Season 2: Episode 4 - Hush Little Baby

Embark on a musical journey through time with the latest episode of "A Tisket-Tasket Podcast," where host Gina unravels the captivating history of the beloved nursery rhyme, "Hush Little Baby." From surprising origins to diverse interpretations, this episode explores the rich tapestry of cultural influences that have shaped this timeless lullaby. Join the conversation by sharing your favorite version and tune in to discover the mysterious roots of "Hush Little Baby." 🎶🎙️ #NurseryRhymes #MusicalHistory #PodcastJourney #FolkloreExploration #CulturalInfluences #HushLittleBaby #ATisketTasketPodcast #MusicHistoryPodcast #PodcastEnigma #ChildhoodMemories

Transcript

Gina: 0:00

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Task at podcast. I'm your host, Gina. And this is the third episode following the theme of babies in nursery rhymes. Earlier I covered Monday's child and bye baby bunting. Definitely check out those episodes. If you haven't already. Today we are. Covering the nursery rhyme, hush little baby. And as always. Please check out my blog for a list of my references and links to how you can support my work. Info in the description below. But with that. Let's get started with today's episode. Hush little baby has arrived. Folk song index number of 420. This is one of those nursery rhymes that I came in with assumptions on where it originated. I assumed like many that originated in England and figured given the content matter. It was from maybe the 17th or 18th century. Well, as you can imagine where I'm going with this, what I uncovered was quite surprising, but before we get into that, let me go through the rhyme to refresh your memory. Even trying to find which version to say was difficult for this episode. There are quite a few, and I really can't tell if one is more popular than another. If you have one that you know, or if you have one that's in your mind that you find resonates with your childhood. Email me. Uh, I would love to talk to you. Email me@infoadditiveskittaskatpodcast.com or find my links in the description. Wherever you listen to podcasts. I'm going to start with the one I remember from my childhood and then explain a few different versions as I go along. Songwriter Bradley Joseph. Churchill adjust the lyrics. I remember just a bit in his recording here. It is. Lullaby. Lullaby lullaby. Hush little baby. Don't you cry hush, little baby. Don't say a word. Papa's going to buy you a Mockingbird. And if that mocking bird don't sing. Papa's going to buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring is brass, Papa's going to buy you a looking glass. And if that looking glass gets broke, Papa's going to buy you a Billy goat. If that Billy goat don't pull, Papa's going to buy you a cart in bull. And if that cart in bull turnover, Papa's going to buy you a dog called Rover. And if that dog called Rover don't bark, Papa's gonna buy you a horse in cart. And if that horse and cart turned round, you'll still be the sweetest baby in town. American composer Bradley Joseph born in 1965. Arranges and produces contemporary instrumental music. He toured quite a bit in the American Midwest until teaming up with fame, Greek composer, Yanni he is also an accomplished musical director. I've heard his voice and compositions a few times as I've researched this podcast, but I had no idea he was such an accomplished composer. I found it very interesting. When I tried to dig up any more about his work with specifically children's music, I couldn't find anything. It's not even mentioned in his Wikipedia page, but if you'd like to learn more about his amazing modern composition, check out his Wikipedia page Lincoln. My reference. It's actually pretty adept, but I was still very confused on why his work and with nursery rhymes, isn't posted anywhere. I think I might reach out to him to see if I can't figure out why he decided to record level buys children's music and nursery rhymes. But in any case, let's move on. In 1980, the king singers did an acapella version of the song. Produced by Warner classics. I wish I could play it because it's a gorgeous rendition, but I'll ask copyright laws. But again, you can find it. All my reference page links are the same as above. From a site called American English website.gov. And it doesn't provide more information than that. The rhyme is posted as follows. Hush little baby. Don't you cry. Pop is going to sing you a little by hush little baby. Don't say a word. Pop is going to buy you a Mockingbird. If that Mockingbird won't sing, Papa's going to buy you a golden ring. If that gold ring turns to brass, Papa's going to buy you a jumping Jack. Is that jumping Jack is broke. Pop is going to buy you a velvet cloak. If that velvet cloak is course. Pop is going to buy you a rocking horse. If that rocking horse won't rock, Papa's gonna buy you a cuckoo clock. If that cuckoo clock won't tick, Papa's going to buy you a walking stick. If that walking stick falls down, you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town. I think this is the version I remember most maybe. Cause I remember like the velvet cloak in the rocking horse, in the cuckoo clock. But. It's like definitely a mystery that really needs to be uncovered. All these different versions. I mean, obviously the nursery rhyme is about. Parents figure buying increasingly maybe more expensive or other objects to try to get their baby to quiet down. It does change from mom out of Papa. those, the items change, and sometimes the endings can be a little bit different and I'll get to that moment. The website model Lisa's world international music and culture has a few different versions on her sites, including including the Paulo ramp a month noted Italian singer version. I particularly like the site, I was a bit skeptical when I first came across it about a year ago. Because I was unsure of the credibility of the author, but the more I read in delved