Twisted: Nursery Rhymes

I loved nursery rhymes and children songs when I was a kid and still like them as an adult. I never really noticed just how twisted a lot of them are. It is kinda weird how these popular rhymes and songs are constantly told to our kids without a thought but have a problem with letting kids watch certain cartoons etc.

Think about it, a line from 'Jack and the beanstalk' is "Be he live or be he dead I'll grind his bones to make my bread". That can be pretty scary. Most kids if not all don't even think about it but I still find it amusing how these things are told to our kids.

There is also 'Jack and Jill' with them falling down the hill and Jack breaking his "crown". I am sure kids think it's actually a crown and don't realize it means his head. That's what I thought anyways. 

I don't know if any one has heard the rhyme 'Bandy legs' but it's kinda mean. It goes like this:
As I was going to sell my eggs
I met a man with bandy legs
Bandy legs and crooked toes
I tripped up his heels and he fell on his nose

Can't forget about the story of 'Hansel and Gretal'. The witch wanting to cook the kids is pretty twisted and scary. In the original story, the step-mother wanted to leave the kids in the woods because there wasn't enough food for the family. Just how twisted is that?

I know there are different versions of these rhymes, songs and stories but they still tend to be pretty freaky. Anyone remember the bumble bee song: "I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee won't my mommy be so proud of me....." well one of the original versions is pretty gross with lines like:
I'm squishing up my baby bumble bee.....
I'm licking up my baby bumble bee.....
I'm barfin' up my baby bumble bee.....
I'm wiping up my baby bumble bee....
I'm wringing up my baby bumble bee...

Pretty gross.

One song I find pretty disturbing is 'Rock a bye baby' with the last line is: "when the bough breaks the cradle will and down will come baby cradle and all". I never really got this when I was a kid.

I did a little research on these rhymes and most seem to come from the 1700's and 1800's also coming from England. I also think that a lot of these rhymes have a different meaning than what they actually sound like they are about. I just continue to find it amusing that these things are sung and read to our kids, even we grew up with them. I don't think there is anything wrong with it though. We turned out pretty ok. What I find funny is some parents who teach their kids these same songs (etc) complain about some of the cartoons, tv shows, music etc. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense. That's a whole 'nother subject though.