Jack Be Nimble
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- This article is about the nursery rhyme. For the 1993 film, see Jack Be Nimble (Film)
Jack Be Nimble is a nursery rhyme. Suggestions about its origins are: it is related to a marriage ceremony; it celebrates the escapes of a pirate; or it is about a religious choice which could have led to burning at the stake. (2nd verse: Zelo.com, Virtual Teacher Aide and others claim it's traditional)
Another tradition holds that the Jack be Nimble nursery rhyme refers to the Yellow Fever (also called the yellow jack fever), which was believed to be kept at bay by flames. Candles would be put at the bedsides of children to keep the fever away.
It is also suggested that "jumping over a candlestick" was a way of foretelling the future. If the candle stayed lit, good luck should follow, where as if he went out, bad luck would follow.
[edit] Traditional Version
- Jack be nimble,
- Jack be quick,
- Jack jump over the candlestick.
- Jack jumped high,
- Jack jumped low,
- Jack jumped over and burned his toe.
[edit] Alternate Versions
There is an alternate version of the 2nd verse
- If Jack had jumped a little higher
- He wouldn't have caught his pants on fire
In urban culture, pants is sometimes replaced with "arse" Like this:
- Jack be nimble,
- Jack be quick,
- Jack jump over candlestick
- If Jack had jumped a little higher,
- He wouldn't have caught his arse on fire!
A modern reworking of the rhyme [1] is as follows:
- Jack be quick,
- Jack jump over the candle stick.
- Jill be nimble,
- Jump it too,
- If Jack can do it, so can you.
Then there's the modern American version:
- Jack be nimble
- Jack be quick
- Jack jump over the candlestick
- Asbestos pants
[edit] References in Popular Culture
- The lyrics of the Black Sabbath song TV Crimes from the album Dehumanizer refer to the nursery rhyme twice. In the first refrain they are: "Jack is nimble, Jack is quick / Pick your pocket, turn a trick", while in the second: "Jack be nimble, Jack be slick / Take the money, get out quick".
- In the video game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, There is an NPC named Jakben Imbel.
- An episode of the TV Show "Profiler" names " Jack be nimble, Jack be quick ".
- Don McLean's song "American Pie" contains the lines "So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack Flash sat on a candlestick cos the fire is the devil's only friend". This is a reference to the rhyme and to the Rolling Stones's song "Jumpin' Jack Flash."
- In the role-playing game Shadowrun, there is an encrypted file called JackBNimble.
- In the comic series Fables, Jack Be Nimble is an alias of the character Jack Horner.
