Discovering the origins of “Who Killed Cock Robin”
Introduction – Exploring “Who Killed Cock Robin”
Who Killed Cock Robin? It was I, said the Sparrow. But where did the song come from? And what does it mean? Explore a world of birds, nursery rhymes, mythology, and history in this month’s episode. Find out how the robin got its name and why the sparrow shot Cock Robin (according to Victorian children’s book authors). Also, discover the song’s connection to Disney, taxidermy, and 15th century stained glass.
This song has inspired many other songs, including poignant pastiches and clever parodies. In this episode’s Patreon blog post, I discuss these spin-offs and explore why nursery rhymes make such good parody material. To access the blog through a one-time donation, click here.
To listen to the full episode, head to the audio player on the homepage or find your preferred podcast platform on the About page!
Credits
Host: Olivia Harding
Support Folk Files: https://www.patreon.com/c/FolkFilesPodcast
Yuri Gohen: @yurigohenfolksong on Instagram and Facebook
Who Killed Cock Robin by Yuri Gohen: https://yurigohen.bandcamp.com/album/who-killed-cock-robin
Musical Excerpts
Peggy Seeger
“Who Killed Cock Robin?”
https://www.y outube.com/watch?v=hVTcXtK_8Qo
Tim Hart and Friends
“Who Killed Cock Robin?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjGyLkGJBlI
King’s Singers
“Of All the Birds”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnr6Oxybkq4
Dana and Susan Robinson
“Who Killed Cock Robin?”
https://youtu.be/HqP26mqO4GY?si=xS2SAHX8BItCQ00U
Jean Ritchie
“Who Killed Cock Robin?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otcP8CCCt3c
Glenn Yarbrough
“Who Killed Cock Robin?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACX6OS6oO5k
Richard Dyer-Bennet
“Who Killed Cock Robin?”
https://youtu.be/lhTXFbYn3WY
John Jacob Niles
“Who Killed Cock Robin?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-_lfkMQGPs
Robin Roberts
“Who Killed Cock Robin?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB9eTpc-G1U
Silly Symphony
“Who Killed Cock Robin?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GK66CFljA0
St. Michael’s Junior School for Girls in Cumberland
“Cock Robin is Dead and Lays in his Grave”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YteMR9prrQ
Yuri Gohen
“Who Killed Cock Robin?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40-TqWBPoDs