Season 2: Epsiode 3 - Bye Baby Bunting

Embark on an enchanting journey through nursery rhyme history with Gina, the charismatic host of the "A Tisket-Tasket" podcast, in this captivating episode dedicated to the classic lullaby "Bye Baby Bunting." Unveiling the rhyme's origins, historical presence, and surprising twists, Gina takes listeners on a delightful exploration that goes beyond the familiar lyrics. From tracing the Roud folk song index number to presenting variations of the lullaby and even sharing a Gothic horror short story associated with the rhyme, this episode is a treasure trove of insights. With musical renditions from 1934 and 1959, Gina ensures that the charm of "Bye Baby Bunting" resonates through time. Don't miss this delightful blend of education and entertainment, and stay tuned for more intriguing episodes unraveling the mysteries behind beloved nursery rhymes. Contact Gina and support the podcast at info@atiskettasketpodcast.com and visit the blog at atiskettasketpodcast.com. #NurseryRhymes #ByeBabyBunting #ATisketTasketPodcast #GinaHosts #Lullabies #PodcastHistory

Transcript

Transcript 

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the "A Tisket-Tasket" podcast. I'm your host, Gina. Although it's currently January, I believe this episode will be released in February. In this month, we are exploring nursery rhymes, specifically focusing on babies. A few weeks ago, I talked about "Monday's Child," a rhyme associating fortunes with the day of the week a child is born.

Today, we are looking at the nursery rhyme "Bye Baby Bunting." As always, please check out my blog and website links in the description below to see how you can support my podcasts and research. I also want to thank all of you for your consideration; you know what? I have just been very sick, and I had to take some time off to rest and recover. This bronchitis seemed to really kick me in the butt, and not only was I coughing up a storm, but I was just exhausted.

So, I appreciate you guys being patient while I play catch up. And I hope to double up on episodes on a weekly basis until I catch up. A new semester started, and I am teaching. So, I am not only playing catch-up in my hobbies but also playing catch up as an instructor. So, I will try my best to catch up on episodes and get things all sorted for your listening pleasure.

Oh my goodness, guys. I have so much coming this year. I am so excited. The connections that I've made and the people I've got to talk to, I'm very excited to share some fantastic new content with all of you. Please stay tuned for that. And please stay tuned as I tinker with the website.

Now, enough about me talking. Let's get started on this week's episode.

"Bye Baby Bunting" has a folk song index number of 11,000 in 18. It has been called both a nursery rhyme and a lullaby by Opie and Opie in their 1998 Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes. Note that the word "bunting" is an old form of endearment. When I went to search for the term, the OED provided a number of definitions, including bunting as the English name for a group of birds, the Emberizidae family of finches, dating back to 1350.

Other definitions include a type of fabric, usually used to make flags (1825), or to sift (1584). The definition linked to the rhyme is swelling, plumped, filled out, rounded, short, and thickening, derived from the 16th century, describing a bunting lamb. In the case of the nursery rhyme, it is describing a fat, happy, and healthy baby.

There are a few different versions of this lullaby, where most differences are noted in what sort of skin the baby is wrapped in. To refresh your memory, here are two versions of the rhyme:

"Bye baby bunting, Daddy's gone a-hunting, Gone to get a rabbit skin to wrap the baby bunting in."

"Bye baby bunting, Father's gone a-hunting, Mother's gone a-milking, Sister's gone a-stoking, Brother has gone to buy a skin to wrap the baby bunting in."

Opie and Opie report that there are a variety of skins baby bunting is wrapped in, including a hare skin, a bull's skin, a sturdy lion skin, and Lammy's skin. They note the Scottish version of this lullaby as follows (please bear with my Midwestern accent): "How's it by birdie beaten your mama's gain a seat, four to buy a Lammy skin to wrap your Bonnie Buki in."

This nursery rhyme dates back to before the 1780s, with its earliest appearances in publications such as "Gammer Gurton's Garland" in 1784. Other earlier publications include Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book (1788) and Songs for the Nursery (1805), among others. John Orchard Hollowell remarks in 1842 that he collected this rhyme near the Forest of Dean.

A quarterly magazine called "A Child's Life" published stories suited for young children, as well as tips for early childhood education development in psychology. In its first volume published in 1899, "A Child's Life" included a short anonymous fiction piece called "Bye Baby Bunting," offering a unique perspective on the rhyme with Gothic horror elements.

The episode concludes by discussing musical interpretations of "Bye Baby Bunting," featuring recordings from 1934 and 1959. The host reflects on personal experiences with the rhyme and encourages listeners to share their own stories. The episode wraps up with a thank you and a reminder to subscribe and leave reviews.

Overall, the podcast offers a detailed exploration of the nursery rhyme, weaving in historical context, variations, and even a surprising fictionalized short story associated with the rhyme.