What was the origin of the nursery rhyme "Don't care was made to care"?

Question

Many a child who has expressed indifference has had the following verse spoken to them:

Don’t care was made to care,
Don’t care was hung:
Don’t care was put in a pot
And boiled till he was done.

What is its origin?

score 5 · Answer 1 · edited Jul 25 '19 at 00:25

5

Looks like the author is unknown; but its origins appear to be mid-1800s London’s East End. The full rhyme is as follow:

Don’t care didn’t care,
Don’t care was wild:
Don’t care stole plum and pear
Like any beggar’s child.

Don’t care was made to care,
Don’t care was hung:
Don’t care was put in a pot
And boiled till he was done.

Don't care didn't care (idea)

edited Jul 25 '19 at 00:25

Ken Graham

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answered Apr 22 '18 at 19:09

Christopher Klaus

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What was the origin of the nursery rhyme "Don't care was made to care"?

1 Answers1