episode with the same name
• Sky's British black comedy 'Hunderby', set in the 1830s, features the song as evening entertainment accompanied by a traditional crumhorn.

Notes and References

1. Book: I. Opie and P. Opie . Iona and Peter Opie . The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes . Oxford . Oxford University Press. 1951 . 1st. 245–6. (2nd ed. 1997)
2. http://www.mothergooseclub.com/rhymes_parent.php?id=153 Wright, The Original Mother Goose (1916), as quoted on mothergooseclub.com
3. http://www.mothergooseclub.com/rhymes_parent.php?id=153 Smith, The Little Mother Goose (1912), as quoted on mothergooseclub.com