My goodness, isn't life strange! there i was singing to my 2 yr old at bedtime the 2 songs handed down from my great grandma from grimsby, thought what odd words not the most english i've heard oh i'll google it and BAM here they both are!!!
Versions i got were

Go to sleep my baby,
close your pretty eyes,
night has come to greet you,
peeping at you dearie from the skies,
Big old moon is shining,
stars begin to peep,
time for little picannines to go to sleep
(think i prefer sleepy babies to go to sleep)


Go to sleep my little picaninny,
brear fox'll catch you if you don't
slumber on the bosom of your elder mama jenny
Mama's little alabama coo
tra-loo tra-loo tra-loo-tra-loo tra-la-loo-loo
underneath the silvery southern moon
hushaby rockaby mama's little baby
mama's little alabama coo

i see now how just being handed down by word of mouth has altered it slightly! I have never met anyone who knows these 2 song i am astounded and delighted. So explain again just how these songs would have become familiar to our great grandparents?