Lullabies

[monarch64]

My mom and I were just emailing back and forth about lullabies...she used to sing us to sleep every night (before she started reading us to sleep.) What were your favorites? Did you or do you sing lullabies to your children? If you don't have children yet, or don't even plan to or want children, did your mother sing you lullabies?

My/my mom's favorites were:

"You Are My Sunshine"
"I Gave My Love a Cherry"
"Rock-a-Bye Baby"
"Daddy's Little Girl"
"Morning Has Broken"
"Red River Valley"
ETA:
"Hush Little Baby" (this one's probably MY favorite--the words "diamond ring" are in the lyrics, hee hee!)
ETA:
"Mairzy Doats"
"TooRaLooRaLoo"
"Molly Malone" (barely remember that one...)
"This Little Light of Mine"
"Jesus Loves Me"
"Just Call Me Angel (of the morning)" (yes, the Blondie version, lol!)

 

[Jas12]

Monarch-- i remember getting sung to every once in a while (we were big into books) and the one lullaby that stands out is "My Pigeon House" i think it is Russian??? It was always wistful sounding to me as a child, but now i find it really pretty.
I sing it to my pregnant belly every night while DH slathers on the vitamin e oil

--i think he likes it more than the unborn child...i am interested to see if my newborn will respond to the melody once born!

 

[ladypirate]

My mom sang me Over In Killarney too! (I''m assuming that''s what you meant by TooRaLooRaLoo?)

Other favorites were Down In The Valley and Swing Low. She''s a professional singer and my dad is a professional keyboard player, so there was always a lot of music in the house, but those are the songs that stand out as specifically lullabies.

 

[Erin]

Grandma always sang "you are my sunshine"
I have a tattoo of a sun on my ankle
She died fifteen years ago this week and I still miss her

 

[lovelylulu]

Starset that is by far one of my most favorite lullabies! I also recently came across the most beautiful version sung by Elizabeth Mitchell - i think you can download it for free here. so pretty.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 2/22/2008 11:04:39 AM
Author: ladypirate
My mom sang me Over In Killarney too! (I''m assuming that''s what you meant by TooRaLooRaLoo?)

Other favorites were Down In The Valley and Swing Low. She''s a professional singer and my dad is a professional keyboard player, so there was always a lot of music in the house, but those are the songs that stand out as specifically lullabies.

Totally off topic but has anyone seen the movie Housesitter, with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn? The bit where he sings this lullaby is priceless! Link

 

[OUpearlgirl]

Hehe one of the many lullabies my mom sang to me was actually one from her sorority.. When I went through rush freshman year in college that house sang the lullaby and I was laughing because I knew it! And since I pledged that sorority, I''ll be able to sing it to my baby girls someday!

Rock-a-by rock-a-by my baby
Dreams sweet dreams
Dream that someday maybe
You will be a Theta too
And wear the black and gold

Don''t you cry
There is no reason
Theta tears aren''t the ones in season
Others sigh and they may cry
Cause they don''t wear the kite

Rock-a-by by by
Theta''s kite flies high

Rock a bye, rock a bye my baby
Dream sweet dreams, dreams that someday maybe
You will sing this when you''re old
Making little rompers out of black and gold

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-chhhhhhhhh

Aww I love this song

 

[LitigatorChick]

I always sing "You are my sunshine" to my little prince.

 

[Erin]

Have you heard that lullaby that Billy Joel wrote for his daughter?
It''s a lovely song with a lot of heart.

Some of the lyrics are

Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you''ve been asking me
I think you know what I''ve been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
And you should always know
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are
I never will be far away

Goodnight my angel, now it''s time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullabye
Then in your heart, there will always be a part of me
Someday we''ll all be gone, but lullabyes go on and on
They never die, that''s how you and I will be

 

[somethingshiny]

I''ve always sung "You are my sunshine", although the lyrics aren''t exactly pleasant. JT also like "Kookaburra", "Away in a Manger" and a few other hymns. His favorite right now is "O holy night" and he wants me to sing it every night. Another one he wants all the time is a poem that''s out of the book "I''ll Love You Forever." When I read it, it comes out sing-song, so he asks me to sing it.