into her sources, I've been really impressed. She seems to really dig up sources that are difficult to find some of these primary sources. Anyway. Here's rip a Montes version. Hush little baby. Don't say a word. Mom's going to buy you a Mockingbird. If that Mockingbird don't sing, mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring. If that diamond ring turns to brass, momma's gonna buy you a looking glass. If that looking glass gets broke. But I was going to buy you a Billy goat. If that Billy goat runs away, momma's gonna buy you another day. And then I got sucked into the vortex of Reddit. Because I was Googling around to see different versions, and reading through a number of people's versions that they admittedly made up themselves. But I love folklore because that's how folklore works. People just change things, but here are a few of my favorites. From user Mia, Jade, 1996, posted in 2020. Hush little baby. Don't see a word. Let me go to buy you a Mockingbird. And if that Mockingbird don't sing, mommy's going to buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring don't shine mafia, mama's gonna buy you some turpentine. And if that turpentine smells bad, mama's gonna buy you a big fat cat. And if that fat cat scratches you, mommy's going to take you to the Chester zoo. I particularly like that one. For me is or sunny Georgia posted in 2020. How's the little baby, don't say a word. Mama's going to buy you a Mockingbird. And if that mocking bird don't sing, mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring don't shine, mama's going to buy you a porcupine. And if that porcupine don't prick, mama's gonna buy you a knocking stick. And if that knocking stick, don't knock, mama's gonna buy you a cuckoo clock. And if that cuckoo clock don't chime, mama's gonna sing you another rhyme. Just one of the things they absolutely love about nursery rhymes. And I also am absolutely frustrated by nursery rhymes as well in folklore studies is that these songs often get passed down orally and not written down. Would you make them incredibly easy to get changed or evolved or adapted to a specific situation. And I can go on about this. And I do go on about this in an interview that I'll be posting. And a little bit, I really enjoy looking at the history of the everyday and the everyday person. That is history of what's going on in the home that might not necessarily make it into the history books. And folklore is definitely that and these songs and these nursery rhymes are so integral to childhood development and a learning culture. That I love that folklore changes and adapts, but I also hate it because as a researcher, it's really hard to pin down. I guess that's, I kept tweeting. Catch 22. If you will. or it's just something I have to deal with, I guess. So, where did this nursery really come from? If there are all these different versions, no one has certain. It sounds like the general consensus is that it's from the United States, which is also frustrating to me because that means that the openings did not include it in the Oxford dictionary of nursery rhymes. The folklorist who did collect it with Cecil sharp, who have talked a bit about in this podcast, sharp, born in Surrey, England from 1859 to 1924 was a folklorist responsible for collecting a lot of American nursery rhymes, folk songs, and folk dances in the United States around the turn of the century and world war. He was also an accomplished composer and had a number of folklore books with his own piano arrangements. His most prominent work, which I haven't read yet, but I need to is English folk song some conclusions. And I'm going to draw an assumption here where, what I've been reading about his sources. It sounds like he put a lot of himself. Just like John orchard, Holly, well put a lot of his opinions in, it sounds like Sharpton as well. And that's willing good because folklore, isn't an exact science, but it's difficult years later as someone who's researching it and can't specifically ask them like, what's their opinion or what did they add versus what the did they like? Specifically, collect from the people. And that's very difficult. But in any case, he worked with awesome female full collectors, also who hardly ever got named, in folklore history, like, all of Dame, Campbell and mod cappellas between 1915. In 1918 or so. These women were collecting. Southern Appalachian folklore. Before sharp. Got there. and I know there's a book out there that's specific to Appalachian folk flora that may have been written by sharp, but for the life of me, I can't remember the name of the book. I'll have to look it up later. But, I don't really see Campbell and Carmella's being mentioned a lot in folklore history, even though that they were the guide that literally. Took sharp around these different settlements. But at any case, one of my favorite quotes from sharp, are about the Appalachians. And, the reason why I talk about this a lot is that. That's the region I'm from. And identify with it and its culture. Even though that I haven't lived in that part for my adult life, it's still a culture that I feel very proud of, especially as a child. Second generation, a child of Italian immigrants and being married to someone who's the child of Italian immigrants. My culture that I identify with is this weird amalgam of like Appalachian hillbilly. As well as a tying culture. And that's a whole other podcast that I can go into about how my specific background influences my perspective on my research, but. I don't have time to get into that today. At any case sharp rights that the people are just English of the late 18th century or early 19th century. They speak English, look, English, their manners are old fashioned English, heaps of words and expressions. They use habitually in ordinary conversations are obsolete and have been England a long time. I find them very easy to get on with and have no difficulty in making them sing