Lesser known lullabies, or songs that should be lullabies

[SpAzpieSweeTot]

One night, I was asked to sing to the most wonderful man on the planet, and I couldn't think of any lullabies. I didn't want something run of the mill, but was drawing a blank on even those. Does anyone know of any lesser known lullabies, or lullabies that would make me the cool AB Mommy?

I found

and

. We're science nerds. It works. Any other cool ones?

 

[PaddedLittleParadise]

Well, it might not be a nursery-style traditional lullaby, but I’ve always thought John Denver’s “For Baby (For Bobbie)” was super sweet. Mary Travers of Peter, Paul, and Mary sings a lovely version.

Or if you’re feeling either Christmas-ey or a bit melancholy, try “Lully, Lulla”, a traditional English carol/lullaby. Queen’s College Oxford choir has a stunning version on YouTube. Though since it’s about the Massacre of the Innocents, it’s not all that cheery!

 

[SpAzpieSweeTot]

Hashkiveinu, a Hebrew night night prayer, is a good one. Count on me, by Bruno Mars, would be good, if I could find a version slow and sleepy enough. Simple Man, by Lynyrd Skynyrd, is a surprisingly good one. Any traditional Irish or Scottish ones? I haven't heard any, and I doubt he has either. He has good receptive language when it comes to Spanish. If I can get my mouth to move in Spanish, does anyone know any?

 

[HTML]

Mull of Kintyre by Paul McCartney, while not a lullaby per se, is a slow paced, beautiful song.

 

[ade]

Scottish ones?

Anything by Sheena Easton!


Okay, seriously: almost anything by Jim Reeves.
I don't know about other versions, but Joan Baez's 500 Miles as per,

is nice and soothing (performed in Scotland and her enjoying her Scots heritage, too; ticking the boxes as I go, lest I be beaten to death with a haggis for the Sheena Easton joke ).

Donovan's done some nice, soothing, and somewhat melancholic, songs, too, with Geraldine, Sunny Goodge Street, Josie, Yellow Is The Colour, Summer Day Reflection Song and Jersey Thursday to name a few (but not, strangely, The Lullaby Of Spring which I sing often; Soz, Doz).

There are lots of Irish ones, too, which could be classed/used as lullabies; here's one (and one of my favourites):

And let's have an English soothing tune:

A lotly, though, if you just quietly hum a tune to yourself, you'll reduce it a soothing sound.

Edit: on a Scottish note, I was trying to find an Annie Lennox performance of Farewell To Tarwathie that was included in an Eurythmics VHS tape (not the one that's top listed on YouTube in which she seems to be knackered).
Anyways, it's years since I heard it and I'd long forgotten the words, so I mostly just hummed it to myself, adapting and embellishing as I went, and go.
Since there's been an uplift in interest in British music lately, there's a few versions on YT (maybe I'll now learn the words )

 

[LittleAndrea]

My favorite is "stay awake" from Mary Poppins.

 

[longallsboy]

Two songs I always thought would be a great lullaby for a real child (baby, toddler, preschooler) or even a pseudo child (adult baby?? Developmentally disabled adult with the emotional / social, or even mental age of a child??) would be definitely :

1) "The Air That I Breathe" by the Hollies (1974) ; and

2) "After The Lovin'" by Engelbert Humperdinck (1976)

Ironically both of these songs are from the mid 1970s. The Air That I Breathe is a great song to sing a child to sleep with.

When I was in my early 20s in the mid to late 1990s, I was a big listener of oldies music (and still am). I don't know how many times I heard moms call (at the time) the local area oldies radio station and request "Angel Baby" by Rosie And The Originals (1960) for their 2 or 3 year old. At least, a couple of times, and usually ended up dedicated to a 3 year old that was vomiting and sick. I also remember the preschool at the local state university called the oldies station one time and requested "Mr. Sandman" by the Chordettes. Actual real preschoolers tend to really love oldies music. I was an assistant volunteer / co-host at Storytime for 3 to 5 year olds at my local library for 16 years, and me and my children's librarian friend did a lot of oldies songs (leading them singing and dancing) with the preschoolers. I also have friends in other states who have young children and their kids love this sort of stuff. And often it's the young children that like this type of genre of music - not necessarily their parents even (surprisingly). I like a lot of soft rock from the 1970s and 1980s too. Anne Murray was / is a great singer ; I really love "You Needed Me" (1978) although a lot of songs she sings are great. I've read from credible sources even on the internet that Anne Murray actually has quite a following / fan base among actual young children.

