Tag Archives: english lullaby

Rock-a-bye Baby (Ali Silva)

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Title: “Rock-a-Bye Baby”

General Information about Item:

  • Children’s folklore, lullaby
  • Language: English
  • Country of origin: America
  • Informant: EB
  • Date Collected: October 16, 2021

Informant Data:

  • EB was born in Palm Beach Gardens on March 22, 2002. She grew up surrounded by her extended family and lived with her mother, father, and older sister Katy. She attended private schools throughout her life and she played lacrosse, volleyball, and soccer. Her family owns a sailing company so they spent lots of time on the water. Her parents were very involved in her activities. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural context: This lullaby references the typical sleeping arrangement of young children in a cradle. It is important to note that this lullaby actually has very frightening lyrics, saying the cradle will fall with the baby inside which would result in injury. This lullaby, as others are, is sang in a soothing tone despite its graphic content. 
  • Social Context: EB recalls learning this song from her grandmother. She grew up living across the street from her grandparents, so she would frequently spend the night at their house. Her grandmother would sing this song to her when she was going to bed on these nights. 

Item:

“Rock-a-bye baby, on the treetops,

When the wind blows, the cradle will rock,

When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,

And down will come baby, cradle and all.”

  • This lullaby is a short, rhyming song. The message of the song is scary for a child, but sung in a gentle voice, so as not to frighten the child. 

Associated File:

Informants Comments:

“My grandma still sings this song to me every so often. I don’t see her as much because she moved, but when I do see her she sings to me.”

Collector’s Comments: 

I know this lullaby from my childhood as well and it is simple so I can see how it would be widely used across America, from Florida to California. 

Collector:

Ali Silva

Dartmouth College

Russian 13

Professor Gronas and Professor Apresyan

Fall 2021

Tags:

Dartmouth

Students

Verbal Folklore

English Lullaby

Baby

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean (Ali Silva)

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Title: “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”

General Information about Item:

  • Children’s folklore, lullaby
  • Language: English
  • Country of origin: America
  • Informant: BH
  • Date Collected: October 16, 2021

Informant Data:

  • BH was born in Los Angeles, California on June 22, 2000. She lived with her mother, father and older brother, Christopher. Their family did not practice any religion, but they are spiritual. She participated in lots of community service and played volleyball and soccer. Her parents both worked in a hospital as surgeons. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural context: This lullaby talks about a special person living abroad away from the singer. This lullaby is sung in a sweet, gentle tone because it is referencing missing your loved one and wanting them to come back to you. This lullaby may have originated during a time where there was a war and the men away at war would sing this song missing their significant others back home.  
  • Social Context: BH learned this song from her dad. He would often stay at work with late shifts, so when he came home he would sing this song to BH because he missed her while he was away at work. BH remembers this song fondly because of the connection she has with her dad through it. 

Item:

“My Bonnie lies over the ocean

My Bonnie lies over the sea

Well, my Bonnie lies over the ocean

Yeah, bring back my Bonnie to me

Yeah, bring back, ah, bring back

Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me

Ah, bring, oh, bring back, ah, bring back

Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me”

  • This lullaby rhymes and is often sung twice through. The song is centered around missing someone you love when they are away.  

Associated File:

Informants Comments:

“I love this song because it makes me feel connected to my dad.”

Collector’s Comments: 

I had never heard this lullaby before hearing BH sing it.  

Collector:

Ali Silva

Dartmouth College

Russian 13

Professor Gronas and Professor Apresyan

Fall 2021

Tags:

Dartmouth

Students

Verbal Folklore

English Lullaby

Ocean

“Row Row Row Your Boat” (Jennifer Wendelken)

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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:

Carter-NelsonDownload

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

Our Father (Emma Macaione)

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General information about item: 

  • Verbal Folklore
  • A prayer sung as a lullaby 
  • Language: English
  • MA, USA
  • Informant: Nina Nesselbush 
  • Date Collected: 10-30-21

Informant Data:  Nina Nesselbush is a female student at Dartmouth in the class of 2023. She is the youngest of five sisters and grew up in Massachusetts. Nina is a Junior on the Dartmouth women’s field hockey team and is an engineering major. She shared this lullaby with me that was sung to her and her sisters before bedtime.  

Contextual Data

  • Social Context: Nina grew up in a very religious household. From as young as she can remember, this lullaby was a prayer that her mother transformed into her own tune. She was shocked to learn in church as she grew older that the prayer was not in fact a lullaby. 
  • Cultural context: This lullaby is the “Lord’s Prayer,” but Nina refers to it as “Our Father.” It is a Catholic prayer taught by Jesus to his disciples. Nina’s mother grew up in the church choir and was very familiar with hymns. Given the religious nature of her family, it was very important that Nina was involved with her religious roots at an early age.  

