 The historical aspects of the song are for most people a mere backdrop to the real appeal of the song, as a riddle.Child's variant A is the poem "Kinge John and Bishopp" taken from the Percy Folio manuscript.Variant B is from a broadside copy, printed for P. Brooksby between 1672-85 in which at the end of each verse, the burden (chorus) "Derry down" is sung.