Hush Little Baby

"Hush, Little Baby" is a traditional American folk lullaby believed to have originated in the Southern United States. The exact author and date of composition remain unknown, as is common with many folk songs passed down through oral tradition.

First Documentation

The first known documentation of "Hush, Little Baby" in print dates to 1918. English folklorist Cecil Sharp collected versions of the song from singers in the Appalachian regions of Virginia and North Carolina around this time. Alan Lomax later recorded various traditional renditions in the Southern United States during the 1930s and 1940s.

The Jean Ritchie Version

Appalachian musician Jean Ritchie performed a version in 1949 that had been passed down in her family. Her rendition closely resembles the popular version known today and helped bring the lullaby to a wider audience.

The Mockingbird Connection

The inclusion of the mockingbird in the lullaby reflects a fascinating piece of American history. Throughout the 1800s, mockingbirds were commonly kept as prized caged songbirds. Famous figures like John James Audubon documented their popularity as household pets, and even Thomas Jefferson was known to own several mockingbirds.

The mockingbird's appearance in the opening line—"Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird"—thus represents a genuine and valuable gift that would have been familiar to 19th-century listeners.

Cumulative Structure

The lullaby follows a cumulative structure where each verse builds upon the last. A parent promises a series of escalating gifts, with each new gift offered as a replacement if the previous one fails:

• If the mockingbird won't sing → a diamond ring
• If the diamond ring turns brass → a looking glass
• If the looking glass gets broke → a billy goat
• And so on through various items

Themes of Unconditional Love

The song ultimately emphasizes parental devotion and reassurance. Despite the sequence of promised gifts, the final message is that the child will still be loved even if all the gifts fail. This structure makes it an ideal lullaby—the escalating promises serve to soothe and distract a fussy child while affirming the parent's enduring love.

Regional Variations

As with many folk songs, numerous variations exist across different regions. The gifts promised, the family member doing the promising (sometimes "Mama," sometimes "Papa"), and specific lyrics vary from version to version, reflecting the song's organic growth through oral tradition.