# Parents! Songs to sing your kids to sleep with? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2002, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569 "2002-10-09T18:48:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/21 "2002-10-10T10:00:16Z")
Your voice is enough. I used to sing Gilda Radner’s “Let’s Talk Dirty to the Animals”, which he loved. My sister’s eldest liked “He Plays the Violin” from “1776”, and her youngest insisted on “Stars and Stripes Forever” sung by the whole family, with Pop-Pop on sax part, Mom on trombone part, Baba on clarinet part, and Yours Truly on piccolo. Weird…but whatever works. I also used to sing “Part of That World” or whatever it’s called from “Little Mermaid”…the big advantage of that one is that I knew all the words at the time. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/22 "2002-10-10T15:19:07Z")
My daughter likes the lullaby that Billy Joel wrote for his daughter, [_Goodnight My Angel_](http://www.leoslyrics.com/listlyrics.php?sid=3%14%40%1DO%5C%88%81) as well as a slow rendition of Elton John’s [_Blessed_](http://www.eltonography.com/songs/blessed.html) but her favorite is simply Rock-a-Bye Baby, with these lyrics: Rock-a-bye baby Here in my arms Watching your sweetness And all your charms As the night breaks The baby will lay Safe in her cradle Until the new day ---
**Author:** ![Doublemint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doublemint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doublemint)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/23 "2002-10-10T17:01:10Z")
My boys liked folk and traditional with a couple soundtrack tunes thrown in for zest. The big two are: > **[AUTUMN TO MAY](https://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=392&SongID=392)** > > AUTUMN TO MAY (Paul Stookey & Peter Yarrow) Oh, once I had a little dog, his color it was brown, I taught his how to whistle, to > **[LAVENDER BLUE](https://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=8618&SongID=8618)** > > LAVENDER BLUE This I must say, dilly dilly, and it is true, You must love me, dilly dilly,'cause I love you. Lavender's green, di Warning: Lavender Blue is one of those songs that can go on and on and on forever. They like the ‘dilly, dilly’ part. They also like the Beatles I Will, Golden Slumbers, and Blackbird. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/24 "2002-10-10T17:09:55Z")
Hush Little Baby Author and copyright unknown Hush, little baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s going to buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird don’t sing, Mama’s going to buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring turns brass, Mama’s going to buy you a looking glass. And if that looking glass gets broke, Mama’s going to buy you a billy goat. And if that billy goat won’t pull, Mama’s going to buy you a cart and bull. And if that cart and bull turn over, Mama’s going to buy you a dog named Rover. And if that dog named Rover won’t bark, Mama’s going to buy you a horse and cart. And if that horse and cart fall down, You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town. ---
**Author:** ![MamaHen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@MamaHen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MamaHen)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/25 "2002-10-10T17:13:57Z")
Mostly I make up songs with my kids names in them. When I feel creative I sing them some Elton John songs or even the odd 70’s AM soft rock hit. I always make sure I slide their name in somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/26 "2002-10-10T17:21:17Z")
I routinely sang everything from the “Live Bullet” Album by Bob Segar. Or how about “Tiddly Winky”? _Tiddly winky winky winky tiddly winky woo I love you Tiddly winky winky winky Tiddly winky woo Love me too. I love you in the morning and in the afternoon I love you in the evening and underneath the moon. Tiddly winky winky winky tiddly wink woo I love you_ Thank you, I’ll be here all week. Don’t foget to tip your waitress! ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/27 "2002-10-10T17:45:58Z")
This is not going to help one damn bit, but when my daughter was young, the song that calmed her down the most was the old NBC News theme written by John Williams and used in the early/mid 80s. We taped a long version of it and played it back whenever she was fussy. You might just try humming something with a moderately fast beat and punctuate it now and then with “BOMP BAH” and similar horn-sounding things. ---
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/28 "2002-10-10T18:01:51Z")
My son always calmed down with monotonous hummings at a more or less low pitch. I think babies like the vibrations. An old Welsh tune called “The Eagle’s Whislte” used to be a favorite. Lyllyann, I know the song you’re singing! but I sang with a “skidamarink a dink a dink, skidamarink a doo” ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/29 "2002-10-10T18:22:06Z")
