One for Sorrow (Nursery Rhyme) about Magpies

“One for Sorrow” is a well-known traditional nursery rhyme about the magpie. The nursery rhymes themselves are about superstition and the number of birds seen at one time and what that means – good luck or bad luck.

Of the many birds in Britain, the magpie is the only one that is present in most superstitions. Throughout Europe and America, magpies are considered evil, but in other parts of the world, such as China and Korea, magpies are associated with positivity.

What is a sad nursery rhyme?

The most common versions of this nursery rhyme are as follows:

one for sorrow,
Two for joy,
three for a girl,
one boy four,
five silver,
six gold,
Seven is a secret,
Never be told.

Alternative version of One for Sorrow

Depending on where in the country or world you’re from, this could mean different variations of the famous nursery rhyme. For example, the guy from Lancashire has a version with 6 extra lines, counting up to 13.

eight wishes,
nine kisses,
Ten surprises you have to be careful not to miss,
Eleven for health,
Twelve represents wealth,
Thirteen Beware this is the devil himself.

The History of a Sad Nursery Rhyme

The origin of this rhyme is associated with the magpie, which in some cultures is associated with bad luck. In England this dates back to the early 16th century.

The first recorded version of a nursery rhyme dates back to 1780, when John Brand included a note in Observations on Popular Antiquities.

John Brand was a clergyman in the Church of England and an antiquarian – a dealer of antiques and rare books. In 1784 he was appointed secretary of the London Antiquities Society. In 1846, William John Thoms referred to “popular antiquities” as folklore.

At the time, it only contained 4 lines:

one for sorrow,
two laughs,
The three had a funeral,
Four were born.

Then extend the rhyme by 3 lines and add to Proverbs and catchphrases for the four seasons In 1846, an English businessman and folklore collector named Michael Aislabie Denham created the book.

five for heaven,
six hells,
Seven for the devil, himself.

Magpie TV theme song

Some of the popularity of the “One for Sorrow” nursery rhyme can be attributed to the popular children’s TV show The Magpies, which aired from 1978 to 1980. Although it has similarities in the beginning, the Magpie TV theme has a tenth line, ‘You must not miss’, referring to not missing the next episode of the series.

It looks like this:

one for sorrow,
Two for joy,
three for a girl,
one boy four,
five silver,
six gold,
Seven is the secret that will never be told,
eight wishes,
nine kisses,
ten birds,
You must not miss it.

The TV theme song was composed by The Murgatroyd Band – an alias of the Spencer Davis Group. This was shortly after Steve Winwood left to join Blind Faith along with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech.

In places such as the United States where magpies are less common, this nursery rhyme is often associated with other members of the crow family such as; jackdaws, crows and crows.

about magpies

Magpies are considered to be one of the smartest birds in the world. From a distance, they appear black and white, but when viewed up close in sunlight, their tails and wings appear a beautiful purple-blue.

Their name comes from two words, “mag” and “pie”. “Mag” means chatter, and “pie” refers to the bird’s feathers. A while ago, “decor” was a term used to refer to mixed colors. When you put those two words together, you get a loud, chattering bird with black, white, and iridescent plumage.

Why are magpies associated with bad omen and superstition?

According to religion, the magpie is the only bird that does not comfort or mourn at the crucifixion. Since then, the magpie has been associated with negativity and bad luck. Other stories say that the magpie refused to enter the ark with Noah, but sat on it, cursing the world for sinking underwater. Every religious story depicts the magpie as untrustworthy.

Magpies are known for stealing shiny things (such as jewelry) and deceiving others—both things that associate them with evil. Other superstitions are linked to their omnivorous diet, which means they are often found eating dead animals.

With all this bad luck, bad luck, and negativity around these birds, people have come up with solutions over the years to show respect for these birds and hope that they don’t bring them bad luck. Saluting or waving to a magpie is a common superstition, and some people believe that greeting a magpie will help ward off bad luck.

Whether you’re superstitious yourself or think it’s all rubbish, the tradition has been kept around for centuries in an attempt to stave off bad luck.