Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 01 Sep 21 - 02:06 PM

Joe
There is another thread on this song that has the text of the Bodleian broadside in pigeon German c1880s. The Bodleian reference is Harding B11 (1137). They could do to be merged. Either this version is the likely original or it is a parody of the original. Either way it must be at least 1880s.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 01 Sep 21 - 01:47 PM

The Wehmann version looks as if it has been sanitised. The second verse is completely out of theme with the first. To me the style is very much 1870s/1880s American Music Hall much in the same vein as Chickens in the Garden though that one is more sentimental. The many quite different versions would give us a date going back at least to the 1880s. Very popular pieces like this were soon parodied and rewritten. It shouldn't be too difficult turning up the original if that is the case.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: GUEST,Diedra
Date: 01 Sep 21 - 09:37 AM

My mom sang a version of this, I never thought I'd find it...

I've a dear little wife,
she's the joy of my life,
just three years younger than I.
She's full of enjoyment,
and plenty of life,
sometimes she goes out on a spree.
She leaves me behind,
the baby to mind,
the house in good order to keep.

Chorus:
Hush a la, La coo, La hush-a-bye baby,
Tossing the baby ever so high
Hush a la, La coo, La hush-a-bye baby,
Mama will come bye-and-bye.

One night after rocking the baby to sleep,
I took a short walk on the street,
When to my surprise, I saw with my eyes
My wife and a Soldier six-feet.
At first I was rout,
She passed me and smiled, and said I was taking a peek.
She tickled my chin and said Willy go in, and rock the dear baby to sleep.

Repeat Chorus

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: leeneia
Date: 24 Jun 20 - 12:40 PM

It's interesting how far back in time the "Drunk and Divorced" themes go. I wonder what it's like to grow up in the country and have this negative stuff dumped on you at home, on the road and in every bar and restaurant.

I recently encountered "Rocking My Babies to Sleep" in the form of a violin-guitar duet on a CD made by high school students. I thought the melody was so beautiful that I found it online and arranged it for piano. Later when I saw these words, I wrote new ones. Maybe I'll sing them at next Monday's sing-a-round.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: Reinhard
Date: 24 Jun 20 - 06:05 AM

This seems to be a bit older than Jimmy Rogers' recording.

Wehman Bros.' Good Old-Time Songs No. 2 (New York 1910) has on p.70

Hush-a-Bye, Baby

Now show me the lady that never would roam,
But would stay with her family at night,
And never go roaming after the boys,
But would sit by her fireside so bright.
My wife she is one of those different kind,
And often she causes me to weep,
By the way she does roam and leaves me alone
To rock the dear baby to sleep.

Chorus:
La la, la la, hush-a-bye, baby,
Chucking the baby ever so high;
La la, la la, hush-a-bye, baby,
Mamma will come home to you by and by.

We've a neat little cottage all shaded by trees,
As happy as happy can be,
Where we laugh and we walk, over baby we talk,
For none are so merry as we.
He's just six months old, and he tries hard to scold
By clapping his fat, chubby hand,
And the baby does cry when any one's nigh,
He's the sweetest dear babe in the land.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 24 Jun 20 - 04:46 AM

You can hear Jimmy Rodgers' version on a new 3CD set 'Wait Till the Clouds Roll By' (Musical Traditions MTCD518-0) followed by a version of the song sung by Doris Davies from Gloucestershire. The CDs contain American recordings, mainly from the 1920's '30's, together with British field recordings of singers singing their versions of these American songs. One or two of the American recordings are pre 1920. It may come as a surprise to realise just how many American songs were picked up by British singers.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jun 20 - 12:37 PM

My dad used to sing a version very similar to the one credited to Roy Rogers with just a couple of differences. He sang "I'm just 35 and my dear little wife is 10 years younger than me" (matching the age difference between him and our mom). There was no yodeling chorus, and he changed the last lines to "you've been hugging and kissing and having your fun, now YOU rock our babies to sleep".

