The lyrics, history and origins reflect a moral theme to this famous nursery rhyme

"A Nursery Rhyme,
the first step to
your children's education"

For want of a nail: lyrics with a moral

A Nursery Rhyme explaining consequences through its lyrics
A clever set of lyrics encouraging a child to apply logic to the consequences of their
actions. Perhaps used to gently chastise a child and explain the possible events that might follow a thoughtless act. The references to horses, horseshoe, riders, kingdoms and battles indicate the origins of this nursery rhyme were probably set in English History

 
 

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

For want of a nail rhyme: origins and history