and show their enthusiasm for their songs. I have taken down very nearly a 100 already in many of these are quite unknown to me and aesthetically of the highest value. Indeed. It is the greatest discovery I've made since the original one I made in England 16 years ago. And this was written in 1917. I think. Sharp is an interesting character. I think, his perspective in his writing seems a little like zookeeper to Zooey animal perspective, a bit, which I. as a modern researcher and in ethnographic research don't particularly like, but again, Another podcast episode. But I would like to point out that it was Olivia Dame, Campbell and her husband, John. We're the ones leading sharp to these communities. It wasn't sharp. Just kind of stumbling into them on their own. They also specifically, this is important, stuck to Scott's American and Scott's Irish settlements, which is why sharp probably recognize the ballots, but failed to consider them in their Scott's origin. So. He like failed to consider oh, maybe I'm being biased. Or maybe these specific settlements are familiar to me because of X, Y, Z. And I think that's really a, An issue with this research and a weakness that really needs to be understood, and considered for anyone doing future research on this. They specifically, and again, this is important avoided German American settlements, because keep in mind, this is world war one in African American settlements, which is an absolute in real shame, because one of the greatest thing about Appalachian culture is the blend between African-American native American and American immigrants are immigrants from Europe. And I, again, I mentioned that I come from an Italian American immigrant family. And when I asked my parents and grandmother about the lack of segregation in schools during the fifties and sixties, they shrugged and said that. Poor people all mingled together. And once you did the back breaking labor of coal mining or farm work, racial divide sort of fell by the wayside. One of my favorite pictures I have of my grandmother is from her one room, school, house days. She actually went to school with Clark Gable of gone with the wind fame and in the picture there. You know, to keep in mind, this is from the thirties and forties. I think. There are African-Americans in her school. There was no segregation. When I talked to my grandmother and I talked with my parents. Specific racism that you saw in, the movements in the sixties and seventies. We're kind of brushed aside. By Appalachian culture. And when I like got into high school and I started to learn about the race movement, I was really confused because it's like, this was my parents' era, but they never really went through it because they lived in an area where everyone was kind of in the same economic boat and everyone was poor and everyone was kind of tied to the coal mines and whatnot. And so that really created a different amalgamation of culture. And I'm not saying that racism didn't exist there. But it was, it was very different and it was a very unique perspective and something that I really took for granted growing up and have taken it. For granted as an adult who have researched these things and something that I'm only really reconsidering. Now, when I sit down and I look at these nursery rhymes, and I know this is a bit of a tangent, but. Aye. Of the opinion that I think it's really important to understand the context in which the researcher is doing his or her work, in the person that I interviewed later, that was kind of an eyeopening experience I had with him because. This person's work is really important to me and I wondered if they had a specific mentality of how they went about doing things. And it was like, yeah, because I felt like it. And so I think it's important now that When I'm doing this research. Did I articulate kind of what's going on in my head. As I do this so that if it's ever, if I'm ever lucky enough, if this is ever used years, right now, there isn't a question like, well, why didn't she consider it this way? So again, sorry, that's a tangent, but I do think it's a very important. at any case, that was a very talking about my parents, my grandmother. It was definitely a poignant memory for me. And it really has helped me keep my perspective in check when I researched folklore. I haven't dealt specifically in Appalachia folklore yet because, oh my gosh, I don't have the time, but I'd really like to, and if anyone has any book recommendations, shoot them my way. I don't have time to write all these books. But at any place I got distracted. So let me circle back to the hush little baby. Cecil sharp was probably the first person to write down and note this nursery rhyme from Endicott Franklin county, Virginia in 1918. Other sources placed this rhyme in the Southern United States. The Vaughan Williams Memorial library site has a wonderful wax cylinder version from around 19 29, 19 35. There was recorded in Durham, North Carolina. The lyrics are as follows because when I play it later, it's a bit hard to make out. Mama mama. Have you heard, Papa's going to buy me a Mockingbird. And if that mocking bird don't sing, Papa's gonna buy me a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring turns brass, Papa's going to buy me a looking glass. And if that looking glass gets broke, Papa's going to buy me a Billy goat. And if that Billy goat runs away, Papa's going to buy me a horse in Shea. The entertainer. I wrote anonymous, Molly, and I wish I knew who wrote this. Uh, wrote the comments. I have also heard the last line pop is going to give me a whipping every day. So let's listen to the version. It's difficult to make out, but I'll try my best to fix the audio. Man. I love wax cylinders. I think they're so cool. But. It's the last line. Uh, the theme. Annotator added. That leads me to the wonderful. Wonderful version from the library of Congress. And before I talk about it, let's just listen to it.

