> Tim Hart and Friends > Songs > Hush Little Baby

Hush Little Baby / The Mocking Bird / Say Darlin’ Say

[ Roud 470 ; Ballad Index SBoA164 ; SayDarlingSay at Old Songs ; VWML CJS2/10/4775 , CJS2/9/3315 ; trad.]

Cecil Sharp collected The Mocking Bird from Lucy Cannady of Endicott, Virginia, on 23 August 1918 and from Julie Boone of Micaville, North Carolina, on 8 October 1918.

Texas Gladden sang Hush, Baby, Don’t You Cry to Alan Lomax in 1941. This recording was included in 2001 on her Rounder anthology Ballad Legacy in the Alan Lomax Collection series. The liner notes commented:

There is much less written material about lullabies than about ballads, but this is possibly the most widely known song on this CD, having soothed generations of babies across America. Texas Gladden raised nine children and got a lot of mileage from such songs. Gladden’s version presents some lively variations of the text. The Horseflies also perform this as a reggae song, and Bo Diddley recorded his own rock-and-roll. version: “Bo Diddley bought baby a diamond ring. / If that diamond ring don’t shine, / He gonna take it to a private eye. / If that private eye can’t see, / He better not take it away from me.”

In Ozark Folksongs, Vance Randolph quotes a verse sung by Ora Dusenbury, who explained that the final stanza refers to an old belief that mirrors “shine” only for virgins and faithful wives: “If the golden ring is brass, / Papa’s going to buy me a looking glass. / If the lookin’ glass don’t shine, / Papa’s going to shoot that beau of mine.”

Jean Ritchie sang Hush Little Baby in 1952 on her Elektra album Singing the Traditional Songs of Her Traditional Kentucky Mountain Family. Edward Tatnall Canby wrote in the sleeve notes:

A charming cradle song with its “ifs” and unexpected conclusion, universally known in the U.S. A mountain version of this is unaccountably sassy in a fast banjo tempo. This one is surely best for baby.

Sandy and Caroline Paton recorded Hush Little Baby in 1960 as the title track of their Topic EP of American songs and ballads sung as lullabies, Hush Little Baby. The liner notes commented:

It is not clear whether this favourite Southern lullaby is of White or Negro creation. Cecil Sharp collected versions of it from mountain women in North Carolina and Virginia with melodies that are unmistakably European in origin. This version sung by the Patons is one that has become widely known since it was recorded for the Library of Congress archive from a Negress, Annie Brewer, of Montgomery, Alabama, in 1937. The song easily leads to endless improvisation, and any mother worth her milk can keep going with rhymes on and on as long as the baby can stand it.

Cyril Davies and His Rhythm and Blues All Stars sang Hush Little Baby on 28 September 1963 in the ABC Television programme Hullabaloo presented by Rory McEwen and released on DVD in 2020.

Tim Hart sang Hush Little Baby in 1983 on Tim Hart and Friends’ album Drunken Sailor and Other Kids Songs. This track was later included on their compilation CD Favourite Nursery Rhymes and Other Children’s Songs.

Tommy Jarrell on fiddle, Paul Brown on banjo and Ernest Creed played Say Lady Say at Paul’s home in Toast, Surry County, North Carolina, on 15 May 1983. This recording made by Mike Yates was included in 2013 on the Musical Traditions anthology of songs, tunes and stories from Mike Yates’ Appalachian collections, Far in the Mountains Volume 5.

The Horseflies sang Hush Little Baby in 1988 on a Cooking Vinyl single. This track was also included in 1993 on the anthology CD Cooking Vinyl Sampler Vol. 1.

Judy Dunlop sang Hush Little Baby in 1999 on her CD My Arms Are a Cradle.

Sara Grey sang Say Darlin’ Say in 2002 on her Tradition Bearers album of North American songs and ballads, Boy, She’s a Daisy. She noted:

The tune is probably from Tommy Jarrell. I learned it partly from Bob Carlin and partly from the singing of Dirk Powell of Ohio & Kentucky. An old-time variation of the lullaby Hush Little Baby, Don’t Say A Word. First recording made by the Virginia Mountain Boomers, which was a pseudonym for Ernest Stoneman and the Sweet Brothers and recorded on Folkways in 1957 by the Stoneman Family.

