Mockingbird
trad
I’ve always thought of this song as a lullaby but it was interpreted very differently in rock music by the likes of Ike & Tina Turner, and James Taylor & Carly Simon.
Hush, little baby, don't say a word,
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
If that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
If that diamond rings is brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.
If that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat.
If that billy goat won't pull
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
If that cart and bull turn over,
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
If that dog named Rover won't bark,
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart.
If that horse and cart break down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.
Singing to Babies
This song is also known as Hush, Little Baby. I’m not sure why I know it as Mockingbird. I learned it from the Joan Baez Songbook and her Vanguard recordings, which my parents had. I sang it to all my babies, to any baby who’d listen, really. It was a real go-to song when the babies were restless, and even as they were older and unwell, it would tend to calm them. My kids all developed a nostalgia about it.
One summer evening when Dion was about 18 or 19, a few of us were sitting around the fire in the courtyard. I had my guitar out and we were singing. I said, “Here’s one for you, Dion,” and started singing Mockingbird. He went “Aw, Mum,” and grinned a bit sheepishly, but he joined in. He had a nice voice and accurate pitch.
Bonny's newborn photo
Bonny as about 5 months pregnant with Buddy when it was her birthday. I wanted to give her something that celebrated that special time of becoming a mum. I found a couple of baby photos of her when she was a newborn. Using my mobile phone, I recorded an unaccompanied version of Mockingbird. With the help of my tech-savvy grandson, Andrew, I made a YouTube clip using the song and the pictures. Bonny told me she would play it and put the phone on her belly so the baby could hear it.
When we visited her to meet our new grandson, I did a lot of holding the baby and singing, mainly Mockingbird, Tell Me Ma and Marie’s Wedding.
