# Are You Sleeping, Brother John?

"Are You Sleeping, Brother John?" is the English version of the French round "Frère Jacques" — a friar is urged to wake and ring the morning bells; the tune dates back to at least the late 18th century.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | melody by the late 18th century (French origin) |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/are-you-sleeping-brother-john/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Are you sleeping, are you sleeping,
Brother John, Brother John?
Morning bells are ringing,
Morning bells are ringing,
Ding-dang-dong, ding-dang-dong.

## How to sing it

1. Sing it as a round — a second group starts from the beginning as the first reaches "Brother John".
2. Add a third and fourth group, each one line behind, to build up the layered harmony.
3. Ring an imaginary bell on "ding-dang-dong" to keep everyone in time.

## Common questions

**What is "Are You Sleeping, Brother John?" about?**

Waking up for work. It gently nags a sleeping friar — "Brother John" — to get up, because the morning bells are ringing and it is his job to ring them (or to be awake for the very early prayers). "Ding-dang-dong" is the sound of the bell he is meant to be sounding.

**Where does "Are You Sleeping, Brother John?" come from?**

It is the English version of the French song "Frère Jacques". The tune is old — an early form appears in a French manuscript of about 1775–1785, and it was first published in 1811. Its origins are debated, but none of the theories is proven.

**Why is "Are You Sleeping, Brother John?" usually sung as a round?**

Because it is built for it. The melody is short and each phrase fits neatly over the next, so several groups can sing it starting one line apart and it still sounds right — which is exactly what makes it such a good first round for children to learn.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — Frère Jacques](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A8re_Jacques)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q825728