Jack Jingle
Little Jack Jingle, He used to live single;
But when he got tired of this kind of life,
He left off being single and lived with his wife.
Now what do you think of little Jack Jingle?
Before he was married he used to live single.
Origin & Meaning
Jack Jingle is an old English nursery rhyme that turns up in 19th- and early 20th-century collections like The Nursery Rhymes of England and The Real Mother Goose. It’s one of several short “Jack” verses that were meant to be quick, catchy jingles for children rather than deep moral tales.
The rhyme simply tells us that little Jack Jingle “used to live single,” got tired of that life, and decided to marry. The repeated line about living single is part of the joke: it hammers the contrast between his old life and his new one, while playing on the rhyme of “Jingle” and “single.” One 19th-century commentator even points out that verses like this often exist mainly because the sounds fit nicely together, not because of any grand hidden story.
1. A simple retelling
Jack Jingle grows tired of living alone, so he gets married and leaves his single life behind.
2. The characters
- Main character: Jack Jingle
- Other characters: His wife (mentioned)
3. Setting
Not specified.
4. Theme
Theme: Moving from independence to companionship.
5. Moral
No clear lesson — the rhyme plays lightly with the idea of choosing married life over living alone.