We thought it was hilarious!

Frances

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: GUEST,Karla Needels
Date: 19 Mar 19 - 05:54 PM

Thank You! My Dad replaced the yodel with Hootie Hootie Hootie . The rest of the words are spot on!!

Subject: Lyr Add: WHILE I ROCK OUR BABIES TO SLEEP (Rogers)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Apr 18 - 04:46 PM

I found this on Spotify:


WHILE I ROCK OUR BABIES TO SLEEP
As recorded by Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers
[From a compilation album: "Soundies Digital (Jazz/Country/Pop), Vol. 25" (2004)]

I am now thirty-five and my dear little wife
Is just ten years younger than me.
She is full of enjoyment, has plenty of life,
And she sometimes goes out on a spree.
She will leave me behind, for the babies to mind,
The house in good order to keep,
And then she will roam far away from her home
While I rock all our babies to sleep.

CHORUS: [Yodel]
Toss up the babies ever so high.
[Yodel]
Your mama will come by and by.

One night when I got all our babies to sleep,
I took a short walk down the street,
And to my surprise, I saw with my eyes
My wife with a man of six feet.
At first I grew wild; when I passed them I smiled,
And says I while taking a peep:
"You've been hugging and kissing and having your fun
While I rock all our babies to sleep." CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: leeneia
Date: 04 Apr 18 - 09:51 PM

"all the babies"? Two sets of twins, or what?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: GUEST,CECELIA
Date: 04 Apr 18 - 06:01 PM

In Newfoundland my father called the song CHUCKY THE BABY and it had a refrain.The first verse went like this:                           
I'm scarce forty-five, my young little wife
is twenty years younger than me
She's fond of enjoyment and all kinds of fun
And likes to go out on a spree.
She left me behind, the babies to mind
The house in fine order to keep
With the fire shining bright, I'll stay home tonight
And rock all the babies to sleep.

The Refrain: To me lo ho ho ho Chucky the baby
Chucky the baby ever so high
To me lo ho ho ho Chucky the baby
Ma will be home love by and by.
   
   The other three verses are the same as Gene's mentioned above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 28 Nov 17 - 07:15 AM

I’m just forty-five I’ve got a dear wife, who's just ten years younger than me. She's full of enjoyment and plenty of fun and often goes out on the spree.

She leaves me behind the baby to mind, the house in good order to keep.

The fire shining bright I’m singing all night whilst rocking the baby to sleep.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: GUEST,Peter Boddis
Date: 28 Dec 15 - 01:03 AM

Here is the similar song from my Lancashire Dad played on the piano and sung to us as children in 1943

I'm just 45 and got a dear wife,
who's just ten years younger than me
she's full of enjoyment and plenty of fun
and often goes out on the spree.

She leaves me behind the baby to mind
the house in good order to keep

The fire shining bright I'm singing all night
whilst rocking the baby to sleep.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 10:46 AM

Bert Lloyd reckoned this member of the 'Rocking the Baby' family dated to the 1860s. It would fit in with the amount of variation in oral versions and it being widespread. The family of songs on the same theme goes back at least to the 17th century with similar pieces on broadsides of that period. This note of Bert's comes from the sleeve notes to Mike Waterson's solo album on which he sings a variant 'The Charlady's Son'. Bert reckoned Mike's version from Mick Taylor was a cross between this one and the Irish song 'Rocking the Cradle' but I can't see any of the Irish song in Mike's version. The original first line seems to have been 'Oh show me the lady that never will roam' as given in Australian variant.

Subject: Lyr Add: ROCK ALL THE BABIES TO SLEEP (V Horton)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 08:37 AM

From The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers: A Legacy in Country Music by Jocelyn R. Neal (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2009), page 92:

"Vaughn Horton's version, as published in Southern Peer's song plugger's notebook, 1970"


ROCK ALL THE BABIES TO SLEEP
Vaughn Horton

1. I've got a good wife, the joy of my life,
But once I was walkin' down street
And to my surprise, I saw with my eyes
My wife with a guy of six feet.
She said, "Papa dear, there's nothing to fear.
My cousin you really should meet."
Then she tickled my chin, said, "Honey, go in
And rock all the babies to sleep."

