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Favourite ‘lullabies’

(29 Posts)
winterwhite Tue 08-May-18 12:52:31

I’ve just been reminded that I used to quieten DDs when infants by carrying them around crooning ‘What are you doing Sunday, baby’, a tune they can all still hum, and which must date me. One of the DDs used to sing ‘Surfing USA’ to hers - no wonder the DGC were so restless. What are the top numbers nowadays?

Luckygirl Tue 08-May-18 13:00:48

I used to sing "Hush little baby", but substituted baby with child's name.

hildajenniJ Tue 08-May-18 13:10:25

I used to sing The Teddy Beats Picnic to DD. It always seemed to workgrin. DS went to sleep as soon as he was put down, so no lullabies were needed for him.

Greyduster Tue 08-May-18 13:35:12

The Water is Wide was what always got both my children and latterly my grandson to sleep. And Blow the Wind Southerly. Puff the Magic Dragon was another favourite.

ginny Tue 08-May-18 13:51:33

I used to sing Brahms Lullaby ( among others) to my DDs and have done so with my DGSs. The older one refers to it as ‘The Giraffe song’ as he had a musical wind up giraffe that played the tune.

Luckygirl Tue 08-May-18 13:58:57

Love it - the giraffe song! - poor old Brahms will be turning in his grave!

Teetime Tue 08-May-18 16:22:37

I used to sing Morningtown Ride to my GS.

Grannyknot Tue 08-May-18 16:44:51

Brahms ... my MIL used to sing that to her grandchildren, having sung it to her children before that (she was an operatic soprano).

It was sung for her at her funeral in a wonderful duet, accompanied by an acoustic guitar ... not a dry eye in the house.

NanTheWiser Tue 08-May-18 17:24:53

My mum used to sing "Go to sleep my baby" and the "Skye boat song" when I was very small, and I sang both to my daughter too.

Fennel Tue 08-May-18 18:11:52

My Mum used to sing to me "Loola Bye Bye - do you want the moon to play with "etc
And her version of this one:
www.lullaby-link.com/go-to-sleep-my-little-picaninny.html

phoenix Tue 08-May-18 18:22:00

Ah, the Skye boat song, referred to as "Peabody", when DS1 was small. He kept saying "Peabody, Daddy, Peabody!"

We didn't know anyone of that name, took quite a bit of time to realise that he meant "Speed bonny" (boat) grin

Jalima1108 Tue 08-May-18 18:28:23

I used to hum Brahms' Lullaby and sing 'Go to sleep my Baby' or 'Morningtown Ride' but sing 'Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do' etc when nappy changing.

Jalima1108 Tue 08-May-18 18:29:10

and The Skye Boat song too!

Anniebach Tue 08-May-18 18:44:41

Mafanwy for me, my children and grandchildren , and Mighty Like A Rose, when driving my daughters on long journeys , when they were young , it was The Twelfth of Never

Juggernaut Wed 09-May-18 09:39:25

Our DS always loved having me sing Lili Marlene to him, I think it was the rhythm relaxed him!
I used to get some very strange looks if I ever sang it to him in public (very, very quietly, I don't have the greatest voice), but that didn't bother me, as I had a relaxed and happy baby!
DGS likes to fall asleep to Old McDonald, if we run out of farm animals, we make it up as we go along...
"Old McDonald had a snake, with a hiss hiss here" etc!

Beau Wed 09-May-18 10:19:37

We had to learn the words to 'Green grow the rushes oh' from the internet, as when I randomly sang the 'one is one and all alone' etc. (the only bit of the song I knew), new born DGS was instantly calm. Now the 12 verses still send him to sleep 18 months later, it even worked for his nap on a crowded beach this bank holiday Monday!

Fennel Wed 09-May-18 11:08:09

I can't remember singing lullabies to mine. But we used to sing lots of rhymes and other children's songs. From CDs.
And things like incey wincey spider, here's the church and here's the steeple .... pop goes the weasel etc
Old MacDonald too.

Bathsheba Wed 09-May-18 11:36:29

I used to sing Go to Sleep my Little Pickaninny and Rock-a-bye Baby, and I sang both these to my grandchildren too, though I changed the 'p' word to 'pequenino' (Spanish or Portuguese for 'little one'), which is believed to be the origin of the word. (Also, I couldn't bring myself to sing the second line, "mummy (nana) will not love you if you don't", so I changed it to "nana always loves you when you do" smile)
My GD suffered from colic for the first 3 months and my DD and I spent countless nights taking turns to rock her gently and sing Lula Lula Bye Bye. DD says she hates the song now because it just reminds her of the sheer exhaustion and desperation of those first few weeks!

trisher Wed 09-May-18 12:07:11

Oh there are loads- Hush little baby, Golden Slumbers (which my mum sang to me) Scarborough fair, Puff the magic Dragon and a song that starts "Hush here comes the dream man" which my 5 year old GD and 3 year old GS can now sing by themselves

KatyK Wed 09-May-18 12:21:24

Toora loora loora
Toora loora li
Toora loora loora, hush now don't you cry
Toora loora loora,
Toora loora li,
Toora loora loora, that's an Irish lullaby
Also Cotton Candy Land (Elvis Presley)
Sandman's coming, yes he's coming
He'll sprinkle yu with sand
He'll say 1, 2 3 and you will be
in Cotton Candy land
smile

Floradora9 Wed 09-May-18 16:21:24

Coulters Candy this we sang to DC but not quite the same words . DGC got Wee Willie Winkie

Ally, bally, ally bally bee,
Sittin' on yer mammy's knee
Greetin' for anither bawbee,
Tae buy mair Coulter's candy.

Ally. bally, ally, bally bee,
When you grow up you'll go to sea,
Makin' pennies for your daddy and me,
Tae buy mair Coulter's Candy.

Mammy gie me ma thrifty doon
Here's auld Coulter comin' roon
Wi' a basket on his croon
Selling Coulter's Candy.

Little Annie's greetin' tae
Sae whit can puir wee Mammy dae
But gie them a penny atween them twae
Tae buy mair Coulter's Candy.

Poor wee Jeannie's lookin' affa thin,
A rickle o' banes covered ower wi' skin,
Noo she's gettin' a double chin
Wi' sookin' Coulter's Candy.

grannyactivist Wed 09-May-18 16:31:13

'Daisy, Daisy', Brahms lullaby and a song from Captains Courageous; 'Yeh ho little fish'

Jalima1108 Wed 09-May-18 16:36:44

Oh there are loads
Yes, they're all coming back to me now (did someone sing that too?)

Puff the Magic Dragon, Hush Little Baby, Scarlet Ribbons etc etc

pollyperkins Wed 09-May-18 17:31:57

Golden slumbers, rock a bye baby, huah little baby, bye baby bunting, little jesus sweetly sleep (substituting name) , away in a manger and also Summer time from porgy & bess!

pollyperkins Wed 09-May-18 17:32:41

Sorry about lack of capitals -difficult on this phone. I do know about them!!!!