Oh, another favorite Jim Croce''s "Operator", don''t know why, but the kid loves it...


BTW- I''m one of the world''s worst singers, when do you think he''ll figure that out??

 

[asscherisme]

I made up each of my kids their own songs and still sing them their own songs each night at bedtime. It makes them feel special since its THEIR song and nobody elses and their name is placed into the songs. Even my oldest son stilll likes his song at bedtime, makes him feel secure

My father use to sing rock a bye baby in the tree top, and I had nightmares about the baby falling out of the carriage at the end. How dorky is that on my part.

You know that last line, down will fall baby cradle and all. I would worry the baby was hurt. I must have been really young.

 

[Ellen]

What a nostalgic thread.

I only remember my mom singing this one to me, mainly when I was sick. But I was sick a lot.



Kentucky Babe (funny, we're not from there)



“Skeeters am a-hummin’ on the honeysuckle vine,
Sleep, Kentucky babe.
Sandman am a-comin’ to this little babe of mine,
Sleep, Kentucky babe.
Silv’ry moon am shinin’ from the heavens up above.
Bob-o-link am pinin’ for it’s little lady love.
You is mighty lucky, babe from old Kentucky,
Close your eyes and sleep.

Fly away (fly away).
Fly away, Kentucky babe, fly away to rest.
Fly away (fly away).
Lay your sleepy little head on your Daddy’s breast. (I imagine she changed that to "mommy's". Don't remember that part)
Close your eyes and sleep.
Close your eyes and sleep.”

 

[monarch64]

Great responses! Ladypirate, I think I am referring to Over in Killarney, but I can't remember all the words (except the chorus)...
Starset, I love that song by Billy Joel, it's a great lullaby!
Asscherisme, my mom made up a song for us too, and I still sing it in my head sometimes when I miss her or am stressed out. It was a cute little song about chipmunks and squirrels.
Ellen, I've never heard "Kentucky Babe" before! Sweet lyrics, though, thanks for posting them!

ETA: Thought of three more tonight:
Lavender Blue (dilly dilly)
Morning Has Broken
Scarlet Ribbons

 

[monarch64]

Scarlet Ribbons
Words by Jack Segal & tune by Evelyn Danzig (1949).
Sung by Juanita Hall, Harry Belafonte, Perry Como,
Jim Reeves, Mother, and practically everybody else.
I peeped in to say “Goodnight,”
and then I heard my child in prayer:
“And for me, some scarlet ribbons,
scarlet ribbons for my hair.”
All the stores were locked and shuttered;
All the streets were dark and bare.
In our town no scarlet ribbons,
not one ribbon for her hair.
Through the night my heart was aching.
Just before the dawn was breaking,
I peeped in and on her bed
in gay profusion lying there:
Lovely ribbons, scarlet ribbons,
Scarlet ribbons for her hair.
If I live to be two hundred,
I will never know from where
came those lovely scarlet ribbons,
scarlet ribbons for her hair!

 

[monarch64]

Don''t know how I forgot this one: Mockingbird Hill

When the sun in the morning peeps over the hill
And kisses the roses ''round my window sill
Then my heart fills with gladness when I hear the trill
Of the birds in the treetops on Mockingbird Hill
Tra la la, tweedle dee dee dee
It gives me a thrill
To wake up in the morning
To the mockingbird''s trill
Tra la la tweedle dee dee dee
There''s peace and good will
You''re welcome as the flowers
On Mockingbird Hill
Got a three-cornered plow and an acre to till
And a mule that I bought for a ten-dollar bill
There''s a tumble-down shack and a rusty old mill
But it''s my Home Sweet Home up on Mockingbird Hill
Tra la la, tweedle dee dee dee
It gives me a thrill
To wake up in the morning
To the mockingbird''s trill
Tra la la tweedle dee dee dee
There''s peace and good will
You''re welcome as the flowers
On Mockingbird Hill
When it''s late in the evening I climb up the hill
And survey all my kingdom while everything''s still
Only me and the sky and an old whippoorwill
Singin'' songs in the twilight on Mockingbird Hill
Tra la la, tweedle dee dee dee
It gives me a thrill
To wake up in the morning
To the mockingbird''s trill
Tra la la tweedle dee dee dee
There''s peace and good will
You''re welcome as the flowers
On Mockingbird Hill

