Rock-a-bye baby, on the treetop,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.
Rock-a-bye baby is undoubtedly one of the most common lullabies sung to children throughout most of the English speaking world, and the calming melody has helped guide many fussy babies to the land of sleep and dreams. Beautiful song. Sure, that is until you actually read the words and realize you're singing about premeditated MURDER of your innocent child! It's not a beautiful song, it's horrifying and it will forever baffle me as to how anyone could sing that to their children.
"Clam down Elise, it's not about murder. And the origins of this lullaby/poem are highly debatable at best. Besides, infants don't understand the words anyway."
"No, you're right. But YOU do, and one day they will, too. Now stop interrupting my rant."
I understand that for the most part, lullabies and fairy tales are used to teach children principals and important life lessons. But no matter how hard I try to analyze Rock-a-Bye Baby, I still can't get the image out of my mind of someone putting a child in the tree tops on a windy day and letting it fall. To the ground. So, with that ray of sunshine, I knew I could never sing this to my children, but in all honesty, I've always enjoyed the melody.
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how cool is that?! Very. (:
Here's my version: Rock-a-Bye Baby Revisited.
Rock-a-bye [insert child's name here], in mommy's arms,
When you are sleeping, she's never far,
She loves you dearly, as you can see,
So don't be afraid, and sleep well baby.
Rock-a-bye [insert child's name here], in mommy's arms,
When you are sleeping, she's never far,
She loves you dearly, as you can see,
So don't be afraid, and sleep well for me.
Rock-a-bye [insert child's name here], in mommy's arms,
When you are sleeping, she's never far,
She loves you dearly, as you can see,
So don't be afraid, and sleep well chérie.
__You know what the best part of this whole thing is? My kids, who are now 6 and almost 4, will still ask me to sing this song to them (though for my son, I have to leave out the first verse because he doesn't like being called a baby, lol). Anyway, hope you enjoyed this version as much as we do. Feel free to take it, change it around if you want, or not, make it your own but what ever you do, quit singing the old verse to your kids, sheesh! (:
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If you guys come up with a different version, let me know! I'd love to hear it. (:
I have found that most child stories and songs are really gruesome. "Clementine" "Rock a bye baby" "London bridge is falling down" "Ring around the rosies" All of them have to do with death, loss, illness and imprisonment.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, my son loves Rock a Bye Baby. He asks me to sing it to him all the time because it's our special song. I may try your lyrics though.
Absolutely. Ring around the rosie was about the black plague if I remember correctly, and yes most of the old songs did revolve around death, a warning of sorts reflecting the times, I guess. But still, I can't do Rock a bye baby. (:
DeleteI very seldom have to sing to anyone but an imaginary audience. Though I did learn a few Russian children songs to sing to my niece when she was much younger than she is now.
ReplyDeleteAll that said, I love your revisions to Rock a Bye. Especially the end!
I like your version so much better, Elise. :D I always though the original version was morbid. I never sang it to my kids. But after almost losing one at birth because of prematurity, you can't blame me for skipping on it.
ReplyDeletesexist! what about 'daddy's arms'? i rocked and sang to our kids as much as my ex did! :P lol
ReplyDeletedon't be a revisionist... leave well enough alone... no doubt the composer[s] knew what they were doing at the time and aware of the lyrics... times have changed, and today we'd not write those lyrics....
*rolls up sleeves*
DeleteI'll revisit any fricking song I choose especially if I'm doing the singing (hence the mommy reference)you grouchy K9! If you want a daddy song then make up your own lyrics. And how do you know composers knew what the heck they were doing back then. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's perfect, it probably just means it's outdated. :P
lol... :P
Delete:D....Hugs.
Deleteback atcha :)
DeleteI like the melody and have sung this song to my kids as is... never really thinking about the words.
ReplyDeleteI did change up the words to "Jesus Loves You" not because I don't like the song, but the melody is sweet and the words popped into my head when my 1st son was little. :-)
Mommy loves you this I know,
'Cause your cute from head to toe
Big brown eyes and spikey hair
Mommy's little teddy bear.
Yes, Mommy loves you
Yes, Mommy loves you
Yes, Mommy loves you
Mommy loves you so.
Oh, I love it! And will certainly add your version to my bag lullabies. Thanks for sharing. (:
DeleteI don't have a problem with the original version. But I like your version better.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I like how you took the initiative to rewrite this. I will never look at this lullaby the same again, and your kids are very lucky to have such a wonderful mom.
ReplyDeleteI never sang the rock-a-by baby song to my kids, either, because of the words. I always sang the Brahms lullaby. I like your version, though!
ReplyDeleteHmm, I always thought that song was about a baby caught in a tornado and somehow the cradle ending up in the tree. I heard the baby was the only one who survived the whole ordeal.
ReplyDeleteYour version is so sweet. :)
That is much less morbid.
ReplyDeleteNo kids, so not sure I could come up with anything better.
Brilliant, Elise. You seem like the coolest mom in the world. Wish I could follow you around for a day! :D
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of frightening children's songs look at the lyrics of ring around the rosie sometime.
ReplyDeleteI love the new lyrics! It's way more beautiful and far less disturbing :) Have you ever read the actual Grimm brothers' versions of the fairy tales. So freaky O_O
ReplyDeleteRichard: I appreciate that Richard, glad you like it.
ReplyDeleteMichael: Thanks Mike, you're the best.
Sherry: Brahms lullaby is another good one, I really love the melody.
