Popular Children’s Nursery Rhyme ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ Has Lyrics Changed As It’s Deemed Racist!

Children are being encouraged to drop the word ‘black’ from Baa Baa Black Sheep in order to be more inclusive of other coloured sheep.

I’m sorry…but WHAT THE ACTUAL F?? This is political correctness gone mad! Children in north Queensland are learning to sing the new edited version of Baa Baa Black Sheep which includes the line Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep.

The rhyme may have survived 200 years but it seems our crazy PC ways have seen it finally be taken out to pasture.

Baa, baa, black sheep,

Have you any wool?

Yes, sir, yes, sir,

Three bags full;

One for the master,

And one for the dame,

And one for the little boy

Who lives down the lane

“This classic nursery rhyme has attracted recent controversy as it was believed to be politically incorrect, but most scholars agree that it has little to do with the slave trade. The most common conclusion is that it’s actually about the Great Custom, which was a tax on wool in the 13th century. Under the new taxes the price of a sack of wool was split between the farmer, king and church. It takes on sinister connotations if you consider that the original last line was ‘And none for the little boy
who cries down the lane’, indicating that the poor shepherd boys were left with no profits due to the heavy tax.” (Source: Historyanswers)

What do you think? Is black even a derogatory term? I believe it’s all in the context of how things are said and the intention behind the word. For example former president Barack Obama is often referred to as the first black president of the USA just as Martin Luther King is described as being instrumental in helping to end segregation between black and white Americans. The use of the word black even in these instances is in no way racist and in fact is used by Obama and King themselves.

So let’s just leave the poor black sheep alone!