18:15

Hush, little baby, don't you cry, Mama gonna buy you a diamond ring. If that diamond ring don't fit, Mama gonna whoop your fiddle a bit. Hush, little baby, don't you cry, Mama gonna buy you a diamond ring. If that diamond ring don't fit. Mama gonna whoop your little ass, Hush little baby, don't you cry, Mama gonna buy you mockingbird, If that mockingbird don't sing, Mama gonna whip your bum bum leg. Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, Hush little baby, don't you cry. Don't you cry, mama gonna buy you a dimerang, if that dimerang don't fit, mama's gonna whip your little little tit, hush little baby, don't you cry, mama gonna buy you a mockingbird, if that mockingbird don't sing, mama gonna whip your little little tit. Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm. Um, uh, Um, Uh,

Gina: 19:45

A little bit different, right? Now, when I listened to this version over and over again, I cannot make out what she say saying after she says, mama is going to whip you in the whatever, and we're afraid to speculate it, to ruin whatever it is that she said. But this wonderful reversion was recorded in Varner, Arkansas in 1939, the singer is Bernice Haynes. You'll notice that the lyrics are fairly different than the ones I recorded earlier. And I want to know why I want to know if this is sort of the original version or if it evolved or changed from the ones I listed above chicken, the egg situation. And I'm so curious, and I can not find the answers. I really think that this nursery rhyme I'm going to have to come back and do more research on there's just so much to it. But to continue, Ray wood is saying yet another version. Similar to the ones I first listed recorded by John Lomax in house, in the library of Congress. This version was recorded in Houston, Texas on April 13th, 1939. Let's listen to it now.

20:48

Another is sung to a tune similar to Ta ra ra boom dee ay. Hush, my baby, don't say a word. Daddy'll buy you a mockingbird. When that mockingbird don't sing, Daddy'll buy you a diamond ring. When that diamond ring turns brass. Daddy'll buy your lookin glass, when that lookin glass gets broke. Daddy'll buy your billy goat, when that billy goat gets bony. Daddy'll buy your sheplin pony, when that pony runs away. Ta ra ra ra boom dee ay.