Lilly, Queen of the Universe, has always liked “If You Will Marry Me” I’ll give to you a pacekt of pins And that’s the way our love begins If you will marry me, me, me If you will marry me Add as many verses as you need. ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/30 "2002-10-10T18:43:11Z")
I often used to be the one to put my younger brother and sisters to sleep. I’d just sing any old thing that I knew the words to, from Puff the Magic Dragon and Veteran of the Psychic Wars, to You Don’t Own me and Witch Wolf. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/31 "2002-10-10T18:53:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Theobroma \* > \*\*and her youngest insisted on “Stars and Stripes Forever” sung by the whole family, with Pop-Pop on sax part, Mom on trombone part, Baba on clarinet part, and Yours Truly on piccolo. \*\* That’s awesome and hilarious. Is there a recording floating around the web somewhere of this a capella masterpiece? (I thought I was the only one who loved singing the piccolo part from the Stars and Stripes…) ---
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/32 "2002-10-10T18:56:33Z")
This applies to slightly older children since I can actually remember these events. Dad only did 3 songs: Take Me Out To the Ballgame, I’ve Been Working On the Railroad, and a German song called Pferdchen, Pferdchen. None of them really lullabyes, but those were the options. Mom, being a singer, was more versatile and would sing just about anything I asked for. My favorites were the lullabyes from Mary Poppins. ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/33 "2002-10-10T19:26:15Z")
When I was a young’un, my aunt used to sing me to sleep. There was one song with the chorus, “Inchworm, inchworm, measuring the marigolds.” For years and years, I thought it was “measuring the miracles.” Actually, that would be kind of a cool song, too. I’ve always liked the Riddle Song, too: \*I gave my love a cherry that had no stone I gave my love a chicken that had no bone I gave my love a ring that had no end I gave my love a baby with no crying How can there be a cherry that has no stone? How can there be a chicken that has no bone? How can there be a ring that has no end? How can there be a baby with no crying? A cherry when it’s blooming, it has no stone A chicken when it’s pippin, it has no bone\* A ring when it’s rolling, it has no end A baby when she’s sleeping has no crying\* \*I’m pretty sure this means when it’s still in the egg. ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/34 "2002-10-10T19:50:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tomcat \* > **Should I avoid M. Manson songs?** No! Living up to every inch of my “Metal is in my blood” t-shirt I sang **Black Sabbath** ’s _War Pigs_ and _Heaven and Hell_ to my daughter while rocking her to sleep at each feeding. As she got older we progresses to actual CDs by **Lacuna Coil** and **The Gathering**. She doesn’t like metal now that she is six but at least she can sing the responsive part to "Generals gathered in their masses…”. Remember to give the gift that keeps on giving… **Black Sabbath** In my experience it is your voice that actually soothes them so song lyrics, the alphabet, the periodic table, ingredients from a cereal box, or the platform of the Popular People’s Front of Judea would all work equally well. Good luck and good rest! NP: **Dark Tranquility** – _Damage Done_ ---
**Author:** ![grayhairedmomma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@grayhairedmomma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grayhairedmomma)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/35 "2002-10-10T20:52:31Z")
**Don’t laugh.** I sung christmas carols, _Walking in a Winter Wonderland_ most often. (Still do sometimes when she’s feeling really tired and isn’t convinced she needs to go to sleep) I also sang _You are my sunshine_ which really made her happy when she grew old enough to understand the words. Also I made up a song with her name that she loves. She’ll come cuddle with me and behave better if I sing it a couple times even now. I know a little girl, her name is Aleisha\*, Aleisha Marie. She is so smart and so sweet And she’s getting sleepy _Repeat ad finitum_ It isn’t very creative, I know. \*pronounce like Alee-sha I recommend picking one or three songs you’re really comfortable singing and sticking with them. Part of what makes them work is the familiarity - they become conditioned to being sleepy or comforted when hearing those songs in that context. ---
**Author:** ![grayhairedmomma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@grayhairedmomma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grayhairedmomma)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/36 "2002-10-10T21:29:44Z")
I forgot about these. My mom used to sing this to me and I have sung it occassionally to my daughter: Where are you going my little one, pretty one Where are you going my baby, my own? Turn around you’re a baby, Turn around and you’re four Turn around you’re a young girl walking out of the door Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you, Where are you going to Do you know? Did you get what you’re hoping for When you look behind you there’s no open door What are you hoping for Do you know? I’ve heard this sung by Diana Ross and I think it’s just beautiful, especially the strings on the track. Also, there is a book called [I’ll Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0920668364/qid=1034284315/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/002-2927304-5189650), about this woman and her son. The song that she sings to him that he eventually sings to her when she gets old and then to his newborn daughter is this: I’ll love you forever I’ll like you for always As long as I’m living My baby you’ll be It is a really sweet book. