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A medieval date had been argued for the rhyme on the grounds that the bells worn on the lady's toes refer to the fashion of wearing bells on the end of shoes in the fifteenth century, but given their absence from so many early versions, this identification is speculative. Similarly, the main
197:
A reference in 1725 to 'Now on Cock-horse does he ride' may allude to this or the more famous rhyme, and is the earliest indication we have that they existed. The earliest surviving version of the modern rhyme in
250:" can mean a high-spirited horse, and the additional horse to assist pulling a cart or carriage up a hill. It can also mean an entire or uncastrated horse. From the mid-sixteenth century it also meant a pretend
242:
was taken down around 1600, but other crosses were present in the town and, as is often the case, the place may have retained the name, so it is difficult to argue for the antiquity of the rhyme from this fact.
171:
The modern rhyme is the best known of a number of verses beginning with the line "Ride a cock-horse to
Banbury Cross", some of which are recorded earlier. These include a verse printed in
205:, printed in London in 1784, differs significantly from modern versions in that the subject is not a fine lady but "an old woman". The version printed in
262:". The Cock Hotel, Stony Stratford of 'Cock and Bull' fame might also have been the supplier of the horse for the leg of the journey to Banbury.
289:, Banbury, on the grounds that the line should be 'To see a Fiennes lady'. There is no corroborative evidence to support any of these cases.
619:
126:
115:
369:
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in
America in 1788, which may have been in the original (c. 1744) edition, has the "fine lady", but the next extant version, in
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contains a motif of a Great Lady on a White Horse who rides through the city of New York, likely inspired by the reference in
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The instability of the early recorded lyrics has not prevented considerable speculation about the meaning of the rhyme.
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features the character Bello uttering the line when ridiculing the main character, Bloom.
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Despite not being present or significantly different in many early versions, the
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This article is about nursery rhyme. For the album by QueenAdreena, see
458:. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997. pp. 65–7.
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compares one character, Isabel, to the "old woman of
Banbury Cross..."
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donut shop 'Banbury Cross Donuts' was named after this nursery rhyme.
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is the title track of an EP released by the
Warlock Pinchers in 1989.
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547:
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The old lady on her white horse, according to
Denslow
388:'Cause he's a weedy-weedy-tweedy-weedy monkey man
254:or an adult's knee. There is also an expression "
586:
161:And Johnny shall ride till he can ride no more.
453:
357:-Gee to Banbury T., to see a fine bathroom and
46:The statue of the "fine lady" at Banbury Cross
564:"Banbury Cross Donuts - Salt Lake City, Utah"
145:And she shall have music wherever she goes.
382:With rings on he fingers, bells on him toes
143:Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
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386:'Cause he's a monkey, 'cause he's a monkey
40:
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281:, whose brother was William Fiennes, 3rd
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561:
456:The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes
430:
157:To buy little Johnny a galloping horse;
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380:Then I see a monkey upon a white horse
213:(printed in London around 1790), had:
141:To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
510:
292:
159:It trots behind and it ambles before,
35:"Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross"
473:. Cambridge, England: Brimax Books.
155:Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
139:Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
13:
568:Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog
384:Sing a little song, wherever he be
229:
82:Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross
14:
651:
378:I was on my way to Banbury Cross
134:Common modern versions include:
562:Garduno, Gil (27 August 2021).
364:The 1979 Specials cover of the
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535:
521:
504:
477:
469:Eric and Lucy Kincaid (1981).
414:
174:Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book
1:
407:
620:Traditional children's songs
177:(c. 1744), with the lyrics:
7:
487:The History of Henry Esmond
484:Thackeray, William (1970).
395:Morrissey Rides A Cockhorse
353:contains the adapted form '
306:William Makepeace Thackeray
301:The History of Henry Esmond
192:And a two-penny apple-pie.
10:
656:
471:Treasury of Nursery Rhymes
186:To see what Tommy can buy;
166:
23:. For the radio play, see
18:
490:. Penguin Books Limited.
372:" has the following verse
269:has been associated with
110:
66:
58:
51:
39:
34:
21:Ride a Cock Horse (album)
615:English children's songs
203:or The Nursery Parnassus
25:Ride a Cock Horse (play)
222:The strangest old woman
211:The Tom Tit's Song Book
207:Tommy Thumb's Song Book
201:Gammer Gurton's Garland
120:William Wallace Denslow
625:History of Oxfordshire
605:English nursery rhymes
391:
283:Viscount Saye and Sele
227:
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148:
131:
123:
122:'s illustrations, 1901
511:Joyce, James (1922).
454:I. Opie and P. Opie.
375:
366:Toots and the Maytals
298:The historical novel
218:A ring on her finger,
215:
179:
152:
150:Alternative version:
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16:English nursery rhyme
640:Oxfordshire folklore
635:Year of song unknown
343:The dystopian novel
324:The modernist novel
311:The modernist novel
105:Roud Folk Song Index
224:That ever you saw.
190:A penny white cake,
188:A penny white loaf,
91:connected with the
630:Songwriter unknown
610:English folk songs
595:Songs about horses
327:Manhattan Transfer
293:In popular culture
285:(c. 1641–1698) of
220:A bonnet of straw,
132:
124:
497:978-0-14-043049-3
423:Project Gutenberg
271:Queen Elizabeth I
184:To Banbury Cross,
182:Ride a cock-horse
107:number of 21143.
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571:. Retrieved
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529:"Monkey Man"
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258:", meaning "
256:a-cock-horse
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543:"- YouTube"
355:Streptocock
319:James Joyce
275:Lady Godiva
252:hobby horse
103:. It has a
101:Oxfordshire
74:Traditional
69:Composer(s)
589:Categories
408:References
370:Monkey Man
349:(1932) by
330:(1925) by
317:(1922) by
304:(1852) by
248:cock horse
267:fine lady
59:Published
84:" is an
600:Banbury
573:2 March
548:YouTube
514:Ulysses
314:Ulysses
260:astride
167:Origins
97:Banbury
93:English
494:
368:song "
277:, and
111:Lyrics
95:town
575:2023
492:ISBN
401:Utah
359:W.C.
62:1784
246:A "
99:in
591::
566:.
545:.
432:^
361:'.
273:,
577:.
551:.
531:.
517:.
500:.
426:.
340:.
80:"
27:.
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