Number One Songs—Fergie's London Bridge Ain't Falling Down
Fergie (her real name is Stacy Ferguson) is not related to Sarah Margaret Ferguson, the Duchess of York, who shares the same nickname.
This Fergie is a singer with the Grammy-winning pop/hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas. But she is now a "dutchess" too! The Dutchess, Fergie's debut solo album was released in September of 2006 and shot up the charts on the strength of the previously released single, "London Bridge." London Bridge may be "falling down" but it's sending Fergie through the roof!
While The Dutchess debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, "London Bridge," released in July of '06, made one of the biggest jumps in the Billboard Hot 100 chart's history and held the #1 spot for three consecutive weeks.
Fergie is not from England, home of THE London Bridge (well, more about that in a minute). She is from Whittier CA, famous for being the home of former president Richard M. Nixon.
Interestingly, as "ghetto" as see appears now (obviously her "hip" choice), Fergie has done some pretty tame gigs.
As a child actress, she appeared on the television program Kids Incorporated and she was also the voice of Sally Brown in two Charlie Brown specials: It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown (1984), and Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown (1985). She also voiced Sally in the 1985 version of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show.
As for "The Bridge," "It is amusing to note that the bridge featured on the alternative cover of the single is not in fact London Bridge but the Tower Bridge. This is presumably because the actual current London Bridge is of no particular architectural significance, and consequently many people confuse the two. This mistake is also made in the ending of the video for the song...The use of this bridge has been said to be intentional many times by Fergie herself as well as people who worked on the video." —Wikipedia
Visit Fergie's website.
London Bridge traverses the River Thames, between the City of London and Southwark, England. A bridge has existed at this location for some 2000 years. It has been demolished and rebuilt several times.
At the end of the 18th century, the then current version of the bridge was replaced by a more modern structure, designed by an architect named John Rennie. It took over seven years to build and was actually completed by John Rennie's son and namesake. The old bridge was demolished after the new bridge opened in 1831.
Fergie is not from London, and the London Bridge is in Arizona. What?
In 1968, the bridge was replaced again and the bridge built by Rennie was sold to the American entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch of McCulloch Oil for 2.5 million dollars.
"As the bridge was disassembled, each piece was numbered to aid reassembly and those markings can still be seen today. The bridge was reconstructed at Lake Havasu City, Arizona and re-dedicated on October 10, 1971. The reconstruction of Rennie's London Bridge spans a canal that leads from Lake Havasu to Thomson Bay, and forms the centrepiece of a theme park in English style, complete with mock-Tudor shopping mall. Rennie's London Bridge has become Arizona's second-biggest tourist attraction, after the Grand Canyon." —Wikipedia
London Bridge is falling down,
Build it up with iron bars,
Iron bars will bend and break,
Build it up with needles and pins,
Pins and needles rust and bend,
Build it up with penny loaves,
Penny loaves will tumble down,
Build it up with silver and gold,
Gold and silver I’ve not got,
Here's a prisoner I have got,
What's the prisoner done to you,
Stole my watch and broke my chain,
What'll you take to set him free,
One hundred pounds will set him free,
One hundred pounds we have not got,
Then off to prison he must go,
Fergie's London Bridge Lyrics
When I come to the clubs, step aside
All my girls get down on the floor
How come every time you come around
How come every time you come around
Drinks start pouring
The Grey Goose got the girl feeling loose
How come every time you come around
How come every time you come around
When I come to the clubs, step aside
All my girls get down on the floor
How come every time you come around
How come every time you come around
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