Oranges and Lemons ✧
A historical London bell rhyme with its returning opening phrases and complete closing verse.
Sheet music
Tap a staff note or finger tab to hear it.
St. Clement’s and St. Martin’s
Old Bailey and Shoreditch
Stepney and Bow · return
Here comes a candle
D whistle · G major · 3/4 · 110 BPM · + upper octave
St. Clement’s and St. Martin’s
Old Bailey and Shoreditch
Stepney and Bow · return
Here comes a candle
Lyrics
Traditional words · The Baby’s Opera, page 12
Oranges and lemons, says the bells of St. Clemen’s; You owe me five farthings, says the bells of St. Martin’s; When will you pay me, says the bells of Old Bailey; When I grow rich, says the bells of Shoreditch; When will that be? says the bells of Stepney; I do not know, says the great bell of Bow. Here comes a candle to light you to bed, And here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
About this tune
Oranges and Lemons is a traditional English singing game whose words name London bells. The Baby’s Opera preserves a three-beat setting of the rhyme.
The score sends the singer back to the opening melody for the Stepney and Bow lines. A separate closing passage carries the candle verse to a final sustained note.