All the pretty little horses ...... Hush-a-bye
Like 2 Dislike 0 Published on 27 Apr 2012
It was originally sung by an African American slave who could not take care of her baby because she was too busy taking care of her master's child. She would sing this song to her master's child (Lacy 1986, p. 76). Originally, the lyrics were "birds and butterflies, peck at his eyes" but were changed to "birds and butterflies, flutter 'round his eyes" to make the lullaby less violent for younger children. This theory is backed by the reference to "wee little lamby...cried for her mammy" as slaves were often forcibly separated from their own families in order to serve their owners. This verse is in a very different emotional tenor to the rest of the lullaby, suggesting a particular significance.
The oldest surviving set of lyrics are as follows:
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleepy little baby.
When you wake, you shall have,
All the pretty little ponies.
Blacks and bays, dapples and greys,
Go to sleepy you little baby,
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleepy little baby.
Daddy's boy Mama's joy
Go to Slumberland my baby
When you wake, you shall have,
All the pretty little ponies.
Hush your cries
Close your eyes
Dream of pretty little ponies
Hush a bye don't you cry
Go to sleep my little baby
Darkness falls and man calls
Go to sleep my little baby
When you wake, you shall have,
All the pretty little ponies.
Up and down round and round
Dream of pretty little horses
Hush a bye don't you cry
Go to sleep my little baby
Go to sleep my little baby.
Αυτονοητο για οσους εχουν στοιχειωδη ευφυια και ΔΕΝ διακατεχονται απο μισαλλοδοξια ειναι οτι : H αρχικη καταγραφη των εικονων ΔΕΝ ειναι δικη μου.