Hush-a-ba Birdie, Croon Lyrics
A Scottish mother sings the baby a soothing song about the sheep, the cows and the goats out on the hills, and the wild deer galloping by.
Hush-a-ba Birdie, Croon
Hush-a-ba birdie, croon, croon,
Hush-a-ba birdie, croon;
The sheep are gane to the silver wood,
And the coos are gane to the broom, broom,
And the coos are gane to the broom.
And it's braw milking the kye, kye,
It's braw milking the kye;
The birds are singing, the bells are ringing,
The wild deer come galloping by, by,
The wild deer come galloping by.
And hush-a-ba birdie, croon, croon,
Hush-a-ba birdie, croon;
The gaits are gane to the mountain hie,
And they'll no be hame till noon,
And they'll no be hame till noon.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/hush-a-ba-birdie-croon/
- Type
- Lullabies
- Tune
- Sung slowly as a lullaby
- Best for ages
- 1 to 4 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Hush-a-ba birdie, croon | Rock a baby or a soft toy from side to side. |
| The birds are singing, the bells are ringing | Flutter your fingers like wings, then pretend to ring a small bell. |
| The wild deer come galloping by | Tap your knees quickly, then slow down to a stop. |
What Does Hush-a-ba Birdie, Croon Mean?
The song has three verses, and each pulls the baby's attention outward to the hills, then back to the cradle. The first verse says the sheep are gone to the silver wood and the cows to the broom, a shrub that grows on the hillside. The second verse is about milking the cows, which are called kye in Scots, with birds singing, bells ringing and wild deer galloping past. The third verse sends the goats off to the high mountain, and they will not be home till noon.
Every verse repeats its last line, so the words slow down and settle like a rocking cradle. Braw is a Scots word for fine or good.
History and Origin
Robert Ford prints this song in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories, in the section on Scottish nursery songs. He does not name a writer or say when it was first sung.
The next song in his book, "Dance to Your Daddie", is one he calls a prime favourite, so the two are close together in the collection.
Learning Activities
- Hill animals: draw the sheep, cows, goats and deer from the verses on a big hillside scene.
- Rocking game: rock a doll to sleep, and let the rocking get slower on each repeated line.
- Scots words: learn braw, kye and hame and use them in a quiet game.
- Soft voices: sing each verse a little more quietly than the last.