Buses were used as public transportation as early as the 1890s. The song Wheels on the Bus was not written until the late 1930s. Furthermore, children were not taken to school by bus until the 1960s, when several American automakers converted their vans into buses to haul children. The Wheels on the Bus original lyrics were as follows: “The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round, the wheels on the bus go round and round, all the day long.” Over the years more verses were added but the origin of the first verse was thought to be written by song writer Verna Hills of Boston. The original intent appears to be for children to learn to pay attention to what is happening with the bus as it drives around. It was kind of like a lullaby of sorts. The song was possibly sung softly into the ears of babies as they fell asleep while riding along on the lap of a family member or with friends.
As children started being given rides to school on buses the drivers would encourage singing to keep the children busy on the way to school. The ride would move along quickly and with less bickering and fighting if the bus driver could engage them in an activity with all of their friends. As the years rolled by, more verses were added to the song and it became more lengthy. The song got so long and discussed almost every function of the bus and a few of the passengers! Later, books were written about it with beautifully illustrated pictures so that parents could start teaching their children the song long before they even entered school. This is one way to teach them the song before they ever set foot on a bus. How interesting it must be to a child to step on the bus and sing that song and understand for the first time what it actually means.
The song has almost become as common as many of the nursery rhymes and is a staple to children in the U.S, Canada and Europe. It is amazing how such a song has spread around the world in such a short time!
One of the great things the song teaches children is to keep a long list of operations in order. The song is lengthy for a children’s song and kids really have to stay with it to learn the whole thing over time.
How surprised Verna Hills would be today if she knew just how popular this song had become. Her simple work has inspired millions to sing and buy books because one day she decided to jot down a couple of sentences. It has created a tradition of singing on the bus on the way to school. The memories from that exist in children across many countries.