CHORUS: Rock, rock, rock, rock,
Rock all the babies to sleep.

2. I came home from work quite early one night,
And knocked on the door with my hand.
The door opened wide and I walked inside
To hear the back door as it slammed.
She said as she grinned, "That's only the wind.
You know that I never would cheat."
Then she answered the phone and left me alone
To rock all the babies to sleep.

3. One night she did go downtown to a show.
She said it was naughty but nice.
She came home at four and knocked on the door
And told me she sat through it twice.
Each time she goes out, I know there's no doubt
That all of our neighbors will peep.
Though gossip they must, in me she can trust
To rock all the babies to sleep.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: GUEST,GERRY HOLMES
Date: 10 Nov 12 - 08:16 PM

I've got a good wife the joy of my life
But once I was walking down street
And to my surprise I saw with my eyes
My wife with a guy of six feet

She said papa dear there s nothing to fear
You know that I never would cheat
Then she left me alone so I went on home
To rock all the babies to sleep

Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock all the babies to sleep

I came home from work quite early one night
And knocked on the door with my hand
The door opened wide as I walked inside
To hear the back door as it slammed

She said as she grinned that s only the wind
You know that I never would cheat
Then she left me alone
To rock all the babies to sleep

Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock all the babies to sleep

Each time she goes out I know there s no doubt
That all of the neighbors do peep
Though gossip they must in me she can trust
To rock all the babies to sleep

Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock all the babies to sleep

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock All Our Babies to Sleep (J Rodgers)
From: GUEST,Jeff
Date: 24 Dec 07 - 10:26 AM

JVZ

Greg Brown is a singer-songwriter from Iowa who's been on 'The Prairie Home Companion' several times. Has had songs covered by a myriad of artist's. Michael Johnson's version of 'Rooty Toot Toot For The Moon' may be his best known work. Dick Pinney recorded several of Greg's songs on a late 70's LP called 'Devil Take These Shiney Coins'. The best of those songs was/is one called 'Hacklebarney'. Greg, also has several releases filled w/great observations and dry wit. 'Too Many Records' and 'Uh-oh The Bozo's In Love Again' are 2 of my personal favorites.   Googlesearch: Greg Brown singer songwriter iowa and I'm sure you'll come up w/a ton of info.

Subject: Lyr Add: HUSH-A-BYE BABY
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Dec 07 - 07:40 AM

Found at GEST Songs Of Newfoundland And Labrador:

Hush-A-Bye, Baby

I'm sweet forty-five and my dear little wife,
She's twenty years younger than me;
She's fond of enjoyment and all sorts of fun,
She loves to go out on a spree.

CHORUS: Lawty, tauty, hush a my baby,
Hail, my baby grows so high;
Lawty, tauty, hush a my baby,
Mother will come to baby by 'n by.

One night as my baby lay silent in sleep,
I took a short stroll around the street,
And to my surprise my dear wife I spied,
Hugging a soldier sixteen.

####.... Author unknown ....####
Collected in 1960 from Peter Letto, Lance au Clair, NL, by MacEdward Leach, and published as #115 in Folk Ballads And Songs Of The Lower Labrador Coast, p.285, by The National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.

Subject: RE: As I Rock Our Babies to Sleep-Lyrics Req
From: Philippa
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 02:02 PM

I don't know whether the American song is derived from the Irish/English "Rocking the Cradle" (at least two versions in the database), but it does tell the same story.

Subject: RE: As I Rock Our Babies to Sleep-Lyrics Req
From: JVZ
Date: 20 Apr 99 - 07:06 PM

Anybody at all!!!

