# Hush, Little Baby

"Hush, Little Baby" is a traditional lullaby from the American South of unknown age and author, built on a chain of promised gifts — a mockingbird, a ring, a looking glass — that a parent offers to soothe a child.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | lullaby, calming |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/hush-little-baby/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Hush, little baby, don't say a word,
Mama's going to buy you a mockingbird.

### Verse 2 (en)

If that mockingbird won't sing,
Mama's going to buy you a diamond ring.

### Verse 3 (en)

If that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama's going to buy you a looking glass.

### Verse 4 (en)

If that looking glass gets broke,
Mama's going to buy you a billy goat.

### Verse 5 (en)

If that billy goat won't pull,
Mama's going to buy you a cart and bull.

### Verse 6 (en)

If that cart and bull turn over,
Mama's going to buy you a dog named Rover.

### Verse 7 (en)

If that dog named Rover won't bark,
Mama's going to buy you a horse and cart.

### Verse 8 (en)

If that horse and cart fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little boy in town.

### Verse 9 (en)

So hush little baby, don't you cry,
Daddy loves you and so do I.

## Common questions

**Where does "Hush, Little Baby" come from?**

It is a traditional lullaby thought to have grown up in the Southern United States. Like most folk songs its author and exact age are unknown; it was being collected from singers by the early twentieth century — Cecil Sharp noted a version in Virginia in 1918.

**Why does "Hush, Little Baby" keep promising gifts?**

It is a cumulative song: each line offers the baby something new — a mockingbird, a diamond ring, a looking glass, a billy goat — and each gift that fails is simply replaced by another. Because it is just a chain of rhyming couplets, singers can add or swap gifts freely, so no two families sing quite the same version.

**What is the point of all the presents?**

The gifts are really beside the point. The last lines give the game away: even if everything falls through, the baby is still "the sweetest little one in town", loved regardless. The song's comfort is in the soothing chain of promises, not the promises themselves.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — Hush, Little Baby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hush,_Little_Baby)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3143447