General Information About Item:
Verbal Folklore
Language: English
Country of Origin: USA
Informant: Carter Nelson
Date Collected: 10-15-21
Informant Data:
Carter Nelson was born on February 21, 2000. Her parents were both born in the United States where they spent most of their lives. Carter’s parents moved to the United Kingdom in 1998, where Carter was born and still currently lives. Her parents have American accents, while Carter has an English accent. She spent most of her childhood going back and forth between California and the UK. Carter is a senior on the rowing team at Dartmouth. She shared with me that this lullaby “Row Row Row Your Boat” we collected was an integral part of her childhood, and reflects her bi-continental experience growing up in the UK, with American parents.
Contextual Data
Social Context:
This lullaby was sung to Carter every night she could not sleep when she was a child up until age 8. Both her mom and dad were very familiar with the lullaby being from the United States and wanted Carter to experience a part of their American roots. Carter feels that “Row Row Row Your Boat” has become a staple in her childhood and brought her closer with her parents. She plans on continuing this tradition with her children because of her fond memories with her own parents.
Cultural Context:
This lullaby originated in the United States where both of Carter’s parents grew up. Her grandparents sang the same lullaby to Carter’s mother. It is a classic American nursery rhyme that her family has used as a lullaby for decades. It has been translated to many different languages and spread all around the world to different cultures as well.
Item:
Row row row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream
Associated file:
Informant Comments:
“Row Row Row Your Boat has had an impact on my relationship with my parents and made a lasting impression on my memories from my childhood.”
Collector Comments:
I loved learning more about Carter’s mixed cultural upbringing by American parents in the United Kingdom. Hearing her speak about how the lullaby connected her to her mother’s childhood was moving.
Collectors Name: Jennifer Wendelken