Hush' N Joggetty
The material on this CD has deliberately been recorded unaccompanied for two reasons.
1. To encourage carers to learn and sing the songs to their charges themselves.
2. The songs can be used to provide a listening experience of pure melody for babies in order to give ‘on-pitch’ melodic input to the developing brain in the event that a carer has limited skill in this area.
Music education begins as soon as hearing develops in the womb. In the past this education continued through use of songs, rhymes and rhythmic play used naturally in a community for the purpose of calming or amusing babies.The loss of community and extended family situations has robbed many of today’s children of this early development. Few of today’s adults have knowledge of this material. Exposure to media sounds do little to develop melodic response.Clear high tones that a child can imitate do this. There is need for the body to experience rhythmic movement before these patterns too can be imitated with sound. Beside the value of carer-bonding these materials have a role to play in music education as well as the development of language and on to reading. Music helps to link parts of the brain which adds to learning advantage.
Songs
This material is Brain Food for Babies.
Phyl Lobl is a singer/songwriter/teacher with many years of experience in these three fields.
This collection of material is one of several components which extend in a variety of directions a previously published music teaching kit called 'Not Just Noise (Original)'.The material includes
Lullabies
Apart from soothing a baby to sleep lullabies provide bonding, communication, calming of mother and child, and language development.
If the lullabies are sung on pitch they provide a basis for future development of singing and music skills.
To the best of my knowledge all material is traditional unless otherwise indicated.
Words & Music: Phyl Lobl
Out of the bush when the day is done,
Comes the wallaby Bocobble Bon*,
See her hop see, see her leap, see her jump so high,
With a curtain of dusk, she’s covered up the sky.
Bye-shush-a-bye-bye, loo-la-la-loo,
She’s carrying a pocket full of dreams for you
Lay your head on the pillow and then you will follow
The dream that the Bocobble Bon brings you.
She’s polished the stars of the cross and the moon
And she’s told Sooty Mopoke ‘Start singing soon’.
So come little one ** for its your turn to find
A Bocobble dream you can wear in your mind.
Her work now is done and its time she was gone
Wear a smile in your sleep now for Bocobble Bon
You will sleep through the night with the dream in your head.
Till the sun in the morning pulls you from your bed.
* References
Bocobble is an Aboriginal word meaning jumping.
Insert child’s name.
(American Traditional)
Watch the stars, buy see how they run,
Watch the stars, see how they run,
They all run down at the setting of the sun,
Watch the stars see how run.
Watch the moon see how it climbs,
Watch the moon see how it climbs.
The moon climbs high at the sun setting time,
Watch the moon see how it climbs.
Watch the wind see how it blows,
Watch the wind see how it blows,
Well you oughta know that the wind’s gotta blow.
Watch the wind see how it blows.
Watch the rain see how it falls,
Watch the rain see how it falls,
Well I tell you that the rain’s gotta fall
(Australian)
There’s a lake in South Australia, little lake with lovely name.
And the stories woven round it, from the picanninies came
Every night the native mothers croon this lovely lullaby.
Croon across the moonlit waters to the stars up in the sky.
Carra barra wirra canna, little star upon the lake.
Guide me through the hours of darkness keep me safely till I wake.
Picanniny heads are nodding, drowsy crooning fills the air.
Little eyes at last are closing and the boat of dreams is there.
Guide my boat across the waters, cross the waters still and deep,
(American Traditional)
Papa’s gonna buy you a mocking bird,
If that mocking bird don’t sing,
Poppa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.
If that diamond ring turns brass
Poppa’s gonna buy you a looking glass.
If that looking glass gets broken
Poppa’s gonna buy you a billy goat
And if that billy goat won’t pull
Poppa’s gonna buy you a cart and bull
If that cart and bull turn over
Poppa’s gonna buy you a dog named Rover,
If that dog named Rover don’t bark
Poppa’s gonna buy you a horse and cart.
If that horse and cart break down.
You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town.
(Polish Traditional)
Fall asleep asleep now, baby fall asleep now,
Baby fall asleep now as the sky grows grey now,
Baby fall asleep now as the sky grows greyer.
Fall asleep, asleep now, though the ground is barren,
For the gypsy girls have stolen all your pillows.
For the gypsy girls have stolen all your pillows.Fall asleep asleep now, baby fall asleep now,
Baby fall asleep now as the sky grows grey now,
Baby fall asleep now as the sky grows greyer.
Fall asleep, asleep now, though the ground is barren,
For the gypsy girls have stolen all your pillows.
For the gypsy girls have stolen all your pillows.
(In these days it might be more politically correct to substitute another word for ‘gypsy’ eg. teasing)
(Afro American Traditional)
O Mother Glasco where’s yo’ lamb,
I left him down in the meadow.
Birds and bees singin’ in the trees.
Poor little lamb say ‘Mammy’.
Aboriginal Australian – Adapted by Phyl Lobl
Mumma warruno, murra wathuno,
Mummma warruno, murra wathuno.
Sleep as falls the dark in your bed of bark.
None shall harm you dear, Mama watches near.
(Repeat infinitely or until sleep occurs for either party)
(North England Traditional)
Hush you my baby lie still with your daddy,
Your mother has gone to the mill.
To fetch you some wheat,
To make you some meat,
(Traditional USA)
Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby,
When you wake, you shall have,
All the pretty little horses.
Blacks and Bays, Dapples and Greys,
Coach and six-a-little horses.
Hush-a-bye don’t you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby.
(Yiddish Traditional)
I’ll sing to your baby, it won’t cry,
I’ll wait till you come home by and by,
Hush little baby don’t you cry,
Your mummy will come home in the bye and bye.
Sleep little baby I’ll sing you a song
Your mummy will return and she won’t be long.
Other little girls can romp and play
But I must sing to baby all the day.
Other little girls they eat sugar candy
Your mother makes me wash your dirty panties.
Your mother is a mean one this I know,
If you don’t go to sleep she’ll scold me so.
(Japanese Traditional)
Sleep go to sleep my baby, close your little eyes,
My baby’s a good baby, sleep baby sleep.
What will be brought to baby from the far off town,
A flute that sings and a drum that rings with a deep, deep sound.
(Russian Traditional)
Sleep my baby, sleep my darling, baby lullaby.
On your cradle moon is shining softly from the sky.
I will sing and tell you stories if you close your eyes.
Slumber softly while I lull you, baby lullaby.
(Manx)
Little red bird on the lonely moor,
Lonely moor, lonely moor
Little red bird on the lonely moor
Where did you sleep in the night.
Out on a gorse bush dark and wide,
Dark and wide, dark and wide,
Swift rain was falling on every side,
Hard was my sleep last night.
Did I not sleep on the swaying briar,
Swaying briar, swaying briar,
Tossing around as the wind rose higher,
Little I slept in the night.
Did I not sleep on the cold wave’s crest
Cold wave’s crest, cold wave’s crest
Where many a man has taken his rest
O my sleep was too light.
Wrapped in two leaves I lay at ease,
Lay at ease, lay at ease
As sleeps the young babe on its mother’s knees,
Sweet was my sleep last night.