I'm doing some research for Peggy Seeger's notes to her album, "Love Call Me Home" and am having a hard time finding info about the origins of an unusual version recorded here of "London Bridge is Falling Down." She says she learned it from her mother, Ruth Crawford Seeger. In it, the standard first line is combined with a refrain of "Do Lord Remember Me." The verses are of a kissing game variety.

Anyway, my own library is light on children's material and I have exhausted web materials including earlier Mudcat discussion of London Bridge. Can anyone out there check the following books and recordings (or other resources) and see what notes if any appear there about the song (if it seems to be similar to the one I'm describing)? Any other recollections or information about this variant would also help. Thanks so much.

Books:

John A. and Alan Lomax Our Singing Country

Ruth Crawford Seeger "Twenty Two American Folk Songs" (may be unpublished)

Recordings:

Charles Seeger recorded in 1937 in Songs for Political Action 1926-1953 ((10 disc compilation: Bear Family Records BCD 15 720, 1996, Pablo Records, 2002)

The Lyrics are as follows:

LONDON BRIDGE
words and music: traditional USA
5-string banjo tuning: Key of Eb; 5th and 3rd, low Gb; 4th, low Eb; 3rd, Bb; 2nd, D.

London's Bridge is falling down
Do Lord, remember me
London's Bridge is falling down
On the prettiest girl I know.

Choose you a partner, honey my love,
Do Lord, remember me
Choose you a partner, honey my love
You're the prettiest girl I know

Kiss your partner, honey my love,
Do Lord, remember me (etc)

Circle round, honey my love (etc)

Take her home, honey my love (etc)

Choose you another one, honey my love (etc)

Circle round, honey my love (etc)

Hug your partner. honey my love (etc)

Then take her home, honey my love (etc)

London's Bridge is a-falling down
Do Lord, remember me
London's Bridge is a-falling down
On the prettiest girl I know.