Jess Arrowsmith, Jon Boden and Fay Hield sang Hush Little Baby in 2010 on Jess and Richard Arrowsmith’s CD of nursery songs, rhymes and lullabies, Off We Go!

Anna and Elizabeth sang Mockingbird on their 2012 album Sun to Sun. They noted:

Another lullaby from Texas Gladden, who said, “when you bring up nine, like i did, you had your hands full.”

David Gibb sang Hush Little Baby on his 2014 album Letters Through Your Door.

Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage sang Say Darlin’ Say on their 2024 album In the Dark We Grow.

Lyrics

Julie Boone sings The Mocking Bird

Hush up, baby, don’t say a word,
Papa’s going to buy you a mocking bird

If it can’t whistle and it can’t sing,
Papa’s going to buy you a diamond ring.

If that diamond ring turns to brass,
Papa’s going to buy you a looking-glass.

If that looking-glass gets broke,
Papa’s going to buy you a billy-goat.

If that billy-goat runs away,
Papa’s going to buy you another to-day.

Texas Gladden sings Hush, Baby, Don’t You Cry

Mama, mama, have you heard?
Papa’s gonna buy me a mockingbird.

If that mockingbird don’t sing,
Papa’s gonna buy me a diamond ring.

If that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa’s gonna buy me a looking glass.

If that looking glass gets broke,
Papa’s gonna buy me a billy goat.

If that billy goat runs away,
Papa’s gonna buy me an iron gray.

If that iron gray don’t trot,
Papa’s gonna buy me a house and lot.

If that house and lot don’t suit,
Papa’s gonna buy me a hoopty-toot.

Jess Arrowsmith sings The Mocking Bird

Hush little baby, don’t say a word,
Mama’s gonna buy you a mocking bird.

And if that mocking bird won’t sing,
Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.

If that diamond ring turns to brass,
Mama’s gonna buy you a looking-glass.

If that looking-glass gets broke,
Mama’s gonna buy you a billy-goat.

If if that billy-goat won’t pull,
Mama’s gonna buy you a cart and bull.

If that cart and bull falls over,
Mama’s gonna buy you a dog named Rover.

If that dog named Rover won’t bark,
Mama’s gonna buy you a horse and cart.

If that horse and cart falls down,
You’ll still be the prettiest little baby in town.

Sara Grey sings Say Darlin’ Say

Say little darlin’ won’t you marry me? Live in the holler of the old oak tree, Say darlin’ say.

In the old oak tree we’ll make our home, Never more this world to roam, Say darlin’ say.

Say little darlin’ if you were mine You wouldn’t do nothin’ but starch and iron, Say darlin’ say.

Starch and iron would be you trade, I’d get drunk and lay in the shade, Say darlin’ say.

Say little darlin’ won’t you marry me? Live in the holler of the old oak tree, Say darlin’ say.

Live in the holler of the old oak tree, Children bouncin’ on daddy’s knee. Say darlin’ say.

Hush little darling don’t say a word, Poppa’s going to buy you a mocking bird. Say darlin’ say.

If that mocking bird don’t sing, Poppa’s going to buy you a diamond ring. Say darlin’ say.

If that diamond ring is glass, Poppa’s going to buy you a looking glass. Say darlin’ say.

If that looking glass gets broke, Poppa’s going to buy you a billy goat. Say darlin’ say.

If that billy goat don’t pull, Poppa’s going to buy you a cart and bull. Say darlin’ say.

If that cart and bull fall down, You’d still be the sweetest baby in town. Say darlin’ say.

Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage sing Say Darlin’ Say

Say little darling won’t you marry me,
Live in a hollow ‘neath an old oak tree,
Say darlin’ say.

Live in a hollow ’neath an old oak tree,
Baby dancing on daddy’s knee,
Say darlin’ say.

Say little darling if you were mine,
Wouldn’t do nothin’ but starch and iron,
Say darlin’ say.

Starch and iron would be your trade,
I’d get drunk and lay in the shade,
Say darlin’ say.

Hush little baby don’t say a word.
Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird,
Say darlin’ say.

And if that mockingbird don’t sing,
Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring,
Say darlin’ say.

And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa’s gonna buy you a looking glass,
Say darlin’ say.

And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa’s gonna buy you a billy goat,
Say darlin’ say.

If that billy goat don’t pull,
Papa’s gonna buy you a cart and bull,
Say darlin’ say.

And if that cart and bull fall down.
You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town,
Say darlin’ say.