Rub-a-dub-dub
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Rub-A-Dub-Dub" Roud #3101 |
|
| Written by | Traditional |
|---|---|
| Published | 1798 |
| Written | England |
| Language | English |
| Form | Nursery Rhyme |
"Rub-A-Dub-Dub" is an English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3101.
Contents |
[edit] Lyrics
This rhyme exists in many variations. Among those current today is:
- Rub-a-dub-dub,
- Three men in a tub,
And how do you think they got there?
- The butcher, the baker,
- The candlestick-maker,
- They all jumped out of a rotten potato,
'Twas enough to make a man stare.[1]
[edit] Origins and meaning
The earliest versions of this rhyme published differ significantly in their wording. The first recorded version is in Christmas Box published in London in 1798 has similar wording to that in Mother Goose's Quarto or Melodies Complete, published in Boston, Massachusetts around 1825, which had the following version:
Hey! rub-a-dub, ho! rub-a-dub, three maids in a tub,
And who do you think were there?
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker,
And all of them gone to the fair.[1]
This led Iona and Peter Opie to conclude that they were three respectable townsfolk "watching a dubious sideshow at a local fair".[1]
By around 1830 the reference to maids was being removed from the versions printed in nursery books. In 1842 James Orchard Halliwell collected the following version:
[edit] References in popular culture
- "Rub-a-dub" is rhyming slang for pub.[2]
- In Rob Thomas' (the creator of Veronica Mars) novel Rats Saw God (1996), the character Wanda Varner introduces herself to be called "Dub". Upon being misunderstood, she clarifies: "No, 'Dub.' As in rub-a-dub-dub."
- Rub-A-Dub was adopted in Jamaican music as the name for the early D.J. "chatting" or "toasting" which later became known as Dancehall. It primarily refers to roots music mixed in a dub style, over which the D.J. talks or sings.
- Jazz artist and composer Arianna Fanning most recently made the song popular by superimposing the chord changes to John Coltrane's "Countdown" under the melody. The hit achieved instant success and is now ranked among the highest jazz singles released in the 21st century.
- In the fourth episode of The Simpsons, Bart says grace at the dining table: "Rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub." In the Family Guy episode "E. Peterbus Unum," Latoya Jackson uses this version and adds "Yay, God." to which Mayor Adam West responds by saying "How very inappropriate, thank you".
- In the Terry Pratchett Discworld novel Feet of Clay (1996) a butcher, a baker and a candlestick maker (heads of their respective guilds) play important supporting roles. The rhyme is partly quoted by the protagonist.
- In the Three's Company episode Chrissy's Hospitality, Mr. Furley describes what he thinks is a sexual encounter between Jack and Chrissy in the bathtub by saying "Rub-a-dub-dub, come hop in my tub". Later he finds out they're only hanging a shower curtain.
- In the 1981 Filipino movie "Temptation Island", while witnessing a bitch fight, a gay character says "Rub-a-dub-dub, two bitches in the tub!"
