> Tim Hart and Friends > Songs > Hush-A-Bye Baby
Hush-A-Bye Baby
[
Roud 2768
; G/D 8:1552
; Henry H591a
; Ballad Index Wa190
; Folkinfo 415
; Mudcat 121731
; trad.]
Kathy Henderson with Frankie Armstrong and Sandra Kerr: My Song Is My Own Gale Huntington, Lani Herrmann, John Moulden: Sam Henry’s Songs of the People
Frank and Anne Warner collected Rocky By Baby in 1941 from Rebecca King Jones of Crab Tree Creek, North Carolina. Their recording was included in 2000 on the Appleseed anthology of the music of Frank Proffitt and North Carolina, Nothing Seems Better to Me (The Warner Collection Volume II).
Mrs Oscar Allen of Lynchburg, Virginia sang Rock-a-Bye Baby to Maud Karpeles in September 1950. This recording was included in 2017 on the Musical Traditions anthology When Cecil Left the Mountains. Mike Yates noted:
For some reason or other, nursery rhymes seem to attract all kinds o stories surrounding their supposed origins. Let us, however, begin with what is actually known. It would appear that the words were first printed c.1765 in Mother Goose’s Melody. Actually, no edition of this work has survived, though there is a reprint of c.1785 which has survived. It would seem that there was no tune associated with the rhyme until the 1880s, when it appeared in an American collection of songs, which credits the words and tune to one Effie I. Canning (or Effie I. Crockett).
Now for the speculation! Some Americans have suggested that the rhyme may have begun life in the early 17th century, when the Pilgrim Fathers first encountered Native Americans, who rocked their babies in birch-bark cradles, which were often hung from tree branches. Back in England, it has been noted that in 1706 the then Earl of Sandwich’s son fell out of his cradle, or was possibly snatched from his cradle. The son was never seen again. Or there is the story that the baby was supposed to be the son of King James II of England. Popular belief had it that another child was smuggled into the birthing room, thus providing James with a Catholic heir. The ‘wind‘ was the force blowing in from the Protestant Netherlands, and William of Orange did, indeed, depose James. Are any of the stories true? Probably not.
Peggy Seeger sang Rock An’ Bye the Baby in 1962 on her Prestige album A Song for You and Me. She noted:
I first heard this song in very abbreviated form from my mother, who probably found if in the Sharp collection and put it in her own book American Folksongs for Children. The present song was iearned from my brother Mike, it being a favorite in the south end capable of expanding to include limitless numbers of verses on any subject.
Tim Hart and Maddy Prior sang Hush-A-Bye Baby in 1981 on Tim Hart and Friends’ album My Very Favourite Nursery Rhyme Record. This track was later included on their compilation CD Favourite Nursery Rhymes and Other Children’s Songs.
Floella Benjamin sang Hush-a-bye Baby on the 1982 videocassette and album 70 Golden Nursery Rhymes.
Jess and Richard Arrowsmith sang Rock-a-Bye Baby in 2010 on their Hallamshire Traditions album of nursery songs, rhymes and lullabies, off We Go!.
Lyrics
Mrs Oscar Allen sings Rock-a-Bye Baby
Rock-a-by-baby on the tree top
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
When the bough bends the cradle will fall
Down come baby, cradle and all
Rock-a-by lull-a-by, bees in the clover
Rock-a-by lull-a-by, bees in the clover
Rock-a-by-baby on the tree top
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
When the bough bends the cradle will fall
Down come baby, cradle and all
Tim Hart and Maddy Prior sing Hush-A-Bye Baby
Hush-a-bye baby on the tree top.
When the wind blows the cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,
Down will come baby, cradle and all.
Rock-a-bye baby, your cradle is green
Father’s a nobleman, mother’s a queen
Sally’s a lady and wears a gold ring
A Johnny’s a drummer and drums for the king
Hush-a-bye baby on the tree top.
When the wind blows the cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,
Down will come baby, cradle and all.