If London Bridge is standing why is there a song about it falling down?

Question

Thanks

Answer 1

For hundreds of years, London Bridge was the only bridge across the Thames.  It had a series of disasters; they would have been dreadful in their time!

Here's some history:

http://www.rhymes.org.uk/london-bridge-i...

http://www.oldlondonbridge.com/history.s...

Answer 2

idk.... y do they sell 10 hotdogs but only 8 buns? lol

Answer 3

I think someone tried to blow it up darling.

Answer 4

There has been a bridge at the same place in London for thousands of years. They were washed away or pulled down by invading vikings for a long time.

Answer 5

In its original form (there are several versions), the lyrics are as follows:

London Bridge is falling down,

Falling down, Falling down.

London Bridge is falling down,

My fair lady.

Take a key and lock her up,

Lock her up, Lock her up.

Take a key and lock her up,

My fair lady.

How will we build it up,

Build it up, Build it up,

How will we build it up,

My fair lady?

Build it up with gold and silver,

gold and silver, gold and silver.

Build it up with gold and silver,

My fair lady.

Gold and silver I have none,

I have none, I have none.

Gold and silver I have none,

My fair lady.

Build it up with pins and needles,

pins and needles, pins and needles.

Build it up with pins and needles,

My fair lady.

Pins and needles bend and break,

Bend and break, Bend and break.

Pins and needles bend and break,

My fair lady.

Build it up with wood and clay,

Wood and clay, Wood and clay.

Build it up with wood and clay,

My fair lady.

Wood and clay will wash away,

Wash away, Wash away.

Wood and clay will wash away,

My fair lady.

Build it up with stone so strong,

Stone so strong, Stone so strong.

Build it up with stone so strong,

My fair lady.

Stone so strong will last so long,

Last so long, Last so long.

Stone so strong will last so long,

My fair lady.

The meaning of the rhyme is not certain. Most likely, it relates to the many difficulties experienced in bridging the River Thames: London's earlier bridges did indeed "wash away" before a bridge built of "stone so strong" was constructed. One theory of the "fair lady" who has been "locked away" refers to an old practice of burying a dead virgin in the foundations of the bridge to ensure its strength through magical means.

Another theory was the people building the bridge were afraid the water spirits would not approve of a bridge being built, as it was invading their territory. To prevent an invasion from the water spirits, they made human sacrifices to the water spirits. This usually meant killing a child and burying it in the bridge. The more plausible reference of the fair lady was to Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. However, the rhyme is not confined to the UK and variants exist in many other western and central European countries.

One theory of origin is that the rhyme relates to the destruction of London Bridge by Olaf II of Norway in 1014 (alternatively cited as 1009[1]). Reportedly Olaf I of Norway also burned the bridge during raids in England during the 980's, the bridge was also destroyed by a tornado in 1091 and burned in 1136. The rhyme is said to derive from a Old Norse original by Óttarr svarti, quoted in Heimskringla. The Online Medieval & Classical Library gives this translaton for the section 12. The Sixth Battle of Saga of Olaf Haraldson: Part I in Heimskringla[2]:

London Bridge is broken down. --

Gold is won, and bright renown.

Shields resounding,

War-horns sounding,

Hild is shouting in the din!

Arrows singing,

Mail-coats ringing --

Odin makes our Olaf win!

Answer 6

If you mean the song by Fergie, "London Bridge" is a euphamism for underwear.

As for the rhyme, it might refer to the fact that earlier versions of the London Bridge weren't very stable, and kept getting washed away by the river Thames. The "my fair lady" at the end might refer to the old practice of burying a dead virgin under the foundations of buildings to ensure its (magical) stability.

Read more about the rhyme here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Brid...