Subject: RE: As I Rock Our Babies to Sleep-Lyrics Req
From: JVZ
Date: 08 Apr 99 - 11:30 PM

Help! Anybody.

Subject: RE: As I Rock Our Babies to Sleep-Lyrics Req
From: JVZ
Date: 30 Mar 99 - 11:35 PM

I appreciate it.

John

Subject: RE: As I Rock Our Babies to Sleep-Lyrics Req
From: Lyle
Date: 29 Mar 99 - 11:19 PM

JVZ Nope, haven't found it yet. I've called my brother to see if he remembers, but he hasen't answered yet. I'm still looking, and hope to have it this week-end.

Lyle

Subject: RE: As I Rock Our Babies to Sleep-Lyrics Req
From: JVZ
Date: 29 Mar 99 - 08:24 PM

Just moving this back up to the top in case Lyle has found the rest of those lyrics.

John

Subject: RE: As I Rock Our Babies to Sleep-Lyrics Req
From: JVZ
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 09:24 AM

Sounds like Lyle's version sung a few years later. Who's Greg Brown?

John

Subject: RE: As I Rock Our Babies to Sleep-Lyrics Req
From: Rincon Roy
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 09:09 AM

Greg Brown does a nice version of this song, starting with "I was just 45..."

Subject: RE: As I Rock Our Babies to Sleep-Lyrics Req
From: JVZ
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 12:01 AM

Yes, Lyle, I think that the version which my dad sang was the one that talked about her going out on a spree. If you could find the rest I'd appreciate it.

And thanks Gene for the Jimmie Rodgers version.

John

Subject: RE: As I Rock Our Babies to Sleep-Lyrics Req
From:
Date: 26 Mar 99 - 10:49 PM

Like many of these old songs, there are many versions. Do you have a good idea of which one your dad sang? This was apparently a popular song on old barn dance radio shows. One popular version that my dad used to sing started:

Now I'm just thirty-five and my dear little wife
Is just ten years younger than me;
She's full of enjoyment, has plenty of life
And she sometimes goes out on a spree.

Well, she leaves me behind all the kiddies to mind
And the house in good order to keep;
And then she will roam far away from our home
While I rock the babies to sleep.

If that is the version, I'll try to find the rest of the song.

Lyle

Subject: Lyr Add: ROCK ALL OUR BABIES TO SLEEP (J Rodgers)
From: Gene
Date: 26 Mar 99 - 09:57 PM


ROCK ALL OUR BABIES TO SLEEP
Words and music: Jimmie Rodgers

Show me the lady that never would roam
Away from her fireside at night
And never go roaming out after the boys
But would sit by her fireside so bright
My wife, she is one of the different kind
Often caused me a lot of grief
She's off from her home; she leaves me alone
To Rock All Our Babies To Sleep.

I remember one night when I came back home
I came in as quiet as a lamb
They must have had company for when I walked in
I heard the back door when it slammed
I walked right in and looked all around
I never thought that she would cheat
Without a doubt, she had just gone out
And left all our babies to sleep.

Just the other night while out for a walk
I happened to stroll down the street
And to my surprise, I saw with my eyes
My wife with a man of six feet
She says it's no harm; don't raise no alarm
Don't make any fuss on the street
She tickled my chin, told me to go in
And Rock All Our Babies To Sleep.

Subject: As I Rock Our Babies to Sleep-Lyrics Req
From: JVZ
Date: 26 Mar 99 - 08:18 PM

I'm still trying to make that tape for Father's Day of "Songs My Dad Used To Sing" and I could use some help. I think that this one is a Jimmie Rodgers song but I couldn't swear it. I have a recording Dad made about 50 years ago. I was doing a duet with him. (I had the part of one of the babies) Between my crying and the static on the old homemade record, I can't make out the words. Dad hardly ever misses an opportunity to tell the story of how I cried at just the right portions of the song, and I know it would mean a lot to him if I could include it on this tape for Father's Day. Thanks.