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/37 "2002-10-10T22:06:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by burundi \* > \*\*\*I’m pretty sure this means when it’s still in the egg. \*\* That’s exactly what it means. (In the fifteenth-century lyric the song is based on, the line is “Whan the dowve is an ey [egg], than hadde it no bon.”) My mom used to sing us vaguely depressing tunes like “Scarlet Ribbons” and “Love Makes the World Go Round” and something that starts “Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine…” I’m feeling rather melancholy just thinking about it. Not sure why. I had an English teacher once who confessed to the class (during a unit on traditional balladry) that he used to sing his daughter to sleep with “Mary Hamilton.” This is a song about a Scottish lady-in-waiting who’s hanged for infanticide. :eek: (It’s a great song, though…) ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/38 "2002-10-10T22:19:31Z")
Baby’s Fishing For A Dream All Aboard for Blanket Bay ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/39 "2002-10-11T13:09:54Z")
The lullaby that my daughter liked the best was the one from Disney’s Tarzan. It was written by Elton John I think. The first line goes, “Come stop your cryin’ it’ll be alright” When she was really small I would sing whatever I could remember at 2 am including “The Lumberjack Song” and Oscar Myer comercial jingles. The important thing to remember when you are trying to get a little one to sleep is that you need to respond to your child’s actions as you sing them to sleep. When you first start it is often good to sing spritely and bounce gently. That sort of gets their attention and they get into the singing. Then when you see that you have their attention calm it down a little. Then as they put their head down, blinks start getting longer and longer, etc. you start lowering your voice and having gentler movements. And so on. Singing a little one to sleep works best when it is an interactive process like that. As you and your child get to know each other you will begin to see what works best for them. Just remember to not just sing the song as you are used to hearing it. When they get distracted you can really swing rock-a-by-baby to get their attention back on you and when they are dropping off “my Bologna Has a First Name” becomes a ballad. Good Luck and Enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569/40 "2002-10-11T13:58:57Z")
A dad of two strappin’ lads speaking here. My kids always fell asleep when I would sing ‘My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean’. There’s a nice page with the lyrics and the melody at [http://www.duchessathome.com/childrensongs/mybonnie.html](http://www.duchessathome.com/childrensongs/mybonnie.html) Another favourite (puts them straight to sleep) was Tom Dooley: INTRO (spoken): Throughout history, there’ve been many songs written about the eternal triangle. This next one tells the story of a Mr. Grayson, a beautiful woman, and a condemned man named Tom Dooley… When the sun rises tomorrow, Tom Dooley… must hang… Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Hang down your head and cry; Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Poor boy, you’re bound to die. I met her on the mountain, There I took her life; Met her on the mountain, Stabbed her with my knife. Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Hang down your head and cry; Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Poor boy, you’re bound to die. This time tomorrow, Reckon where I’ll be; Hadn’t a-been for Grayson, I’d a-been in Tennessee. Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Hang down your head and cry; Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Poor boy, you’re bound to die. Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Hang down your head and cry; Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Poor boy, you’re bound to die. This time tomorrow, Reckon where I’ll be; Down in some lonesome valley, Hangin’ from a white oak tree. Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Hang down your head and cry; Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Poor boy, you’re bound to die. Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Hang down your head and cry; Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, Poor boy, you’re bound to die. Poor boy, you’re bound to die; Poor boy you’re bound to die; Poor boy, you’re bound to die… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-songs-to-sing-your-kids-to-sleep-with/131569.md?page=3)