Before we briefly recount the history of London Bridge is Falling Down, Songs with Simon would like to acknowledge that the bridge seen in our video is not in fact London Bridge! It is the Tower Bridge of London and it looked far more impressive for our purposes.
According to trustworthy sources*, the original London Bridge survived fires, invasions and tourists for hundreds of years, only to be replaced by the opening of New London Bridge in 1831. New London Bridge was itself replaced in during the 1960s and 70s and now resides, thanks to the wonders of modern transportation and people with lots of money, in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
The precise origin of the song itself is a matter of intense and passionate debate among the three or four people who really care. Most people, who consider the topic for less time than it takes to click on another Youtube clip, probably believe that the song comes from a time when London Bridge was indeed falling down.
The identity of the “fair lady” is equally shrouded in mystery and indifference. Of course, a page supposedly devoted to history that derides its topic as unimportant is self-defeating and fraught with peril. Perhaps some of the comments below will attest to this fact.
But for those who simply want to write something funny, Songs with Simon could find no reference to an official name for the bridge that replaced the New London Bridge across the River Thames. Since New New London Bridge seems a bit silly, we wondered if you would like to suggest a name.
*including Wikipedia and our imaginations
