Hush Little Baby
Encyclopedia
Hush, Little Baby is a traditional lullaby
. It is thought to be American (mockingbird
s are from the American continent), but the author and date of origin are unknown. The lyrics promise all kinds of rewards to the child if he or she is quiet.
The structure is simple enough for parents to ad-lib further verses as required. This song has had the unusual distinction of two separate manifestations as a popular song, first as the song "Bo Diddley
" by the singer of that name, and then as "Mockingbird
", a well-selling song by the brother-and-sister team, Inez and Charlie Foxx
in 1963, and then, for then husband and wife, James Taylor
and Carly Simon
in 1974, singing the Foxx arrangement. Toby Keith
and his teenage daughter Krystal covered the song in 2004.
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turn brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat.
And if that billy goat don't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won't bark.
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down,
Well you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.
to Patty Duke who played the young Helen Keller.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056241/
Elvis Presley
performs a tune called "Puppet On A String" in the 1965 film Girl Happy
which heavily borrows from the "Hush, Little Baby" structure. "Puppet On A String" was written by songwriters Roy C. Bennett
and Sid Tepper
. The films score is heavily influenced by nursery rhymes and also contains an instrumental version of "Puppet On A String" that is indistinguishable from the lullaby hummed.
Singer James Hetfield
recites a variation of "Hush Little Baby" in the 1991 Metallica
song "Enter Sandman
".
On the album Momentum artist Toby Mac adapted into a song called "Irene".
In 2005, rapper Eminem
adapted "Hush Little Baby" into a song called "Mockingbird" for his daughter.
Indie band Arcade Fire references the line with the lyrics "if my little mocking bird don't sing/then daddy won't buy her no diamond ring" in "Antichrist Television Blues."
Singer Bobby McFerrin
and cellist Yo-Yo Ma
performed a variant of this tune on their 1992 album "Hush
".
Reggae and dancehall artist Barrington Levy
incorporated themes and syntactical structure from "Hush, Little Baby" in his 1984 single "Mini Bus (On the Telephone)
".
Joan Baez recorded this song on a few albums, both live and studio versions.
Rose McGowan
as Paige Matthews
sang a variation of this song in Sense and Sense Ability
an episode on the TV series Charmed
.
In the 21st episode of the 5th season of Designing Women
entitled "The Big Circle" Julia Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter
) sings the song to Randa Oliver (Lexi Randall
) to try to get her to sleep. To which Randa sleepily replied --"It's a song about shopping!"
Katie Melua
also sings a cover of this song on her debut album called 'Call Off The Search
'. The song titled 'Mockingbird'. The sound of the song is more blues than lullaby. The lyric has rewritten too by Mike Batt.
Howie Mandel sang the following lyrics in his stand up act in the 1980s in a little boy's voice;
Hush little baby don't say a word
Mommy's gonna buy you a mocking bird
And if that mockingbird don't sing
I'm gonna grab his feathers and rip his wing
And if that mockingbird can't fly
I'm gonna grab a needle and stick it in his eye
And if that mockingbird can't see
I'm gonna grab his leg and break his knee
And if that mockingbird is dead
I'm gonna buy you a parrot and name him "Fred"
In DC comics
' Batman
#617 (a part of Hush-series) The Scarecrow
sings the lullaby while he is riding on Huntress' motorbike. Also Batman villain Hush
took his name from that song.
In the Bioshock Infinite E3 2011 Demo, the Character Elizabeth sings the song to calm a dying horse despite the game being set in 1908, many decades before the song was created. This is due to the game's non-chronological timeline with tears in time through which elements of future developments can leak into the media of the time.
On May 19 2010, John Green of the vlogbrothers posted a video entitled "Adorable Baby is Adorable" on YouTube in which he sings an original version of the lullaby whereby he promises to buy a diamond ring, a case of wine, a superpower, a volcano eruptin', a diaper rash, some polka dots, a pacific isle, the Sultanate of Oman, some waterlilies and a hand-knit quilt in the event that the mockingbird fails to sing.
Lullaby
A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....
