Hush-a-bye, Baby, Lie Still with Thy Daddy Lyrics
Mom has gone to the mill to fetch meal for a cake, and Dad is left to settle the baby. A four-line lullaby with a happy ending in sight: cake when she gets back.
Hush-a-bye, Baby, Lie Still with Thy Daddy
Hush-a-bye, baby, lie still with thy daddy,
Thy mammy is gone to the mill,
To get some meal to bake a cake,
So pray, my dear baby, lie still.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/hush-a-bye-baby-lie-still-with-thy-daddy/
- Type
- Lullabies
- Tune
- Sung or spoken lullaby
- Best for ages
- Newborn to 3 years
What Does Hush-a-bye, Baby, Lie Still with Thy Daddy Mean?
"Thy daddy" and "thy mammy" are old ways of saying your dad and your mom. The baby's mother has gone to the mill, where grain was ground, to get meal (coarse flour) for baking. Until she comes home, the baby is asked to lie still in Dad's arms. The singer is most likely Dad himself, keeping the baby calm until Mom gets back.
History and Origin
This version comes from Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes, where it sits next to the rhyme "You Shall Have an Apple". Short hush-a-bye verses like this were made to be sung over and over while rocking, so they kept changing from family to family.
Learning Activities
- Dad's turn: a father or grandfather sings it while rocking the baby.
- Swap the trip: change the mill to a shop you visit and sing it again.
- Bake together: bake a simple cake and sing the rhyme while it is in the oven.