Hush Little Baby: Full Lyrics, History and Modern Version
Hush Little Baby is the only classic lullaby in the world where the parent keeps promising bigger and bigger gifts in exchange for sleep. It's funny, it's gentle, and it's been working in American and Australian nurseries for over 200 years.
Full traditional lyrics, the origin story, and the shorter modern version parents now use at bedtime.
Full traditional lyrics
Hush, little baby, don't say a word,
Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat.
And if that billy goat won't pull,
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull turn over,
Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won't bark,
Mama'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.
The shorter modern version
Most parents now loop the first 2–3 verses and skip the broken-gift sequence:
Hush, little baby, don't say a word,
Mama's gonna sing you a special song.
And if that special song's not enough,
Mama's gonna love you anyway.
And if that love is not enough,
Mama's right here all night long.
Where it comes from
Hush Little Baby is American folk — almost certainly from the southern United States in the 1800s. The first written version was collected by English folklorist Cecil Sharp in 1918, in his book English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians. By then the song had already been passed around by ear for nearly a century.
Why it's a "cumulative" lullaby
Cumulative songs (think Old MacDonald) stack new content on top of an unchanging chorus structure. For babies, that unchanging structure is the sleep cue — the brain stops processing the new words and starts riding the rhythm. For parents, the new words are a memory game that keeps you singing long enough for your baby to drift off.
How to use it tonight
- Sing the first verse twice before moving on.
- Keep tempo at roughly 70 BPM — far slower than feels natural at first.
- Lower your volume each verse.
- If you reach the end, loop back to verse 1 rather than adding new gifts.
More classic lullabies
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the full lyrics to Hush Little Baby?
It's a cumulative song — each verse names a new gift if the previous one doesn't work. The full traditional sequence runs through a mockingbird, a diamond ring, a looking glass, a billy goat, a cart and bull, a dog named Rover, a horse and cart, and finally, 'you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.'
Where does Hush Little Baby come from?
It's an American folk lullaby of unclear origin, most likely from the southern United States in the 1800s. The earliest printed version appeared in the 1918 collection English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians by Cecil Sharp.
Why does Hush Little Baby list so many gifts?
Cumulative songs were a memory game and a way to keep tired parents singing — every verse adds something new. For babies, the repeating melody is what matters; the lyrics are a parental coping device.
Is there a shorter modern version?
Yes. Many parents now sing just the first two or three verses, then loop. The original ending of broken gifts is sometimes replaced with 'and if that mockingbird won't sing, mama's gonna love you anything.'
Why does Hush Little Baby still work for sleep?
The melody is gentle, the rhythm is slow and predictable, and the repetition of 'mama's gonna…' inside each verse creates a hypnotic loop. Five or six verses is usually enough to settle a baby.
Sample: Liam's lullaby
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