Item:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins, as we forgive them that sin against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Informants Comments:

  • This lullaby is the first thing that comes to mind when I think about my childhood. My sister’s and I loved our mother’s voice, and found it soothing to listen to before bed. 

Collectors Comments

  • I found this prayer, turned into a lullaby, to be unique. Nina’s mother was able to incorporate religion into her daughter’s lives at a very young age. It was interesting to see the impact it had on Nina’s upbringing through her mother’s creativity 

Collector’s Name: Emma Macaione

“Go to Sleep” (Lucy Murray)

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Title: “Go to sleep”

General Information about Item:

Verbal Folklore

Language: American

Country of Origin: USA

Informant: P.S.

Date Collected: 11-5-21

Informant Data: 

P.S. is 20 years old from Orange County, California. She has grown up in California and loves to be outside surrounded by family and friends. She is the oldest of 3 girls and plays lacrosse at Dartmouth College. Her parents are extremely supportive and important to her. Her Dad is involved with the football industry and is a very intelligent, creative man. This lullaby collected from P.S. has been a staple in her family for as long as her grandparents can remember. 

Contextual Data: 

Social Context: 

This lullaby was sung to P.S. growing up. Her parents shared that they heard this lullaby as children as well. P.S.’s siblings also sung this lullaby and they appreciated that for whoever it was sung to, they could change the name to personalize the lullaby. Growing up, P.S. would not be able to fall asleep without hearing this lullaby before bed.

Cultural Context: 

P.S.’s family is from the Netherlands, but for as long as she can remember her family has been in the US. So, this lullaby is American and has no relationship to P.S.’s Dutch heritage. It has become a staple in her life and her siblings’ life, and she would consider it a fundamental part of her childhood and culture growing up. 

Item: 

Go to sleep,

Go to sleep,

Go to sleep my little Peyton, close your eyes, and have sweet dreams

And in the morning we will play 

Audio: 

Informant Comments: 

I’m not really sure where this lullaby originated but it has been in my family for as long as I can remember. I love that I can vividly remember hearing this before bed and I can’t wait to pass it along to my children.

Collector Comments: 

This interview was very relatable to my own life as I did not have any lullabies that originated from a different country. However, I had many that my family has passed on throughout the years. Overall, this interview was productive and I really enjoyed speaking with Peyton. 

Collector’s Name: Lucy Murray 

“Sleep baby sleep” (Lucy Murray)

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Title: “Sleep baby sleep”

General Information about Item:

Verbal Folklore

Language: English

Country of Origin: USA

Informant: K.E.

Date Collected: 11-4-21

Informant Data: 

K.E. was born October 5th, 2001. She is currently a Junior at Dartmouth College studying History. K.E. has lived in Darien, Connecticut her whole life and is a middle child. Her parents both work full time and are supportive of all her endeavors. Her mind is constantly wandering and she’s intrigued by our imagination. She remembers one lullaby as it was one that she used her imagination the most. 

Contextual Data: 

Social Context: 

K.E. shared with us that this lullaby came from her grandmother. It was just a lullaby to others, but to K.E. it meant so much more as it bonded her to her grandmother, Josie. “Sleep, baby sleep” was a staple for K.E. growing up. She would not be able to fall asleep without hearing it before bed. Although this lullaby does not originate from a specific place that K.E.’s family is from, it still helped shape her and stay connected to her family, especially those who she may not have been as close with. 

Item:

Sleep, baby, sleep 

Your father tends the sheep 

Your mother shakes the dreamland tree 

And from it fall sweet dreams for thee 

Sleep, baby, sleep 

Sleep, baby, sleep 

Audio: 

Informant Comments: 

This lullaby will forever hold a special place in my heart because my grandma is such an important person in my life. To this day she is someone I am incredibly grateful for and being able to share this lullaby with her early on in life helped our relationship flourish throughout my childhood. 

Collector Comments: 

This interview was incredibly sentimental and I really appreciated K.E.’s willingness to open up about her relationship with her grandma. She loves her grandma so much and it shined through during our conversation. 