I also remember in the 1990s, Linda Ronstadt had a children's lullaby CD released. One of the songs she did was a cover version of "Baby, I Love You", which was originally done by the Ronettes in 1963. I actually like the version by the Ronettes very much, and if you ask me, it is more sweeter (and fun) than "Be My Baby". "Be My Baby" was a #2 hit, whereas "Baby, I Love You" only went to #24. Sometimes the best songs aren't necessarily the highest ranked on Billboard Top 100 charts.....Also, what I didn't know until last year was two of the three Ronettes, Estelle Bennett Vann and Nedra Talley (Ronnie Bennett Spector's sister and cousin, respectively), didn't even sing on "Baby, I Love You" because they were touring with Dick Clark's Caravan Of Stars in 1963. So what happened was that Phil Spector (crazy nut madman, but incredible producer) actually decided to have Darlene Love (with the Blossoms) and - get this - Sonny and Cher - to perform on "Baby, I Love You" as backing vocalists. Sonny (Bono) and Cher were also on "Be My Baby" actually too, but the difference is all 3 Ronettes sang in that one. Sonny and Cher would have their own song 1 year later that rose to #1 on Billboard, called "I Got You Babe"

And there is also "Don't Let Go" by Roy Hamilton (1958). That is a great song.

I'm sure there are a few other good ones, but can't think of them at the moment this morning. If I remember any others, I'll let y'all know.

I'm theoretically a musicologist as far as oldies and soft rock music goes. I also happen to have Classic Autism and ADHD. And I'm a walking street atlas.

Have a good day.

- longallsboy

 

[longallsboy]

Anything by Sheena Easton!
View attachment 64224

Okay, seriously: almost anything by Jim Reeves.
I don't know about other versions, but Joan Baez's 500 Miles as per.....
is nice and soothing (performed in Scotland and her enjoying her Scots heritage, too; ticking the boxes as I go, lest I be beaten to death with a haggis for the Sheena Easton joke ).

I like Sheena Easton's song "Morning Train" (aka "9 to 5", not the same as the Parton song, though BOTH were big hits in 1981) and I downright LOVE "Almost Over You" by Sheena Easton which was from late 1983. I was chronologically a 7 year old then. I remember the song very well.

I also remember "Queen Of Hearts" by Juice Newton very well. A big hit in Fall 1981. I remember hearing that on the school bus coming home from kindergarten every day, around September to December 1981 and even into 1982 (kindergarten in those days was 12:15 pm to 3:15 pm, half a day, although to me the 3 hours seemed to be more like 6 hours in my 5 year old mind! LOL!) . But me and a lot of the kindergarten kids riding with me on the bus home loved a lot of songs the local soft rock / adult contemporary radio station played at the time including "Queen Of Hearts". My bus driver liked that radio station too. We must have been an adorable bunch of little boys and girls listening to those songs. We must have looked really cute, from a detached 3rd party point of view. LOL.

- longallsboy

 

[Teekabell]

If you want to hear some great lullabies that are not your traditional lullabies, look up Bedtime With The Beatles. You can find several of the songs on YouTube.

 

[LilChippers]

"Two Little Men in a Flying Saucer" by Ella Fitzgerald is my favorite!

 

[Kittyinpink]

One night, I was asked to sing to the most wonderful man on the planet, and I couldn't think of any lullabies. I didn't want something run of the mill, but was drawing a blank on even those. Does anyone know of any lesser known lullabies, or lullabies that would make me the cool AB Mommy?

I found

and

. We're science nerds. It works. Any other cool ones?

Pans Labyrinth. A film. Has an amazing lullaby as theme tune and throughout film.

 

[iPad]

I've always loved the song 'Snowbound' by Genesis and currently have it in my bedtime playlist, while I fall asleep with my .

The lyrics are pretty reminiscent of childhood wonder but also have subtle dark overtones making it pretty interesting and almost like a fairy tale/nursery rhyme that sounds childlike and fun but is also a bit sinister too.

Still, a lovely song and great for a bedtime playlist. Oh, and not bad for Collins-era Genesis too, albeit not a patch on Gabriel-era stuff