More info on background:

"Olde England was without the benefit of its present-day tabloids, so it relied on rhymes for spreading gossip. In the best tradition of yellow journalism, the earliest version of this bathing ballad describes three maids in a tub, performing in the sideshow at a local fair. Our three tradesmen in the audience lose control and jump onstage to bathe with the beauties. They get washed up in the resulting dirty scandal. The rhyme itself was later cleaned up for today's storytime."