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.

Playlist

Actually scary nursery rhymes. Children's songs that give you the chills once you understand their meaning
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Kagome Kagomewarabe uta		The Enigmatic Origins Hidden in the Demon-Tag Song
2	teru teru bozu (a traditional Japanese handmade doll hung to wish for good weather)Sakushi: Asahara Kyōson / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei		The origin of the nursery rhyme about hanging a doll to wish for clear weather
3	Sacchansakushi: sakata hiroo / sakkyoku: onaka megumi		An urban legend of a highly polished children's song
4	London BridgeIgirisu min’yō		The Human Pillar Legend Hidden in an English Folk Song
5	Please let me pass.warabe uta		Origins of children's songs and urban legends
6	Where are you from?warabe uta		The historical background of the late Edo period hidden in nursery rhymes
7	Ochara-ka-hoiwarabe uta		Japanese hand-play songs with a history of poverty
8	Seven-year-old childSakushi: Noguchi Ujo / Sakkyoku: Motoori Nagayo		An Exploration of the Mysteries and Profound Stories Hidden in Nursery Rhymes
9	rainfallsakushi: kitahara hakushū / sakkyoku: nakayama shinpei		Introduction to a nursery rhyme with a dark urban legend
10	I Stepped on the CatSakkyokusha fushō		A song that sings about a story of stepping on a cat
11	School of MedakaSakushi: Chaki Shigeru / Sakkyoku: Nakata Yoshinao		Lyrics and background of the song “Medaka no Gakkō”
12	Dona DonaIdisshu min’yō		A folk song expressing a yearning for freedom, rooted in a history of persecution
13	The monk of the mountain templesakushi: kubota shouji / sakkyoku: hattori ryouichi		The appeal of satirical comic songs from the Showa era
14	The railroad tracks go on forever.amerika min’yō		The labor song turned into a song of hope
15	Abuku-tattawarabeuta		Tag game of Abukutatta
16	An Apple’s SoliloquySakushi: Takeuchi Toshiko / Sakkyoku: Kawamura Mitsuyo		The sadness of an apple longing for its hometown
17	Momotarosakushi: fushō / sakkyoku: Okano Teiichi		There is an aspect of invasion in the lyrics of Momotarō.
18	Rainy moonSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei		A poignant nursery rhyme depicting a bride on a rainy night
19	My shoes are squeaking.Sakushi: Shimizu Katsura / Sakkyoku: Hirota Ryūtarō		Exploring the hidden meaning of “Kutsu ga Naru”
20	little foxDoitsu min’yō		The Japanese lyrics of “Kogitsune” differ from the content of the original song’s lyrics.
21	Come, fireflywarabeuta		The Little-Known Background of Bug-Summoning Play Songs
22	Make courage your only friendSakushi: Kataoka Akira / Sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi		Icarus’s Wings: A Nursery Rhyme Depicting Death and Courage
23	Ear-cutting MonkOkinawa warabe uta		Okinawan Horror Nursery Rhyme
24	Red sky at duskSakushi: Nakamura Ukō / Sakkyoku: Kusakawa Shin		A children's song that miraculously spread during the Great Kanto Earthquake
25	kana-ri-yaSakushi: Saijō Yaso / Sakkyoku: Narita Tamezō		A nursery rhyme with a harsh portrayal of a little bird that forgot how to sing
26	Red bird, little birdSakushi: Kitahara Hakushū / Sakkyoku: Narita Tamezō		The Riddle and Allure of the Red, White, and Blue Nursery Rhyme
27	The Ball and the LordSakushi: Saijō Yaso / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei		A nursery rhyme in which a temari ball transforms into a mandarin orange during a journey
28	soap bubbleSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei		A fantastical children's song with lyrics by Ujo Noguchi
29	Hana Ichi MonmeSakushi: Shiina Yoshiharu / Sakkyoku: Shiina Yoshiharu, Yamaguchi Hiroo		The Hidden Meaning and Historical Background of Hana Ichi Monme
30	Green GreenSakushi sakkyoku: Barī Makugaia/Randi Supākusu		Folk song, a sad farewell with hints of war
31	Mother’s SongSakushi Sakkyoku: Kubota Satoshi		A nursery rhyme depicting guilt toward one's mother and poverty
32	goldfishSakushi: Kitahara Hakushū / Sakkyoku: Narita Tamezō		The Complex Emotions of Children as Seen in the Nursery Rhymes of Hakushu Kitahara
33	Shōjōji’s Raccoon Dog Festival MusicSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei		The song is based on a ghost story about tanuki festival music.
34	Pinky promise		The terrifying origin of the pinky swear
35	Urashima TaroSakushi: Okkotsu Saburō / Sakkyoku: Miyake Enrei		The Cruel Ending of Urashima Taro
36	Battle of the Monkey and the Crabsakushi: Omura Kazue / sakkyoku: Kawamura Koyo		A shocking nursery rhyme about vengeance in a folktale
37	Oe-yamaSakushi: Ishihara Wasaburō / Sakkyoku: Tamura Torazō		A song that depicts the heroic tale of defeating Shuten Dōji
38	sunsetSakushi: Kuzuhara Shigeru / Sakkyoku: Murosaki Kinketsu		Explain the deep meaning of a children’s song that depicts a sunset scene
39	Red ShoesSakushi: Noguchi Ujo / Sakkyoku: Motoori Nagayo		The truth behind Yokohama’s iconic children’s song is a story of a mother’s love and separation.
40	The Spinning SongSakushi: Kayama Yoshiko/Shokyoku: Komori Akihiro		Explanation of the Itomaki Song
41	Sparrows’ SchoolSakushi: Shimizu Katsura / Sakkyoku: Hirota Ryūtarō		The sparrows’ school is a song of terrifying disciplinary education
42	Zuizui Zukkorobashiwarabe uta		Zuizui Zukkorobashi originates from the tea jar processions of the Edo period.
43	How many are the moons?warabeuta		Nursery Rhyme: A Cruel Ending
44	Mysterious PocketSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Watanabe Shigeru		A children’s song depicting wishes for precious sweets in the postwar era
45	Iroha poem		The Iroha poem is a Buddhist scripture and a vertical-reading urban legend.
46	When I Become a First GraderSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Yamamoto Naosumi		Explaining the numerical contradictions and urban legends of the children’s song “Tomodachi 100-nin” (100 Friends)
47	The Bear of the Forestamerika min’yō		The enigmatic nursery rhyme: the paradox of the bear that both flees and pursues
48	The Metropolitan Museum of ArtSakushi sakkyoku: Ōnuki Taeko		Taeko Onuki's timeless masterpiece is not scary.
49	Close It, Open ItMonbushō shōka		A foreign piece by Rousseau turned into a Japanese children's song
50	Mr. ElephantSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma		Mado Michio’s distinctive children’s songs
51	The Hare and the Tortoisesakushi: ishihara wasaburou/sakkyoku: nojyo benjirou		You can discover the dark sides of the characters from the lyrics of “The Tortoise and the Hare.”
52	red dragonflySakushi: Miki Rofū / Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku		The heartrending history of the red dragonfly
53	Caro’s eyeballwarabeuta		A song about applying moxibustion to a frog’s eyeballs
54	Dojoji		A creepy temari song depicting Kiyohime’s grudge
55	That Town, This TownNakayama Shimpei		A scary children's song that warns children against playing late at night