Hush, little baby, don't say a word
Papa's gonna give you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don't sing,
Papa's gonna give you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring don't shine,
Papa's gonna give you a golden mine.
And if that golden mine pans out,
Papa's gonna give you a rainbow trout.
And if that rainbow trout swims away,
Papa's gonna give you the break of day.
And if the break of day turns to night,
Papa's gonna kiss and hug you tight.
I sing the girls lullabies most nights-- old American folk songs, their own special songs I made after they were each born, and sometimes traditional songs that I can't remember the lyrics to. I couldn't remember more than the first two stanzas to this one, so I made up the rest one night as I sang, and it's stuck fast like a burdock. Some nights Mildred requests yet another version, so I have to again sing fresh lyrics as I go, but this is what automatically comes to mind now. Until tonight, I didn't know that the original version used "Mama." I like it with Papa better.
It is good to be joined in both the good and the bad, the light and the sad, to my best friend- my children's good father, a Papa par excellance.
I like your lyrics! I must confess that I also only know the first two stanzas to that one. I read it and thought, "So THAT is how it goes!" Then, I read you made the rest up. It flows very nicely, though! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to the original, also.
You should hear the most recent ad-lib versions; for some reason, they all involve some sort of clown, and I must fit him in no matter how long I have to pause and stammer in order to do so.
ReplyDeleteI think you are continuing on in the good tradition of that song. I'm sure that's how that song was first originated, and equally sure that parents would tailor it to their children's personalities.
ReplyDelete(That certainty comes from nothing but my own intuition, but I'm pretty sure what makes a folk song a folk song is the folks what that sing it.)
Yep, your intuition's right! The oral tradition (in song and story) is conducive to improvisation, which is why there are sometimes several versions of the same song or tale. The storyteller infuses the song with a bit of self, which, in our case, apparently involves clowns.
ReplyDelete