The Story behind the Nursery Rhyme: Rain, Rain, Go Away

Summer is here in the UK, so as part of our series of nursery rhyme stories, 'Rain, Rain, Go Away' could not be more appropriate.

Let's take a closer look at this simple rhyme and uncover some of the facts that have made it a staple in playgrounds and classrooms for centuries.

What are the lyrics to 'Rain, Rain, Go Away'?

The standard version of this nursery rhyme is a simple rhyming couplet:

Rain, rain, go away,

Come again another day.

However, there are other variations that add more detail. In the Victorian era, one version added the character of Arthur to the song:

Rain, rain, go away, 

Come again another day,

Little Arthur wants to play.

Another version swapped out poor Arthur for Johnny:

Rain, rain, go away, 

Come again,

April Day,

Little Johnny wants to play.

But to get a better picture of this nursery rhyme, we need to go further back in time to the Elizabethan era...

Where does the nursery rhyme 'Rain, Rain, Go Away' come from?

Some historians have traced the nursery rhyme back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, more than 450 years ago.

During the Elizabethan era, there was a fierce rivalry between England and Spain, and the Spanish planned to invade England with an enormous fleet of ships. This fleet is called an Armada in Spanish.

In 1588, the Spanish set off with over 130 huge ships called galleons. Each galleon needed 2,000 oak trees to build, cost the equivalent of several million pounds and needed a crew of more than 200 men. It was a huge investment for Spain.

The Armada soon came face-to-face with the English, who had faster ships, before a terrible storm scattered the galleons. Only 65 made it home. The rhyme remembers the fiasco of the Armada from the English point of view.

In fact, another version of the rhyme has a more direct allusion to the combat:

Rain rain go to Spain,

Fair weather come again.

Sing a song to keep the rain away

A version very like the one we know was written about by a famous diarist called John Aubrey in 1687. He said little children used it to charm away rain so they could play outdoors. Perhaps you could try that on the next rainy day. Who knows, it may work!

Getting children started with the building blocks of music

Simple rhymes such as 'Rain, Rain, Go Away' may not feel like important steps in a child's musical education. But singing these songs can introduce children to the basics of pitch and rhythm.