Actually scary nursery rhymes. Children's songs that give you the chills once you understand their meaning
Did you know that when you revisit the lyrics of nursery rhymes and children’s songs you casually hummed as a child, you may uncover chilling interpretations that send a shiver down your spine? Urban legends lurking beneath familiar melodies and unsettling messages that emerge from their historical context can completely change how these songs sound once you learn about them.
In this article, we explore nursery rhymes and children’s songs said to have frightening meanings, unraveling the mysteries embedded in their lyrics.
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Actually scary children's songs. Kids' songs that send chills down your spine once you understand the meaning (41–50)
Zuizui Zukkorobashiwarabe uta
Zuizuizukkorobashi is known as a hand game where you make a ring with your hand and put fingers into the ring one by one, but did you know this song also has a frightening meaning? In the Edo period, tea from Uji in Kyoto was placed in jars and carried all the way to the Edo shogunate.
This was called the “Ocha-tsubo Dōchū,” and no one was allowed to cross the procession.
Although it was just tea that was being transported, crossing their path was taken as an insult to the prestige of the Tokugawa family.
You can almost picture the commoners along the highway holding their breath as they watched the procession pass by.
When I Become a First GraderSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Yamamoto Naosumi
This children’s song is still often sung today at occasions celebrating children’s new beginnings—such as kindergarten graduation ceremonies, school entrance ceremonies, and welcome parties.
It’s also known for many urban legends, such as the claim that “if you make 100 friends, it should be 101 including yourself, so the constant depiction of doing things with exactly 100 is strange,” or from the viewpoint that it was produced in 1966—misconstrued as wartime—leading to rumors that one person was thinned out or eaten by the group.
However, thinking simply, saying 99 or 101 in line with the actual count would sound awkward with the melody and rhythm, so it’s more natural to assume they knowingly chose 100.
Rather than overanalyzing it, this is a nursery song we’d like used for the bright future of children.
Caro’s eyeballwarabeuta
Once you hear it, you can’t forget it—Kyaro no Medama is a nursery rhyme with strikingly odd lyrics.
It sings of children’s mischievousness and curiosity and is sung in various regions as a warabe-uta, but its content—“cauterizing a frog’s eyeballs”—is shockingly cruel.
It goes far beyond mere mischief; when you think carefully about the meaning, you realize it’s an extremely frightening song.
Even so, its lively rhythm makes it perfect for hand-play games and easy for children to enjoy.
While we can take it as a glimpse of the innocent side of children in the past, we should also use it as an opportunity to teach the children in front of us about the importance of life.
Close It, Open ItMonbushō shōka
A children’s song that, despite being a foreign piece composed by the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Songs.
Did you know that the original lyricist is unknown, and in Japan the lyrics have changed over time—used as a hymn, a school song, and a military song? Its simple lyrics, with no second or third verse and the same content repeated throughout, leave interpretation to the listener, inviting various readings.
In Japan, it became established as a children’s song after World War II, while abroad it is still sung as a hymn today.
Mr. ElephantSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma
A children’s song with lyrics by Michio Mado, who continued creating humor-filled works fueled by dissatisfaction with society—politics, government, education, the economy, and war.
Among the many nursery songs that many people have likely sung since childhood, this is a particularly well-known piece.
The image of a child proudly asserting that a teasing comment about a distinctive trait makes them just like their beloved mother seems to align with today’s trend of valuing individuality without worrying about differences.
It’s a universally known nursery song whose cute lyrics and melody contain a timeless theme.