"Brown Girl in the Ring" is a traditional children's song to the islands of the West Indies. Originally part of the children's game of the same name, thought to have originated in Jamaica, its lyrics instruct the game's performance: a girl enters the ring, formed by children holding hands, and performs a dance.
The song became internationally known when it was recorded by Euro-Caribbean vocal group Boney M. in 1978. Originally it was the B-side of their hit "Rivers of Babylon", but soon became a hit in its own right.
The song had previously been recorded in 1975 by the group Malcolm's Locks, leading to a dispute over royalties. Bahamian musician Exuma also recorded a version of the song in 1972.
The Boney M. version was remixed in 1993 by Frank Farian.