 

[ladypirate]

Starset, I LOVE that Billy Joel song.

My Dad used to sing me "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder and when he (Stevie Wonder, that is) toured this year my bf and I went with my parents to see him in concert. When he sang that, my parents got all teary eyed.

Monnarch, I like Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly). I'd forgotten all about it, and the second you mentioned it it started running through my head. BTW, here are the lyrics to Over in Killarney (I will never forget them--my dad used to do puppet shows for my sisters and I and he'd sing that and get the words wrong on purpose so we could correct them.)

Over in Killarney, many years ago
My mother sang a song to me, in tones so sweet and low
Just a simple little ditty, in her good old Irish way
And I'd give the world if she would sing that song for me today

Too ra loo ra loo ra, Too ra loo ra lye
Too ra loo ra loo ra, Hush now don't you cry
Too ra loo ra loo ra, Too ra loo ra lye
Too ra loo ra loo ra, That's an Irish lullabye

 

[Linda W]

Good thread Monnie,

My daughter is 35 now, but I used to sing You are My Sunshine to her. She sang that to her two little boys also.

When my first grandson was born, I sang "Beautiful Boy" to him by John Lennon. Every once in a while, he will ask me to sing it to him. He is now 7.

The 6 year old, I sang it to him too, but when he was a little older, he started putting his hand over my mouth, ha ha ha ha ha.

Linda

 

[Tacori E-ring]

So when Tessa was born DH and realized we could not remember ANY lullabies (except itsy bitsy spider) The ONLY song I could think of that I knew all the words was the "Green Acres" theme song (no joke). So she heard that a lot at first. Then I realized she likes ANYTHING sung to her. You know the E! promo for the oscars? I sang those two lines "forever young. I want to be forever young" and she LOVES it. What a weirdo. I don''t even KNOW the rest of the song and can''t even remember who sings it.

 

[Ellen]

 

[Tacori E-ring]

ellen, someone my dad worked with taught it to me when I was in 6th grade during a trip to Montana. How sad that I STILL remember it when I am sure there are more important things that could use that valuable brain space.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 2/26/2008 6:29:49 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
So when Tessa was born DH and realized we could not remember ANY lullabies (except itsy bitsy spider) The ONLY song I could think of that I knew all the words was the ''Green Acres'' theme song (no joke). So she heard that a lot at first. Then I realized she likes ANYTHING sung to her. You know the E! promo for the oscars? I sang those two lines ''forever young. I want to be forever young'' and she LOVES it. What a weirdo. I don''t even KNOW the rest of the song and can''t even remember who sings it.

Your post has me cracking up, Tacori! I think any combo of words set to some sort of sing-song voice will make them love you even more...no matter what words/notes you''re using! That seems to be one of the beauties of being a parent in the youngest years, no matter what you do, a child looks at you like you''re the BEST. THING. EVER.!

Since you and your DH couldn''t think of any lullabies then, I guess you have this thread to refer to now...and you can always google "lullabies" and find more.

I just like remembering the ones my mother sang to us, and reminiscing, and thinking of which ones I''ll sing to my new niece when I get to go see her!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 2/26/2008 9:16:24 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
ellen, someone my dad worked with taught it to me when I was in 6th grade during a trip to Montana. How sad that I STILL remember it when I am sure there are more important things that could use that valuable brain space.

I think it''s great.

And Monarch''s right, they don''t care what you sing, or how off key you are, they still wuv you.