Nellie the Elephant facts for kids

"Nellie the Elephant" is a popular children's song from 1956. It was written by Ralph Butler and Peter Hart. The song is about a pretend elephant named Nellie. Nellie acts like a human, which is called anthropomorphic. The story tells how Nellie leaves the circus to go home.

The First Version of Nellie

The very first version of "Nellie the Elephant" was released in October 1956. It was sung by a child actress from England named Mandy Miller. An orchestra led by Phil Cardew played the music.

Behind the Scenes of the Original Song

The music for the song was arranged by Ron Goodwin. It was produced by George Martin, who later became famous for working with The Beatles. Even though it wasn't a big hit song, it was played many times on BBC radio in the UK. Kids in the 1950s and 1960s often heard it on a show called Children's Favourites.

Sing Along with Nellie

The main part of the song, called the chorus, goes like this:

Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk

And said goodbye to the circus

Off she went with a trumpety-trump

Trump, trump, trump

The famous children's author Jacqueline Wilson chose this song as one of her favorites in 2005. She picked it for a radio show called Desert Island Discs.

Other Versions of the Song

Many artists have made their own versions of "Nellie the Elephant" over the years.

Punk Rock Nellie

The punk rock band Toy Dolls made a cover of the song in 1982. This version was later put on their 1983 album, Dig That Groove Baby. When it was released as a single, it became very popular. It reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart in 1984.

More Cover Songs

• In 1987, the band Black Lace released their own version of the song. It later appeared on their 2011 album, The Essential Collection.
• Lulu, a famous singer, covered the song in 1989. Her version became the theme song for the animated TV series about Nellie. Lulu also provided the voice for the main character, Nellie, in the show. This version was also released as a single in 1990.

Nellie and CPR Training

The rhythm of "Nellie the Elephant" is sometimes used to help people learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CPR is a life-saving technique.

Using Music for CPR Rhythm

The recommended speed for CPR chest compressions is about 100 times per minute. A study at Coventry University looked at how well this song helped people keep the right rhythm. They compared it to another song, "That's the Way (I Like It)", and to no music at all.

The version of "Nellie" used in the study had a speed of 105 beats per minute. Singing the chorus of the song twice, with a compression on each beat, gives exactly 30 compressions. This is a standard number for CPR.

Study Results for CPR Training

The study found that using "Nellie" helped people keep the correct timing in many cases. It was more effective than using no music or the other song. However, the study also found that the depth of the compressions was often not enough. Using "Nellie" made this problem slightly worse compared to not using music.

More recently, the Bee Gees' song "Stayin' Alive" has also been suggested as a good song to help with CPR rhythm.

See also

In Spanish: Nellie the Elephant para niños