Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part III of a three part pancocojams series about the "Ring Around The Rosie" children's rhymes and singing games.
This post showcases seven YouTube videos of "Ring Around The Rosie" or similar titles and provides my description of these videos with particular focus on the lyrics of that version of that song. Read my Editor's notes for a summation of my description.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/08/debunking-belief-that-ring-around-rosie.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. .That post debunks the theories that these rhymes and singing games have anything to do with the plague.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/08/versions-of-rhyme-singing-game-ring.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post documents various pre-February 2005* versions of "Ring Around The Rosie." (*This date is prior to the launch of YouTube on the internet).
The content of this post is presented for historical and folkloric purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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PANCOCOJAMS DESCRIPTION SUMMATION
There are a lot of YouTube videos for the children's singing game "Ring Around The Rosie" and similar titles.
I selected these examples to showcase the different ways that English language versions of "Ring Around The Rosie" are sung.
Where these videos are from
The groups that are featured in Showcase videos #3, #4, #5 either sing or move to a record of the "standard" one verse United States version of "RIng Around The Rosie" (or similar titles for this singing game.).
Based on the three verse version of this singing game (and particularly based on the words "Atishoo Atishoo/ We all fall down" that is used for the third and fourth lines of this version, the group that is featured in Showcase #1 is from Great Britain.
Based on how the children in this video and their clothing were drawn, and based on the video's music, Video #2 represents how this singing game is performed in India.
Although Showcase video #7 was produced by a company from India, the physical appearance (including the way that they are dressed) represents how this singing game is performed in Britian.
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Pronunciation of the word "rosie"
"Rosies" is an informal word that is used in this rhyme/singing game instead of the word "roses" that is used in formal English as the plural word for "rose".
Often the word "rosies" is pronounced to rhyme with the word "posies" even if the word in the video's caption is given as "roses". ("Rosies" sounds like "roh-zees".)
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Number of verses
In the showcase videos that are from the United States, "Ring Around The Rosie" (or similar titles) only has one four line verse. The third and fourth lines are always "Ashes, ashes. We all fall down". This verse is repeated for each iteration of the singing game. This version can be considered as the "standard" United States version of "Ring Around The Rosie".
Videos of this singing game from outside of the United States also appear to usually have just one four line verse that is repeated again and again. However, the third and fourth lines of these verses are always "Atishoo, Atishoo" we all fall down. ("Atishoo" is a word that imitates the sound of someone sneezing.) This can be considered the standard British way of singing this nursery rhyme/singing game.
Notice that the Showcase video given as #1 in this pancocojams compilation, this singing game has three different four line verses. This reflects an older way of singing this nursery rhyme/children's song
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Tune/tempo
In each of these showcase videos, the tune that is used for "Ring Around The Rosie" is basically the same. The tempos for each example may be speeded up or slowed down.
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How the group moves around the circle for this singing game
Groups either move in a clockwise circular direction or in a counterclockwise circular direction for the singing game "Ring Around The Rosie" (or similar titles).
The showcase videos in which the group moves clockwise are #4 and #6..
The showcase videos in which the group moves counterclockwise are #1, #2, #3, #5.
In Showcase video #7, the group moves counterclockwise for the first line and then moves clockwise for the second line. The group then stands still and mimics the "Atishoo" (sneeze) before following the "All fall down" instructions of "Alimi
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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
This compilation is only a small sample of the YouTube videos of this rhyme/singing game.
These videos are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date with the oldest published date given first.
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
This compilation is only a small sample of the YouTube videos of this rhyme/singing game.
SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 - Ring-A-Ring-O'-Roses- Activity Song with Singalong Lyrics
And So To Bed TV,Sep 18, 2013
Singalong with us to one of the nation's favorite children's songs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRsuanAdmsg
-snip-
Description:
Three mothers and their toddlers are standing outside in a park. They form a small circle holding hands and march in
place for a brief time before the women start singing "Ring a ring a Roses". (The singers have British accents.)
The group moves counterclockwise to the song.
Lyrics:
Ring a ring a roses
A pocket full o’ posies
A tishoo! A tishoo!
We all fall down.
The group falls down on the grass. One of the women holds a hand puppet
of a cow and pretend that the cow is eating the grass as is sung in this second verse of this song
The cows are in the meadow, eating all the grass
A tishoo! A tishoo!
We all jump up.
Everyone stands back up and the song is repeated again.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Ringa Ringa Roses | Ring Around the Rosie -3D Kid's Songs & Nursery Rhymes for children
CVS 3D Rhymes & Kids Songs, May 13, 2016
This group is shown moving counterclockwise around the circle.
Lyrics:
Ring-a-ring o' roses,
A pocket full of posies,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down.
-snip-
This is an animation video of Indian children playing the singing game 'Ring a ring o' roses". The children are standing outdoors, holding
hands while they move in a counterclockwise direction around a rose bush in the middle of the circle.
This
rhyme is chanted not sung, the music in the background has an India flavor but is
somewhat similar to the “standard” English tune and tempo of this singing game.
SHOWCASE VIDEO #3-
Patty Shukla KidsTV- Children's Songs , Jan 27, 2014
-snip-
Patty Shukla and different ages of children are outside singing this song while holding a large colorful play parachute that the group holds and sits under at the end of each iteration of the song.
Lyrics:
Ring around the rosies
Pocketful of posies.
Ashes, Ashes
We all fall down.
The group moves counterclockwise in a circular direction while they sing this verse over and over again.
SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 -
evokids, Apr 29, 2015 #kidssongs #nurseryrhymes #babysongs
A fun and classic playground singing game to play with your
friends! Listen and play ‘ring around the rosie’. 🌼
🌺
🌷
🌹
🌻
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLE-gGQMlCw
-snip-
This animated video shows children standing outside singing "Ring Around The Roses". Based on their accents and the lyrics that they sing, this video depicts children from the USA singing this song. (This video presents different harmonizing versions of these standard American lyrics with each iteration of this song.
Lyrics:
Ring around the rosies
Pocketful of posies.
Ashes, Ashes
We all fall down.
The group moves in a clockwise circular direction to this song.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5- Ring-Around-the-Rosie Song
AFHero66, Mar 20, 2017
At my daughter's 5th birthday party, there may have been a tad too much sugar, but endless choruses of fun. Lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpOC28pYmd4 [moving
-snip
Lyrics:
Ring around the rosies
Pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes we all fall DOWN
-snip-
The children move counterclockwise around the circle.
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SHOWCASE VDEO #6- Ring-A-Ring O'Rosy 🌸 Children's Nursery Rhyme 🎶 Kids Dance Song 🕺 The Wiggles
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