Brother James, Brother James,
Are you still sleeping?
Are you still sleeping?
Don't you hear the bells?
Ding, Dang, Dong,
Ding, Dang, Dong.

In the English speaking world this song is taught to children IN FRENCH. Yes, that does indeed seem odd I know, but I, along with thousands of other kindergarten kids, was forced to sing this song in French, never English.

So English speakers know the song as Frère Jacques. If you said Brother John/James or any other Jacques-type derivative, no one would have a clue what you are talking about.

@ lsd, #3:

'... but I ... was forced to sing this song in French ...' . . .

or:

'... but I ... was taught to sing this song in French ...' ? . . .

Lucky you, being exposed to another language already at a tender age . . .

What about 'Sur le pont d'Avignon', did you learn that one, too ? . . .

and "Alouette" ...

@Daddy OT
just loved the flying penguins ... thanks for that one

@ #5: I knew!!! . . . :-))

@ Daddy

haha...yes, you have a good point indeed. Looking back I guess I wasn't too willing a participant in the educational/child storage system at that point!

Sur le pont d'Avignon wasn't on the play list though. There was not to be another sniff of a foreign language again until high school came around.

Whow, lots of good answers I found now!

Can the rest of the native English word confirm what #3 wrote: 'So English speakers know the song as Frère Jacques.'???

Thanks!

I (AE) learned it both ways, actually, but I would be more likely to associate "Frère Jacques" with the song than "Brother John".

SE England: I've heard of Brother John and know the words as on Wikipedia, but as a translation of Frère Jacques, which is the usual version.

BTW my son was supposed to sing this in English at German kindergarten, as an international song, with the other bilingual children singing in Russian, Turkish etc. I taught him the English version specially but I think the kindergarten teacher thought I was just showig off when I said that he normally just sang it in French :-)

I (AE) learned it as Frère Jacques. (Didn't hear the English version until I was in my 20s.)
We also learned Sur le pont d'Avignon.

Never heard of the English version, but confirm the teaching of the French version in English schools.

You have been so helpful! Thanks a lot! So it is the French version which I would refer to in an English conversation.

Only English version I know (or have heard, which is NOT to say the one previously posted is not common).

Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?
Brother John, Brother John

(just for full disclosure)

Freere Tschacke, Freere Tschacke,
dormeh-wuh, dormeh-wuh,
sonnelematine, sonnelematine
ding-dang-dong, Pappkarton

scnr

#15 In Zeile drei fehlt ein alte Waschmaschine :-)

Das kenne ich so nicht oder hab's vergessen ;-)

Freere Tschacke, alte Jacke
dormeh-wu, dumme Kuh
sonnelematine, alte Waschmaschine
ding dang dong, Pappkarton



hieß das bei uns (ist eigentlich was für einen der Nostalgiefäden...)