Childhood is supposed to be a time of innocence,
a time when it is OK to be naive
So maybe I was duped into thinking
I was hearing sweet children's tales
and adorable nursery rhymes,
some sung in a song
Was I really?

Now I realize  
they were all strangely
scary or violent in nature

Let me give you a rundown:

The mother sings to soothe her baby
Visions of its cradle resting on the treetops (Huh?)
A broken bough and it hits the pavement
Splat! Pleasant dreams!

Let's not forget the Pied Piper
He lured children in with his music
and they disappeared from town
A serial killer!

Jack and Jill needed water
They headed up the incline
but tumbled back down
They nearly ended up in the hospital!

Peter, Peter,
the guy who loved to eat pumpkins  
stuffed his wife in a pumpkin's shell
Wife abuser!

The old woman who bore a ton of babies
found a home in some *****, old shoe
After she practically starved them
she gave them a whipping!

This is more sad than scary...
Another poor, old lady looks in her cupboard
seeking a meager bone for her dog
but had not one crumb to find (she probably ate his dog bones)

Ring around the rosie,
a possible urban legend,
had little tots falling to the ground and singing of ashes
as everyone around them died from the plague!

And when it rains it pours
A poor, old guy needs a nap
but gets a bump on the head
and remains unconscious!

London bridge was falling down
How come that happened?
Did someone blow it up?!  
A destructive depiction!

How about that blackbird pie
Those birds were baked alive!
One bird got his revenge
and bit off someone's nose!

Three blind mice endured a needless amputation
Wasn't it bad enough they were visually impaired?
Now a farmer's wife had to chop off their tails!
Somebody tell me that one is uplifting!

The cobbler's bench was a scene of mayhem
The monkey tried to get that weasel
So he could crack his head like a coconut
Pop!

Who the hell thought this one up?
A nursery rhyme that will leave children crying!
A poor, little ladybug!
Her kids gone and her house on fire!

And they say that TV is full of bad messages?