Collector’s Name: Lucy Murray 

“Thumbelina” (Piper Stevens)

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Title: “Thumbelina”

General Information about Item:

  • Lullaby: Verbal Folklore   
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: M.W.
  • Grantham, NH
  • April 2006
  • Collected: October 21, 2021

Informant Data:

  • M. W. is a 19-year-old Caucasian freshman at Dartmouth College. She was born in Lebanon, NH, and lived with her younger brother, mother, and father in Grantham, NH for her whole life. Her mother, Elizabeth, is a physician, and her father, John, works in IT, and her whole family was Catholic, although M.W. does not actively practice Catholicism.

Contextual Data:

Social Context:

  • M.W.’s grandmother always sang M.W.’s mother Elizabeth lullabies every night, so when Elizabeth had a daughter, she knew that she wanted to sing her lullabies. Her grandmother first found Thumbelina when Elizabeth was young, and sang it to her for her whole childhood. Elizabeth sang M.W. many lullabies every night, but Thumbelina was M.W.’s favorite. If M.W. was ever particularly sad or in a bad mood, her mother always knew that singing Thumbelina would make her feel better. 

Cultural Context:

  • This lullaby talks about a fairy who goes to a happy place and meets a kind prince. This is soothing to a child because they can imagine a fantasy land, which is peaceful for them to think about before they go to bed. This is also important for M.W.’s family because it has been passed down for generations, especially since M.W plans to pass on this lullaby to her child. 

Lullaby Text:

Once there was a maiden, so beautiful and kind.

She was the smallest maiden fair that you could ever find.

She was sweet and she was gentle, and she loved the simple way.

At night she slept in a walnut, she sailed on a flower all day.

Tiny Thumbelina, you could fit into my hand.

I hope you find a happy place, in a sunny fairyland.

Somewhere there’s a tiny prince, he’s handsome, good and kind.

He is just the prince that Thumbelina wants to find

He’s strong and he is gentle and he loves the simple way.

He and Thumbelina will be happy all their days.

Tiny Thumbelina, you could fit into my hand.

I hope you find a happy place, in a sunny fairyland.

Yes, I hope you find a happy place, in a sunny fairyland.

Audio:

Informant’s Comments:

“Thumbelina connects me to my grandmother, especially since I don’t get to see her often anymore. I want to pass it to my kids so that they can have a memory of their grandmother.”

Collector’s Comments:

Thumbelina was a part of my childhood as well, but in the form of a book, not a lullaby.

Collector: Piper Stevens

Tags:

  • Verbal Folklore
  • English Lullaby
  • Dartmouth
  • Students
  • Thumbelina

Its Bitsy Spider (Ali Silva)

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Title: “Itsy Bitsy Spider”

General Information about Item:

  • Children’s folklore, lullaby
  • Language: English
  • Country of origin: America
  • Informant: ES
  • Date Collected: October 16, 2021

Informant Data:

  • ES was born in Rockford, Illinois on September 26, 2002. She grew up in Rockford living with her mother, father, and sister, Natalie. Her extended family also lives in nearby areas of Illinois. Her family is not religious. ES focused on athletics growing up and was also involved in dance and choir growing up. Her family spends lots of time on the water on their boat spending their time singing and fishing. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural context: This is a common American lullaby. It involves somewhat scary content since children are generally fearful of spiders, but the song is sung in a gentle sing-song tone which is soothing and beneficial for helping the child fall asleep. “Itsy Bitsy Spider” is common across all parts of America, not specifically Illinois. The song is used to foster parental-child connection and to soothe the child to sleep. 
  • Social Context: ES learned this song from her mom as a young child. She remembers her mom singing the song and when she was putting her to bed. ES is afraid of spiders but the song did not make her scared because of the gentle tone of the song. 

Item:

“The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout.

Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.

Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain,

and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again”

  • This lullaby is often accompanied by using your opposing pointer finger and thumb, moving them upward like a spider moving. It also features rhyme scheme and a simple melody for ease of memory for children and parents. 

Associated File:

Informants Comments:

“I think this is one of the only lullabies I can remember from my childhood and everyone I know knows this one”

Collector’s Comments: 

This lullaby is super common and I remember hearing it when I was growing up.

Collector:

Ali Silva

Dartmouth College

Russian 13

Professor Gronas and Professor Apresyan

Fall 2021

Tags:

Dartmouth

Students

Verbal Folklore

English Lullaby

Spider

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes (Ali Silva)

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Title: “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”

General Information about Item:

  • Children’s folklore, lullaby
  • Language: English
  • Country of origin: America
  • Informant: AS
  • Date Collected: October 20, 2021

Informant Data:

  • AS was born in Walnut Creek, California on June 6, 2001. She lived with her mother, father, and three brothers growing up. She has one older brother and twin younger brothers. Her extended family resides in California, Oregon, and Idaho. Her family did not practice any religion growing up and they were very involved with the community and extra curricular activities such as theatre and athletics. 

