The best lullabies for babies are sung lullabies because babies love the sound of their mothers voice even more than music alone. Lullabies for babies have always been a popular way to soothe baby to sleep at bedtime due to there calming and relaxing effect. There are many styles of music which class as lullabies. The common characteristics of a lullaby are that a lullaby is played softly in a lilting rhythm, usually 3/4 time for the reason that this rhythm mimics a rocking motion which your baby finds so soothing.
The best lullabies for babies are the most well known lullabies such as Brahms Lullaby – sometimes called The Cradle Song or Lullaby and Goodnight, Rock a Bye Baby, Hush Little Baby sometimes called Mocking Bird Lullaby and of course Mozart’s famous Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. These popular relaxing baby lullabies videos to get you and your baby started on your lullaby journey.
Here are 10 of the best lullabies for babies.
One: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
This lullaby is probably the most well know baby lullaby song and people from all over the world are familiar with this tune. The origin of the original tune is unknown. It It is thought that it is a French folk tune called “Ah! vous dirais-je Maman”. We do know that a young Mozart wrote wonderful variations on the tune in 1781 and from then on it has mostly been credited to Mozart. He wrote it for his sister Nannerl when he was about eight years old. The lyrics are, ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are, Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky, Twinkle, twinkle little star, How I wonder what you are. This is an instrumental version of the song.
Two: Brahms Lullaby – Lullaby and Goodnight
Brahms Lullaby is one of the best lullabies for babies and it was published by Johannes Brahms in 1868. Its German name is ‘Wiegenlied’ meaning Cradle Song. This lullaby is one of Brahms most popular songs and Brahms Lullaby was written for his friend Bertha Faber for the birth of her second child, a son. The lyrics are from a collection of German Folk poems and Brahms wrote a second verse from a 1849 poem by Georg Scherer. The lyrics are ‘ Lullaby and good night, with roses bedight,With lilies o’er spread is baby’s wee bed, Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed. Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed.’ Here is an instrumental version of Brahms famous lullaby.
Three: Hush Little Baby or Mocking Bird Lullaby
Hush Little Baby Don’t Say a Word is a traditional lullaby taken from a folk song originating in the South of the USA and is one of the best lullabies for babies . Like many traditional lullaby songs the origin is unknown. The name Mockingbird Lullaby comes from the words in the first phrase, ‘Hush, little Baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s gonna buy you a Mockingbird’. The lullaby song promises all sorts of nice things if baby is quiet and it is fun to add your own verses to this as you sing along. ‘
Hush, little baby, don’t say a word.
Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird won’t sing,
Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa’s gonna buy you a looking glass
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa’s gonna buy you a billy goat
And if that billy goat won’t pull,
Papa’s gonna buy you a cart and bull
And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa’s gonna buy you a dog named Rover
And if that dog named Rover won’t bark
Papa’s gonna buy you a horse and cart
And if that horse and cart fall down,
You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town.
Four: Rock a Bye Baby On The Tree Tops
Rock a Bye Baby is one of the most popular lullabies to sing to your baby. The song has been given many meanings and different theories abound. The song describes a mother gently rocking her baby as if the wind were blowing baby in the treetops. The mother then lowers the crib to the ground. The words first appeared in 1756 and Hush a Bye Baby was later replaced by Rock a Bye Baby. The lyrics are – ‘Rock-a-bye, baby, in the treetop, When the wind blows, the cradle will rock, When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, And down will come baby, cradle and all. ‘ Here is an instrumental version of the song,
Five: Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes
Golden Slumbers was made famous by the Beatles modified version as the lyrics for the song on their ‘Abbey Road’ Album. However the original Golden Slumbers lullaby is from the 1603 play Patient Grissel by Thomas Dekker and it is the best known Renaissance lullaby. The sweet lyrics tell of a baby sleeping peacefully with the mother waiting with happiness for baby to awake. ‘Golden slumbers kiss your eyes, Smiles awake you when you rise; Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry, And I will sing a lullaby.’ Here is a sung version of the song:-
Six: Baa Baa Black Sheep Have You Any Wool
Baa Baa Black Sheep is an English nursery rhyme which dates from 1731 and the melody is thought to have come from the same source as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. This tune is a variant of the 1761 French melody ‘Ah! vous dirai-je, maman.’ The words are thought to be a commentary on the taxes placed on the wool trade in Medieval England. Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool,
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full! One for the master, And one for the dame, One for the little boy Who lives down the lane’ Here is an instrumental version of Baa Baa Black Sheep:-
Seven: All The Pretty Little Horses
All the Pretty Little Horses is a traditional lullaby from the Unites States thought to be of African American origin. The song lyrics are written from the mothers point of view and promise that when the baby wakes they ‘shall have all the pretty little horses’. ‘Hush you bye, Don’t you cry, Go to sleepy, little baby.when you wake, You shall have,all the pretty little horses.’
Eight: Are You Sleeping – (Frere Jacques)
This lullaby tells the tale of a friar who over sleeps and doesn’t ring the bell for morning and evening prayers! There are several possible origins of Are You Sleeping or Frere Jaques dating from the 17th century. These are the traditional lyrics, ‘Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping? Brother John, Brother John,Morning bells are ringing! Morning bells are ringing!Ding, dang, dong. Ding, dang, dong’. Here is an instrumental version of the song:-
Nine: Bobby Shaftoe’s Gone To Sea
Bobby Shaftoe comes from an English folk song and the earliest printed version originates in 1805 with additional verses added in 1821. Thge most common lyrics are ‘Bobby Shafto’s gone to sea,Silver buckles at his knee;He’ll come back and marry me,Bonny Bobby Shafto!Bobby Shafto’s bright and fair,Combing down his yellow hair;He’s my love for evermore,Bonny Bobby Shafto.’ The tune is thought to have been written in the 1690’s from a tune called ‘Brave Wille Forster’.
Ten: Lavenders Blue Dilly Dilly
Lavenders Blue is a traditional English Lullaby from the 17th century and its one of the best lullabies for babies at bedtime. The earliest version of the song is found printed in England between 1672 and 1673. The lyric are, ‘ Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly, lavender’s green, When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen. Who told you so, dilly dilly, who told you so? ‘Twas mine own heart, dilly dilly, that told me so’. Disney used the song in there film and called in ‘The Cinderella Song’. Here is an instrumental version of the lullaby:-