. It is thought to be American (mockingbird
Mockingbird
Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the Mimidae family. They are best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians, often loudly and in rapid succession. There are about 17 species in three genera...
s are from the American continent), but the author and date of origin are unknown. The lyrics promise all kinds of rewards to the child if he or she is quiet.
The structure is simple enough for parents to ad-lib further verses as required. This song has had the unusual distinction of two separate manifestations as a popular song, first as the song "Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
" by the singer of that name, and then as "Mockingbird
Mockingbird (Inez & Charlie Foxx song)
"Mockingbird" is a 1963 song written and recorded by Inez and Charlie Foxx, based on the folk song "Hush Little Baby".-1960s:The original single was credited to Inez Foxx with vocal accompaniment by her brother Charlie, as they alternated the lyric on a syllabic basis...
", a well-selling song by the brother-and-sister team, Inez and Charlie Foxx
Inez and Charlie Foxx
Charlie Foxx and his sister Inez Foxx were an African-American rhythm and blues and soul duo from Greensboro, North Carolina. Inez sang lead vocal, while Charlie sang back-up and played guitar.Their most successful record was with their novelty composition, "Mockingbird"...
in 1963, and then, for then husband and wife, James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
and Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
in 1974, singing the Foxx arrangement. Toby Keith
Toby Keith
Toby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...
and his teenage daughter Krystal covered the song in 2004.
Lyrics
Hush, little baby, don't say a word,Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turn brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat.
And if that billy goat don't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won't bark.
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down,
Well you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.
Notable covers, remixes, variations, samples and influences
"Hush, Little Baby" was sung by Anne Bancroft in the 1962 film, The Miracle WorkerThe Miracle Worker
The Miracle Worker is a cycle of 20th century dramatic works derived from Helen Keller's autobiography The Story of My Life. Each of the various dramas describes the relationship between Keller—a deafblind and initially almost feral child—and Anne Sullivan, the teacher who introduced her to...
to Patty Duke who played the young Helen Keller.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056241/
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
performs a tune called "Puppet On A String" in the 1965 film Girl Happy
Girl Happy
Girl Happy is a 1965 American musical romantic comedy in the beach party film and spring break style, starring Elvis Presley.This was the last mega-successful Elvis Presley film at the box office, finishing at #25 on the Variety year-end top-grossing films of 1965 chart and making $3 million,...
which heavily borrows from the "Hush, Little Baby" structure. "Puppet On A String" was written by songwriters Roy C. Bennett
Roy C. Bennett
Roy C. Bennett is an American songwriter known for the songs he wrote with Sid Tepper, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley...
and Sid Tepper
Sid Tepper
Sid Tepper is an American songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Roy C. Bennett, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 songs.-Biography:...
. The films score is heavily influenced by nursery rhymes and also contains an instrumental version of "Puppet On A String" that is indistinguishable from the lullaby hummed.
Singer James Hetfield
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
recites a variation of "Hush Little Baby" in the 1991 Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
song "Enter Sandman
Enter Sandman
"Enter Sandman" is a 1991 song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the first single from their eponymous fifth album, Metallica. The music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich...
".
On the album Momentum artist Toby Mac adapted into a song called "Irene".
In 2005, rapper Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
adapted "Hush Little Baby" into a song called "Mockingbird" for his daughter.
Indie band Arcade Fire references the line with the lyrics "if my little mocking bird don't sing/then daddy won't buy her no diamond ring" in "Antichrist Television Blues."
Singer Bobby McFerrin
Bobby McFerrin
Robert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. is an American vocalist and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy". He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner.-Life:...
and cellist Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
performed a variant of this tune on their 1992 album "Hush
Hush (Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin album)
Hush is an album by Bobby McFerrin and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.- Track listing :# "Grace" – 3:54# "Double Mandolin Concerto in G, RV 532" Andante – 4:03# "The Flight of the Bumblebee" – 1:08...
".
