Go To Sleep
Hayley Westenra Lyrics


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Go to sleep you little baby
Go to sleep you little baby
Your mama's gone away and your daddy's gone to stay
Didn't leave nobody but the baby

Go to sleep you little baby
Go to sleep you little baby
Everybody's gone in the cotton and the corn
Didn't leave nobody but the baby

You're a sweet little baby
You're a sweet little baby
Honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop
Gonna bring a bottle to the baby

Don't you weep pretty baby
Don't you weep pretty baby
She's long gone with the red shoes on
Gonna meet another lovin' baby

Don't you weep pretty baby
Don't you weep pretty baby
You and me and the devil makes three
Don't need no other lovin' baby

Go to sleep you little baby
Go to sleep you little baby




Come and lay your bones on the alabaster stones
And be my ever lovin' baby

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Hayley Westenra's song Go To Sleep is about a lullaby being sung to a baby by the baby's family members while they are away. The baby's mother and father have left to go elsewhere, leaving nobody but the baby at home. The lyrics tell the baby to go to sleep and not to cry. The baby is described as being sweet, and the family will bring a bottle of milk for the baby. The mother is described as being long gone and the hope of finding another loving person is mentioned, though the baby already has the love of the remaining family members.


The lyrics speak of the family's love for the baby and their desire to ensure the baby is safe, happy, and well-fed while they are away. The lullaby is intended to soothe the baby and help it drift off to sleep, while also reassuring it that it is loved and cared for. The song is a celebration of family and the love shared between them, even when they are apart.


Line by Line Meaning

Go to sleep you little baby
The singer is urging the baby to fall asleep


Go to sleep you little baby
The singer repeats her request for the baby to sleep


Your mama's gone away and your daddy's gone to stay
The baby's parents have left and will probably not be back soon


Didn't leave nobody but the baby
The only one left to care for the baby is the singer


Everybody's gone in the cotton and the corn
Everyone else is out working in the fields


You're a sweet little baby
The singer compliments the baby for being sweet


Honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop
The baby is being compared to something sweet that doesn't run out


Gonna bring a bottle to the baby
The singer plans to feed the baby


Don't you weep pretty baby
The singer is telling the baby not to cry


She's long gone with the red shoes on
Someone, possibly the baby's mother, has left while wearing red shoes


Gonna meet another lovin' baby
The person who left will likely find another child to love


You and me and the devil makes three
The singer is making a playful joke about the three of them being together


Don't need no other lovin' baby
The singer is assuring the baby that they don't need anyone else to care for them


Come and lay your bones on the alabaster stones
The singer is inviting the baby to rest on the stones


And be my ever lovin' baby
The singer wants the baby to always be loved by her




Contributed by Samuel S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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