Bye, Baby Bunting Lyrics
A father out hunting, a mother milking and a baby waiting to be wrapped up warm: Bye, Baby Bunting fits a whole family into six short lines. It was printed in 1784.
Bye, Baby Bunting
Bye, baby bunting,
Father's gone a-hunting,
Mother's gone a-milking,
Sister's gone a-silking,
And brother's gone to buy a skin
To wrap the baby bunting in.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/bye-baby-bunting/
- Type
- Lullabies
- First published
- 1784
- Tune
- Traditional
- Best for ages
- 0 to 3 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Bye, baby bunting | Rock your baby gently in your arms. |
| Father's gone a-hunting | Walk your fingers along baby's arm. |
| Mother's gone a-milking | Make a gentle squeezing motion with your hands. |
| To wrap the baby bunting in | Wrap baby snugly in a blanket and give a cuddle. |
What Does Bye, Baby Bunting Mean?
"Bunting" was an old pet name for a plump little baby, and "bye" is a sleepy sound like "hush". The whole family is busy, and the song ends with baby cozily wrapped up, which is why it works so well as a lullaby.
In the original words father hunts for a rabbit skin. Many parents simply say a soft blanket instead.
History and Origin
Bye, Baby Bunting was printed in 1784 in Gammer Gurton's Garland, one of the early English nursery rhyme collections, and was probably sung long before that. Baby sleeping bags are still called "buntings" today, a name that comes from this old word.
Learning Activities
- Swaddle song: sing it while wrapping your baby in a blanket at bedtime.
- Family jobs: for toddlers, change the verses to what your own family does each day.