Anonymous – Baa, Baa, Black Sheep

Many of us are familiar with the lyrics to this childhood ditty.  The earliest printed version of Baa, Baa, Black Sheep originates from Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song-Book, one of the earliest collections of modern nursery rhymes.  It was published in 1744.

While there is much debate about the author and meaning behind these cryptic lyrics, children worldwide echo its puzzling tune, sung to the 1761 French song, Ah, vous dirai-je, maman!  Many other nursery rhymes share this jungle, including The Alphabet Song and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

For this review, I will examine the 1744 version and explain the true meaning behind these lyrics that have plagued and baffled people for centuries.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

It is a song about the Devil who attempts to fleece Adam, Israel, and Jesus.  Its wooly message is filled with doom and gloom and sheepish on Satan’s success or failure.  This gaping hole is rectified in section 2.

Score: 5.1/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

The entire song, dark and bleating as it may be, is completely supported in Scripture.  That’s right, you herd it here first!  This song is Biblically accurate.

This song is public domain, baby!  The people who might sue over copyright infringement are already dead.

This song does not contain a Verse/Chorus/Bridge format.  Therefore, I assigned Stanzas for each paragraph.

[Stans A]

Bah, Bah, a black Sheep,

We can extrapolate the meaning behind this phrase by examining the Scriptures.  Jesus is the Lamb who was slain (Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29, John 1:36, Acts 8:32, 1 Peter 1:19, Revelation 5:6-8, Revelation 5:12-13, Revelation 6:1, Revelation 7:9-17, Revelation 12:11, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 14:1-10, Revelation 15:3, Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:7-9, and Revelation 21:9).  He is also light with no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5).  White is often associated with light.  For example, during the transfiguration, Matthew 17:1-2 tells us that Christ’s garments were “white as light”.  Therefore, white is light.

Darkness is the opposite of light.  People in darkness do evil and cannot comprehend the light (Proverbs 4:19, John 1:5, John 3:19-21, and John 11:10).  God’s light drives out darkness (Psalm 107:10-16, Luke 1:79, John 1:1-13, John 12:46, Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 1:13, and 1 Peter 2:9).  The color black is associated with mourning (Job 30:30), famine (Revelation 6:5), judgment (Jude 1:12-15), and death (Job 10:21-22).  Therefore, black is darkness.

If Jesus is the Lamb of God, Jesus is light, the opposite of light is darkness, and darkness is black, then the opposite of the white sheep must be the black sheep.  The opposite of Christ is the Antichrist!  While there is not just one, but many antichrists (1 John 4:2-3 and 2 John 1:7), there is one other consideration.

“Black sheep” is an idiom describing a disgraced member of the family.  Satan fell away from heaven.  Therefore, Satan is the black sheep of the angelic herd.

When we put all the pieces together, we can conclude that Lucifer is the black sheep.

Have you any Wool?
Yes merry have I,
Three bags full,

As explained in line 1, Jesus is the slain Lamb.  His body was broken for us.  We remember what Christ did for us by partaking in the bread and cup of communion (Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20, and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).  His wool represents provision that He gives to His followers (Genesis 2:15-16, Genesis 9:3, Genesis 22:8, Exodus 16:1-36, Psalm 18:2, Psalm 34:10, Psalm 81:10, Psalm 84:11, Psalm 107:9, Proverbs 10:3, Malachi 3:10, Matthew 6:25-30, Matthew 7:7-8, Matthew 21:22, John 14:13-14, John 14:26, John 15:1-10, John 15:16, Romans 8:32, Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 9:8, and 2 Corinthians 12:9).

The black sheep also offers wool.  Yet, it is stolen wool, twisted, corrupted, and blackened by folly and deceit.  Folly calls to the naive and compels it to come, saying that “stolen water is sweet” and “bread eaten in secret is pleasant”.  Those who partake will experience death (Proverbs 9:16-18).  Those who thirst for evil and sin will ask for Satan’s wool.  He is willing to fill their bags with lies and deceit (1 Peter 5:8).

The number three represents three attacks that Satan attempted to thwart God’s plan for redemption.

One for my Master,

The Master is Adam.  He had dominion over the earth and everything in it (Genesis 1:26).  According to Genesis 3:1-7, Satan came in the form of a sneaky serpent, who tempted the woman and enticed her to sin.  She, in turn, gave Adam the forbidden fruit and ate.  Thus, they both sinned.  Realizing they were filled with shame, they hid from God, putting a wedge between Him and mankind.  However, it didn’t work.  God came for them, calling out to Adam: “where are you?” (Genesis 3:9).  Their lawbreaking did not stop God from pursuing them.  It also did not frustrate His plans.  Genesis 3:15 prophecied that a descendant of Eve would bruise Satan on the head, but Satan would strike Him on the heel.

One for my Dame,

The Dame represents Israel.  In Lamentations 1:1-7, Zion is used in the feminine to represent Israel as a whole.  Throughout the Old Testament, Satan uses the flesh (John 3:6, Romans 8:5, Romans 7:14-25, Romans 8:6-14, Galatians 5:19-25, Philippians 3:18-19, Colossians 3:1-3, 1 Corinthians 2:14, and 2 Peter 2:1-10) and the world (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13, John 15:19, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 2:2, Colossians 3:1-2, 1 Timothy 6:10, 1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 3:17, 1 John 4:5, and James 4:4) as weapons against Israel, attempting to stop the Messiah from coming.  They caved on numerous occasions and were whacked by God for it.  Yet, as we have read throughout the Old Testament, God restored them over and over again.

Satan’s plan failed yet again.  Descendants from Adam to Mary came and passed (Luke 3:23-38) and she conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).

One for my little boy
That lives in the lane.

The little boy represents Jesus.  He was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, which came to fruition in Matthew 1:23.  Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13, and again by the crowd in Matthew 27:42, who taunted Jesus, attempting to compel Him to come down and show them up.  Just when Satan thought He had won, Christ rose again (Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29, Acts 1:3, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:33, and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8), defeating death and destroying Satan’s plans (1 John 3:8).  From Adam to Jesus, Satan’s, blackened wool could not accomplish his goals.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

They will baa at the whole thing, mindlessly hoofing along, yet, deeply suspicious that the Master, Dame, and little boy are conspiring against alien invaders.  Considering that Satan appears as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), they are on the right track.

Score: 8.23/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies the Devil as the black sheep who pulled the wool over the eyes of Adam and Israel, but not Jesus.

Score: 0/10

Closing Comments

Anonymous’ Baa, Baa, Black Sheep is embaarasing.  The black sheep is a metaphor for Satan as an antichrist.  He fills bags of wool and offers it to Adam, Israel, and Jesus, tempting them to join his pasture.  Unbelievers will think that the Master, Dame, and little boy are protecting us from an alien abduction.

Please, I beg you.  I bleat this from the top of the haystacks.  Stop teaching this sinister song to your children.  In fact, stop teaching all nursery rhymes to your children.  They are all dark and morbid.

Final Score: 6.66/10

Artist Info

Track: Baa, Baa, Black Sheep (listen to Cocomelon’s version of this song at your peril)

Artist: Anonymous

Album: N/A

Genre: Independent

Release Year: 1744

Duration: N/A

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