It's just a song, no need for deep analysis

I love to sing, the boys love to be sung to. Sometimes, if I'm in a good mood, I'll sing the boys to sleep at night. At times it is perfect, they each have a song they love and I've been singing to them since they were babies. Other times it is less perfect. They fight over which song I sing. They feel the need to interject or add verses to my song. Last night was one of those nights. The squabbling over which song should go first made me abandon my regular good night songs. I resorted to another favorite.

I know an old woman who swallowed a fly
I don't know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

I know an old woman who swallowed a spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly...

"I know why she! She was hungry!" Little Dog piped in.

Maybe, but sssh, remember, it's sleeping time.
Perhaps, she'll die.

I know an old woman who swallowed a bird,
How absurd to swallow a bird.

"Nikita want to swallow our bird, but we don't let her!"

Shhh, sleeping time.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

I know an old woman who swallowed a cat,
Imagine that, she swallowed a cat.

"You shouldn't swallow animals, mama."

No, you're right. Shhh, sleeping time.
She swallowed the cat...

"You need to chew your food! You could choke!"

That's true, but it's sleeping time. This is just a song.

...to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

"I swallowed a seed, mama."

A seed?

"A seed in my cherry. I didn't choke. I didn't die. I'm ok."

Good, but you shouldn't swallow cherry pits. You need to be careful.
Now, shhhh, it's sleeping time.

I know an old woman who swallowed a dog,
Oh what a hog to swallow a dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed a fly,

"Maybe she swallowed all the animals to eat in her tummy"

Shhhh, sleeping time.
Perhaps she'll die.

I know an old woman who swallowed a goat,
She opened her throat and swallowed a goat,
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

"Mama, who gonna swallow the old woman?"

I don't know. Maybe we should just be quiet now. No more singing.

"Ok mama."

And a few minutes later he was sound asleep.