Frère Jacques

Album: Frère Jacques (1780)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This simple French nursery rhyme is quite well known in English, and is often taught in elementary French, and in music lessons as a recorder tune. Literally "Brother John," it is usually sung in French, and sounds better that way.

    As with most traditional verse, its origin is uncertain; it seems likely that it was not set to music in the first instance. There are numerous variations on the lyrics, and countless translations. The earliest printed version of the melody dates from around 1780, as "Frère Blaise." Unsurprisingly, "Frère Jacques" has been translated into many languages, from Afrikaans to Xhosa through Japanese.
  • Obviously this has never been a chart song, although it has been recorded by no less a group than The Beatles. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

Comments: 3

  • Why Should I Say from What Does It MatterI did not know it was recorded by the beatles
  • Mjn Seifer from Not Listed For Personal Reason, EnglandI can remember someone in a TV show trying to sing this, but they didn't know it was French, so they sung it as £ "Fairy Jacket" or something. It was silly.
  • Zabadak from London, EnglandThis song makes heavy use of the French tactic of pronouncing syllables in song which are not pronounced in speech: "Frere Jacques" becomes "Frere-uh Jacques-uh".
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.