WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for From season 2, episode 9!Throughout From season 2, the characters have heard a haunting nursery rhyme in their dreams, which may have devastating consequences for the town’s residents. After Boyd and Sara discovered more horrors in the forest at the end of season 1, From season 2’s characters have been exposed to shared supernatural occurrences and visions in addition to the original nocturnal monsters. The most prominent new phenomena in From season 2 have been the music box, cicadas, and a nursery rhyme, which all appear to be interconnected with the town’s dangerous mysteries.
The recurring nursery rhyme is especially ominous in From season 2, having first appeared alongside the music box and cicadas in Kenny’s dream. The rhyme goes, “They touch, they break, they steal. No one here is free. Here they come, they come for three, unless you stop the melody.” From season 2, episode 9 reveals that the nursery rhyme has also appeared in other characters’ visions, in one case just before a resident was killed in her own dream. By the very end of From season 2’s penultimate episode, it also seems that the threat hidden in the nursery rhyme’s lines is coming true.
What From Season 2’s Nursery Rhyme Really Means
From season 2’s nursery rhyme appears to be a warning from the forest and supernatural forces controlling the town. While some of From’s characters like the bus driver recognize the nursery rhyme from their childhoods, the town has seemingly warped it into a terrifying threat to their safety. Each line in the nursery rhyme seems to be referencing specific characters in the town, From’s mysterious monsters, the music box and cicadas, and the potential deaths of three residents.
“They touch, they break, they steal” appears to be alluding to the actions of From’s characters while in the town. For instance, “they touch” could refer to Boyd, who transferred the worms from Martin to himself to the smiling monster through touch. “They break” may be a reference to Kenny, who broke Sara’s ornament in a fit of anger, or to Kenny, Kristi, and Boyd for breaking open the monster’s body. “They steal” may refer to Marielle, who stole from the medical supply, or to Kenny, Kristi, and Boyd for stealing bile from the monster’s body.
The second part of From’s nursery rhyme, “No one here is free,” could be a reference to the children trapped in the tower from Tabitha’s visions, or a blanket statement about the town. From’s characters are all trapped within the town, none of whom are actually free until they find a way home. The line “Here they come, they come for three” also seems to be about the monsters or supernatural threats from town coming after three of the residents. The last part, “unless you stop the melody,” likely means that three characters will be killed by From’s town unless they are able to put an end to the songs of the music box and cicadas.
Who Are The “Three” In From’s Nursery Rhyme?
From’s nursery rhyme appears to ominously warn that three characters will meet their demise unless the residents are able to combat the effects of the new, mysterious musical threats. While the three that would be targeted were theorized to be the same characters who “touch, break, and steal,” From season 2, episode 9’s ending suggests this isn’t the case. At the very end of “Ball of Magic Fire,” Randall, Julie, and Marielle are being attacked by visions of cicadas, with all three being on the brink of death before the episode cuts to black.
It stands to reason that these three characters are the ones referred to in the nursery rhyme, which means that the town must find a way to stop the “melody” in order to save them. On the other hand, Randall, Julie, and Marielle could simply be red herrings, with the real “three” victims being revealed in From’s season 2 finale. It’s likely that From season 2 will end with the deaths of three characters, but they may not be the three that are attacked by the cicadas in episode 9’s ending.
Is From Season 2’s Nursery Rhyme Real?
While being able to pull from the meaning of a real-world nursery rhyme would be helpful for understanding From season 2’s puzzling riddle, the show’s nursery rhyme is fictional. From’s nursery rhyme being fictional isn’t surprising, however, as Ethan’s frequent references to the Cromenockle stories are based on books created specifically for the Stephen King-approved horror TV show. The nursery rhyme still exists outside the town in From’s literary universe, which means that the children’s song could have a deeper meaning related to some of the characters’ own childhoods. This also may explain why Fatima’s pregnancy made Elgin remember the rhyme from his dream at the start of From season 2.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