Gina: 21:27

I really liked that the library of Congress has very specific information on where things were recorded, who recorded them and when they recorded. But I love that. I found all these versions. Now at the beginning would says that this sung to the melody, similar to Tavora room day. Of which I was fully unfamiliar with and led me onto yet another search path. That took me to a folk song that was performed at a number of places, including the ed Sullivan show. Where it was referenced that the song was from around the and 1890s. And surprisingly to the nineties children show Barney. Which is very strange because Tom or Rob or a boom da is originally a vaudeville song with, um, Less than copacetic lyrics for the kiddies. But in any case, this could be an entire episode of itself. And maybe because holy guacamole, the history of this song. And if you're interested in this particular song, Let me know, reach out and I will talk to you. I've already run out of time and I still have so much to say I haven't even added my own opinion yet. So to recap, no one really knows where the song came from. Cecil sharp, who was a big folklorist at American folklore at the turn of the 20th century. says it's from around Virginia and the Appalachian region. In the mid nineteens. we have a reference to the melody from a vaudeville song in 1880. Now here's where. But a big disclaimer. I have a suspicion. And I cannot articulate the suspicion with any certainty. So if anyone is ever using this as a source in their paper, I'm going to put a note here that says, I am not an expert in nursery rhymes. I have not published anything. I'm not a known expert in the field. Although I feel like I'm getting there. And I have not done my research to see if this is true. But I have a suspicion. That this song comes from the civil war. And here's why. In my previous episodes, I talk specifically about African-Americans sleep songs. During the civil war and post civil war. And I talk about what a shame it was that a lot of this history was destroyed and the white washing of American history, especially right after the civil war and in the civil rights movements in the fifties and sixties. Because it was found in the south as well as the Appalachian region where a lot of the former African-American slaves moved to after the civil war. I wonder if this was a song made up for mammies or nannies who sang to their white charges. Because if you look at the lyrics, first of all, in the back of my head I've I remember for my literature, Jays, that mockingbirds actually have a big. Folklore background on African-American history again. It's been a while. And I think I'm going to do more research on this later. But if you listen to the lyrics, mama and Papa or buy expensive things for the baby. And I think it's a little bit tongue in cheek when they talk about what happens when something happens to the expensive item. So I'm wondering if this was a song that was made up on a, on a sleep plantation. And then passed down and was lost to whitewashing of history. And we know from previous nursery rhymes that the melody often follows the lyrics in sometimes by decades or sometimes by centuries. So it would make sense to me. That this nursery rhyme picked up the melody. If say 20 or 30 years after the abolishment of slavery in a vaudeville song, which we know has ties to African-Americans because of my research in vaudeville, in my previous episodes. So I feel like this is either a brilliant. Observation. Or a tinfoil hat moment that might lead to folk fake etymology. But in any case, I think it needs to be further research. And I don't know if I'm going to be the one to do it. So if a graduate students out there listening to this and they knew a project for graduate school, this might make an interesting project, or perhaps I will pursue it myself. But in any case, I'm already like running way over time this week. And I still have so much to say about hush little baby, but any case I really enjoyed researching it because I. I had assumptions when I came into it that were just completely blown away. So I hope you two have learned something and we're interested in the topic. And if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to email me and contact me. I am like rabid to talk to people about my research and would love to. I'm also interested in maybe having guests on my podcast, where we share conversations about nursery rhymes. And the history and researching above them. So, again, please see the description below for my contact information. But in any case, I will continue to talk about the weirdness of nursery rhymes in future episodes. Please stay care.

26:25

Thank you for listening to a Tisket Tasket podcast. We hope you learned something valuable today. Be sure to subscribe wherever you heard this podcast so you never miss a future episode. If you found value in today's content, please share with others and consider leaving a review. Also, follow Gina on all social media platforms, and we'll see you next time.