Reggae and dancehall artist Barrington Levy
Barrington Levy
Barrington Levy is a reggae and dancehall artist from Jamaica.-Career:In 1976, Levy formed a band with his cousin, Everton Dacres, called the Mighty Multitude; the pair released "My Black Girl" in 1977...
incorporated themes and syntactical structure from "Hush, Little Baby" in his 1984 single "Mini Bus (On the Telephone)
Mini Bus (On the Telephone)
"Mini Bus" is a song by Jamaican dub, reggae, and dancehall artist Barrington Levy. It was released first as a single in 1984 as a 45 on 12-inch vinyl...
".
Joan Baez recorded this song on a few albums, both live and studio versions.
Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan
Rose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
as Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Paige is introduced at the start of season four as the fourth Halliwell sister and youngest Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Rose McGowan...
sang a variation of this song in Sense and Sense Ability
Charmed (season 5)
The fifth season of Charmed, an American supernatural drama television series, began airing on September 22, 2002 on The WB. Airing on Sundays at 8 P.M., the season consisted of 23 episodes and concluded its airing on May 11, 2003....
an episode on the TV series Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
.
In the 21st episode of the 5th season of Designing Women
Designing Women
Designing Women is an American television sitcom that centered on the working and personal lives of four Southern women and one man in an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. It aired on the CBS television network from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993. The show was created by head writer...
entitled "The Big Circle" Julia Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter
Dixie Virginia Carter was an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
) sings the song to Randa Oliver (Lexi Randall
Lexi Randall
Lexi Randall is a former child actor in films and television. She appeared in the film The Long Walk Home and The War with Kevin Costner and Elijah Wood. Randall starred in the three television movies made from the novel Sarah, Plain and Tall...
) to try to get her to sleep. To which Randa sleepily replied --"It's a song about shopping!"
Katie Melua
Katie Melua
Ketevan "Katie" Melua is a British-Georgian singer, songwriter and musician. She moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then to England at fourteen. Melua is signed to the small Dramatico record label, under the management of composer Mike Batt, and made her musical debut in 2003...
also sings a cover of this song on her debut album called 'Call Off The Search
Call off the Search
The Japanese release has the extra track "Deep Purple".-Personnel:*Katie Melua - guitar, vocals*Mike Batt - organ, piano, conductor*Jim Cregan - guitar*Tim Harries - bass*The Irish Film Orchestra - orchestra*Michael Kruk - drums*Alan Smale - leader...
'. The song titled 'Mockingbird'. The sound of the song is more blues than lullaby. The lyric has rewritten too by Mike Batt.
Howie Mandel sang the following lyrics in his stand up act in the 1980s in a little boy's voice;
Hush little baby don't say a word
Mommy's gonna buy you a mocking bird
And if that mockingbird don't sing
I'm gonna grab his feathers and rip his wing
And if that mockingbird can't fly
I'm gonna grab a needle and stick it in his eye
And if that mockingbird can't see
I'm gonna grab his leg and break his knee
And if that mockingbird is dead
I'm gonna buy you a parrot and name him "Fred"
In DC comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
#617 (a part of Hush-series) The Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
sings the lullaby while he is riding on Huntress' motorbike. Also Batman villain Hush
Hush (comics)
Hush is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared in Batman #609 , as part of the 12-issue storyline, Batman: Hush...
took his name from that song.
In the Bioshock Infinite E3 2011 Demo, the Character Elizabeth sings the song to calm a dying horse despite the game being set in 1908, many decades before the song was created. This is due to the game's non-chronological timeline with tears in time through which elements of future developments can leak into the media of the time.
On May 19 2010, John Green of the vlogbrothers posted a video entitled "Adorable Baby is Adorable" on YouTube in which he sings an original version of the lullaby whereby he promises to buy a diamond ring, a case of wine, a superpower, a volcano eruptin', a diaper rash, some polka dots, a pacific isle, the Sultanate of Oman, some waterlilies and a hand-knit quilt in the event that the mockingbird fails to sing.
In film
- Night at the MuseumNight at the MuseumNight at the Museum is a 2006 fantasy adventure-comedy film based on the 1993 children's book The Night at the Museum by Milan Trenc. It follows a divorced father trying to settle down, impress his son, and find his destiny...
2006 fantasy adventure-comedy film where Larry Daley sings the lullaby to Attila the HunAttila the HunAttila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
bringing the great barbarian to tears.