Cherie: There are lots of theories about it's origin, some believe it's about the Revolution of 1688, but no one really knows for sure.
Alex: Thanks Alex. (:
Morgan: Oh but my kids don't always think I'm the coolest, lol! I haven't gotten any flat out eye rolls from them yet, but it's coming... :P
Melanie: Hi Melanie! You're right about ring around the rosie, how morbid to make up a song about the plague!
Samantha: No I haven't read teh Grimm brothers' version but you sure have me curious now! :o
I'm often amazed by the true meanings behind songs. Or, just by outright lyrics that you don't notice as a kid. I loved Darling Clementine, but it's terrible! Your lyrics are much better.
ReplyDeleteShannon at The Warrior Muse
Ah, I love your version. :)
ReplyDeleteI always took the last line, "And down will come baby, cradle and all" as meaning cradle, as in hold. So the baby falls and the mother catches it and cradles it in her arms. At least, that's how it goes in my head. The other way is pretty dark for a lullaby. :)
Hi Elise .. not having children I hadn't really thought about it - but it does sound pretty strange, as does Humpty Dumpty ...
ReplyDeleteBut looking at Wiki .. it says it was the first lullaby written (recorded) on American soil and may have referred to an English immigrant referring to the bark cradles the Indians used to rock their babies ..
Who knows - but love your take on the lullaby .. and I love the tune .. cheers Hilary
Shannon: Thanks and you're right, some of these old lullabies are really dark and often revolve around death Darling Clementine is a perfect example.
ReplyDeleteEmily: Thanks Emily. And I never thought about the cradle part as in "to hold," that does change things and makes the song a little less morbid. (:
Hilary: I did see that in Wiki, but they also had a few alternate theories, hard to pin point the exact origin of this poem. But still it's interesting to learn the history behind some of these lullabies.
Lovely sentiments expressed in your version, but I do think the morbidity of many nursery rhymes and fairy tales holds a certain fascination for children and perhaps even plants the seeds of imagination for those who become writers or involved in the arts. There were some odd things I recall hearing about and later reading as a child. I don't think some of those old rhymes would even be allowed in the schools nowadays. Like the old woman who lived in a shoe--call in social services to address this child abuser!
ReplyDeleteLee
A Faraway View
I never thought about that. It certainly feeds fear, but imagination...sure why not. Maybe we've become too protective of our children. If we treat death as a natural occurrence than it shouldn't be scary. But I think my objection is the way death is expressed in this particular lullaby. Other songs/poems gruesome as they may be, usually tell a tale, teach a lesson and/or gives children warnings to dangers. In Rock-a-bye baby there is not obvious lesson or warning, just a baby up in a tree and falling. But then again, this is me trying to analyze a very old lullaby in the year 2012. Things are much different now.
DeleteElise, I didn't sing this one as a bedtime lullaby, because, as you have said, the message is ALL wrong. But we did make a bathtime game of it, where I would wrap my kid in the bath towel, sing up to "down will come baby," then pretend to drop my kid and, of course, catch her before she fell. All three of my kids loved it. :)
ReplyDeleteThat just put the biggest smile on my face. I love how you turned this dark tune into a fun game with your little ones. Brilliant. (:
DeleteI love your version!! I've always wondered about the strange lyrics but never bothered to find out...
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to try create my own lullaby from scratch... a 21st century styled lullaby... original words, piano chords and melody...
It's been said a bunch through commentary already, but I do agree, I love that you changed the lyrics. I, too, was consumed with worry that my first and only baby wouldn't feel secure and loved due to my childhood experiences. This idea hits home with me... though I absolutely cannot sing at all, so it's safe to say I never did. We had the "Rock-A-Bye Baby" lullaby CDs playing in his room though (lullaby instrumentals of the Beatles, Coldplay, Radiohead, etc.) and I just hummed along.
ReplyDeleteOn a similar note, I bet you and I could go off on a rant about classic fairy tales, too... even the Disney ones. :-)
I have ALWAYS hated the words to that song. They're awful. I didn't change it nearly as much as you, but this is what I changed it to for my kids:
ReplyDeleteRock a bye baby in the treetop
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And mommy will catch you, cradle and all.
Nice and simple. haha. I also always found "Now I lay me down to sleep" creepy. I know it's a prayer, but when I was a kid the thought of dying in my sleep scared the crap out of me. That's another one that I liked the different version of. "Now I lay me down to sleep, I play the word my soul to keep, and guide me safely through the night and hold me till the morning light."
Much better, huh? Haha
i always wondered about that song!
ReplyDeletebut those were dark times...i sang disney lullabies, <3
Michelle: I want to hear you sing that lullaby when you're done. (:
ReplyDeleteT: Oh, don't get me started! LOL! :D
Tamara: Oh, I like your version too. The slight change at the end makes all the difference. <3 it. And I agree with you about "Now I lay me down to sleep," it is a bit creepy, no wonder it's been used in horror movies and thrillers.
Tara: If there's one thing Disney can do really well, it's their show tunes. (:
I love your version much better. You're so talented, Elise.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about it until someone brought it up years ago. It is kinda morbid when you think about it. LOL
ReplyDeleteHere's one for you:
'Mairzy Doats'
Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. A kid'll eat ivy, too. Wouldn't you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU2CKQQr90E
:P
I always sang Lullaby and Goodnight to my babies. But the one that always bothered me was the prayer I always said as a kid before bedtime...
ReplyDeleteNow I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray dear Lord my soul to take
WHAT?!? I refuse to have my kids say that each night. So depressing!