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural context: This item is a classic American children’s lullaby. The song is centered around wonderful dreams in order to entice the child to try to fall asleep. It is a common lullaby in America and has been featured in Disney movies such as Cinderella. The lyrics and the tone of this lullaby are gentle and soothing to ease the child to sleep. 
  • Social Context: AS family is very musically inclined so arts, music, and singing was very common in her house growing up. Her mom would sing her lullabies almost every night before bed. Since Cinderella was AS favorite Disney princess, her mother often sang this lullaby since it is featured in the movie. AS remembers learning this from her mom singing it to her and then AS sang this lullaby to her younger brothers to help put them down for a nap. 

Item:

“A dream is a wish your heart makes

When you’re fast asleep

In dreams you will lose your heartache

Whatever you wish for you keep

Have faith in your dreams and someday

Your rainbow ill come smiling through

No matter how your heart is grieving

If you keep on believing

The dream that you wish will come true”

  • This lullaby features rhyming and soothing words associated with love and joy like “wish” and “love”. It is designed to make sleep and dreaming appealing to a young child both in terms of sleep and reaching for your dreams in real life. 

Associated File:

Informants Comments:

“I will share this lullaby with my children when I am older since it is one of my cherished memories with my mom.”

Collector:

Ali Silva

Dartmouth College

Russian 13

Professor Gronas and Professor Apresyan

Fall 2021

Tags:

Dartmouth

Students

Verbal Folklore

English Lullaby

Children

“Snuggle Puppy” (Piper Stevens)

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Title: “Snuggle Puppy”

General Information about Item:

  • Lullaby: Verbal Folklore   
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: E.W.
  • Tiburon, California
  • March 2007
  • Collected: October 30, 2021

Informant Data:

  • E.W. is a 19 year old Caucasian freshman at Dartmouth College from Tiburon, California. Originally born in Greenbrae, California, she has lived in Tiburon for her whole life along with her brother, sisters, mother, and father. Her father Aaron works in real estate development for data centers, and her mother Sherry works in finance for a technology start-up. E.W. was raised Christian, but does not actively practice Christianity. She enjoys engineering and math, and wants to be an environmental engineer when she grows up.

Contextual Data:

Social Context: 

  • When E.W. was a young girl, she loved to read books with her parents every night before bed. One of her favorite books was Snuggle Puppy, of which she would always request for her dad to read her. On the last page of the book, there was a long song printed that E.W. would always have her dad sing to her, and after reading the story multiple times, they both knew it by heart. As she got older, they stopped reading the story, but her dad continued to sing her Snuggle Puppy every night. Even after E.W. got too old to listen to Snuggle Puppy, she began to sing it to her little brother and read him the story every night.

Cultural Context:

  • This lullaby is very important to their family because it was passed to both E.W. and her brother. The song connects them to one another, and it is a way for them to stay together, although E.W. and her brother are both older. It is also important to E.W. and her brother because it is a way for them to engage with each other even when E.W. is across the country in college.

Lullaby Text:

Well I have a thing to tell you and it won’t take long

The way I feel about you is kind of a song

It starts with an ooh

And ends with a kiss

And all along the middle it goes something like this

It goes ooh

Snuggle Puppy of mine

Everything about you is especially fine

I love what you are

I love what you do

Fuzzy little Snuggle Puppy, I love you

It goes ooh

Snuggle Puppy of mine

Everything about you is especially fine

I love what you are

I love what you do

Ooh, I love you

Well I have a thing to tell you and it won’t take long

The way I feel about you is kind of a song

I started with ooh

I gave you a kiss

I hope you liked the middle, now we’ll end like this

We go ooh

Snuggle Puppy of mine

Everything about you is especially fine

I love what you are

I love what you do

Fuzzy little Snuggle Puppy, I love you

I say ooh

Snuggle Puppy of mine

Everything about you is especially fine

I love what you are

I love what you do

Ooh, I love you

Audio:

Informant’s Comments:

“I love Snuggle Puppy whenever I hear it because it reminds me of my little brother and the relationship we have.”

Collector’s Comments: 

E.W. knew the tune of the lullaby very well, but had to refresh her knowledge of the lyrics. 

Collector: Piper Stevens

Tags:

  • Verbal Folklore
  • English Lullaby
  • Dartmouth
  • Students
  • Animals