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Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.  

post #1 of 27
11/11/06 at 9:45pm
Thread Starter 
I'm curious as to whether you know different words to this lullaby.

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

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

If that diamond turn 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 the billy goat runs away,
Mama's gonna buy you another today.

This is the way I learned it. I read another version that had buying a bull and a cart.
Is there a right version of this? An Oldest version?

Any better forum for this question?
post #2 of 27
11/11/06 at 10:33pm
Quote:
Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

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

If that diamond turn 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 that billy goat don't pull
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull

If that cart and bull turn over
Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover

If that dog named Rover don't bark
Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart

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

That's how I've always heard / sung it.
post #3 of 27
11/12/06 at 1:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaska_Dog View Post
If that billy goat don't pull
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull

If that cart and bull turn over
Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover

If that dog named Rover don't bark
Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart

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

That's how I've always heard / sung it.
Same here.
post #4 of 27
11/12/06 at 3:18am
mama's gonna show you a hummingbird

if that hummingbird won't fly
mama's gonna show you the evening sky

when the night time shadows fall
mama's gonna hear the crickets call

as their song drifts from afar
mama's gonna show you a shooting star

as that star drops out of view
mama's gonna read a book with you

when that story has been read
mama's gonna get your warm bedspread

if that quilt begins to wear
mama's gonna find your teddy bear

if that teddy bear won't hug
mama's gonna catch you a lightening bug

if that lightening bug won't glow
mama's gonna find you an old banjo

if that banjo's out of tune
mama's gonna show you the harvest moon

while that moon drifts from the sky
mama's gonna sing you a lullaby
post #5 of 27
11/12/06 at 3:34am
I've never heard it sung with "mama"! It was always our special "daddy" lullaby and families I know who sing it use "daddy" too. Maybe this is a national thing - I'm Australian. Also, my family says "dray" instead of "cart".

So ours is:

Quote:
Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

If that diamond turns to brass,
Daddy's gonna buy you a looking-glass.

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

If that billy goat won't pull
Daddy's gonna buy you a cart and bull

If that cart and bull turn over
Daddy's gonna buy you a dog named Rover

If that dog named Rover runs away
Daddy's gonna buy you a horse and dray

If that horse and dray fall down
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town
Sully, I love the alternate "hummingbird" lyrics. Very sweet!
post #6 of 27
11/12/06 at 11:14am
Sully - I really like your version. That is very sweet.
post #7 of 27
11/12/06 at 12:04pm
the hummingbird version is from a picture book. can't remember the author, but we checked the book out from the library.

i sing this song to my girls every night as a lullaby with the horse and cart ending, but we don't BUY -- i changed it to FIND. i also alternate mama and daddy. i've been singing it almost every night for 5.5 yrs so i don't even have to pay attention to myself anymore. it's almost a kinetic memory. my mouth just know what words to form and my mind wanders...
post #8 of 27
11/12/06 at 12:11pm
It's from the book "Hush Little Baby" by Sylvia Long. We have that book too and we like it a lot.
post #9 of 27
11/12/06 at 12:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flor View Post
Same here.
And here. This is one of my babe's faves!
post #10 of 27
11/12/06 at 1:25pm
that book was the best baby gift we received!
post #11 of 27
11/12/06 at 5:56pm
I always heard it as Daddy, and with the verses from the second post.

The hummingbird one is pretty too!
post #12 of 27
11/13/06 at 7:53pm
i dont like the beginning of the song

hush little baby dont say a word

i dont like the idea of telling your baby not to talk to you, i am probably reading too much in to it but i dont like the idea of discouraging a baby from communicating

i always start the song by singing

hush little baby dont you cry
mama's going to buy you a kite to fly

and if that kite has got no string
mamas gonna buy you a diamond ring
post #13 of 27
11/13/06 at 10:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by elelvee View Post
Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

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

If that diamond turn 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 the billy goat runs away,
Mama's gonna buy you another today.
instead of "Mama's gonna buy you another today"
I sing
"we know [ds name or dd name] is the best baby anyway."

That's always how my mom sang it to both my brother and I.
Other than that one line. we sing it exactly like you do.
post #14 of 27
11/17/06 at 1:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sully View Post
mama's gonna show you a hummingbird

if that hummingbird won't fly
mama's gonna show you the evening sky

when the night time shadows fall
mama's gonna hear the crickets call

as their song drifts from afar
mama's gonna show you a shooting star

as that star drops out of view
mama's gonna read a book with you

when that story has been read
mama's gonna get your warm bedspread

if that quilt begins to wear
mama's gonna find your teddy bear

if that teddy bear won't hug
mama's gonna catch you a lightening bug

if that lightening bug won't glow
mama's gonna find you an old banjo

if that banjo's out of tune
mama's gonna show you the harvest moon

while that moon drifts from the sky
mama's gonna sing you a lullaby
This one's so sweet -- I have tears in my eyes!

Violet
post #15 of 27
11/17/06 at 9:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaska_Dog View Post
If that billy goat don't pull
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull

If that cart and bull turn over
Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover

If that dog named Rover don't bark
Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart

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

That's how I've always heard / sung it.
Me too, except I knew it as 'Daddy' rather than 'Mama'.
post #16 of 27
11/18/06 at 1:55am
Quote:
i dont like the beginning of the song

hush little baby dont say a word
From what I understand it is about a baby who wont stop crying and a mother begging it stop with anything she can.
post #17 of 27
8/9/07 at 4:10pm
Thread Starter 
Why did I bump up this old thread? Well, I thought of something. It wasn't either Mama or Daddy--it was PAPA. I learned it as, "Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird."
post #18 of 27
8/9/07 at 10:01pm
Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

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

If that diamond don't shine
Mama's gonna buy you a bottle of wine.

If that bottle of wine don't taste,
Mama's gonna throw it in the white man's face.

Keep in mind this song came from my great grandma who was born in 1905: the other version isn't any better.

hush little baby don't you cry
mama's gonna bake you a sweet potato pie

and if that sweet potato pie ain't good
mama's gonna stitch a red riding hood

and if that red riding hood ain't red
mama's gonna quilt you a down feathered bed

and if that down feathered bed ain't soft
mama's gonna cut that goose's head off

er, the words may have gotten changed a bit over time I don't know but these are actually the only versions I ever knew as a kid.
post #19 of 27
8/9/07 at 10:14pm
I sing it ChaskaDog's way - but I alternate "Mama's gonna... " and "Daddy's gonna..." with each verse.

Then again, doing it that way may be giving dd the message that if one of us gives her something she doesn't like, she can just go running to the other parent for something else! "Daddy... the dog that mommy got me won't bark! Will you buy me a pony?"
post #20 of 27
8/9/07 at 10:19pm
Here is our version:
Didn't realize there were so many.....


Hush little baby don't say a word
Mama's gonna buy you a mocking bird

If that mocking bird don't sing,
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring,

If that diamond ring gets broke
Momma's gonna buy you a billy goat

If that billy goat falls over
...buy you a doggy named Rover

If that doggy named ROver don't bark,
...buy you a bull and cart

If that bull and cart breaks down
You'll still be the sweetest baby in town.
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