# Rock-a-bye Baby

“Rock-a-bye Baby” is a British-American cradle song: its words were printed in London around 1765, and New England composer Effie I. Canning published the familiar melody in 1886.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | c. 1765 (words); 1886 (Canning melody, published by Chas. D. Blake; 1887 copyright-deposit edition) |
| Best for ages | 0–6 |
| Mood | lullaby, bedtime, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/rock-a-bye-baby/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Rock-a-bye, baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.

## How to sing it

1. Rock a baby or sway gently from side to side through the first three lines.
2. Slow down rather than dropping your hands on the last line; the tune works best as a quiet, even lullaby.

## Common questions

**Who wrote “Rock-a-bye Baby”?**

Nobody knows who wrote the words: they circulated long before the familiar tune, and the Library of Congress traces them to Mother Goose’s Melody, printed by John Newbery around 1765. Effie I. Canning composed the melody associated with the song in the 1880s; the Library of Congress holds an 1887 copyright-deposit copy.

**Is the cradle supposed to fall?**

The lyric ends with a fall, but singers commonly soften the action by lowering their arms slowly. Historical explanations for the image are speculative rather than established.

## Sources

- [Library of Congress — Rock-a-Bye Baby: Down Will Come Baby, Cradle and All](https://blogs.loc.gov/music/2020/12/rock-a-bye-baby-down-will-come-baby-cradle-and-all/)
- [Library of Congress — Rock a bye baby, Effie I. Canning, Boston, Chas. D. Blake & Co., 1887 (U.S. Copyright Office deposit; archived copy of the catalogue record)](https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://www.loc.gov/item/2024750841/)