The evolution of this lullaby 'from the Bahamas' into the song sung by Joan Baez and many others during the 'folk revival' is not well documented (The Baez lyrics in the DT lack the Jordan verse, which she sang; "All My Trials," on youtube). Somehow it has, by the addition of floating verses, changed into a pseudo-spiritual. It may have started life as a religious song or lullaby in North Carolina or other coastal state and moved to the West Indies. I have not seen any clear reference to when or in what form it was collected.

Raredance (above) posted the first verse of a religious or lullaby song from North Carolina ("negro fragment"), and printed in vol. 3, Folk Songs of North Carolina, Belden and Hudson, no. 580, "Hush, Little Baby," in F. C. Brown, North Carolina Folklore.
I will post the complete entry in a separate thread.

Bob Gibson, 1956, and Cynthia Gooding, also 1956, seem to have been the first to start the song on its way to popularity; Glenn Yarborough recorded it in 1957, and Harry Belafonte in 1959. (The link by Masato to "Folk Music Index" has disappeared).

Any information on the 'beginnings' and history of this song would be appreciated.