Hush-A-Bye
Paul and Mary Peter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you wake you shall have all the pretty little horses
Dapples and greys, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses
Way down yonder, in the meadow
Poor little baby cryin' "mama"
Birds and the butterflies flutter 'round his eyes
Poor little baby cryin' "mama"
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry, go to sleep you little baby
When you wake you shall have all the pretty little horses
Dapples and greys, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses
The lyrics of the song Hush-A-Bye by Peter, Paul and Mary are a lullaby which seem to be a mother consoling her crying baby. The song insists on the baby to sleep with the comforting words "Hush-a-bye, don't you cry, go to sleep you little baby" and offers consolation that when the baby wakes up, they will be rewarded with "all the pretty little horses". The horses described are dapples and greys, pintos and bays. These are all visually striking colors and can lead to baby’s imagination and dreams.
The song then takes on a more sorrowful tone, the baby crying for "mama" down in the meadow. The portrayals of the birds and butterflies create a picture of a natural world that surrounds and comforts the child. The song ends with a repetition of the first half of the song, the mother reassuring the child that they will receive all the pretty horses upon waking up.
It is interesting to note that Hush-A-Bye is a traditional lullaby that dates back to the late 19th century. The song was originally considered as an African American folk song and has various versions. The Peter, Paul, and Mary version is one of the most popularized versions. It was also included in a Grammy award-winning album by the group, “Peter, Paul and Mary”.
Line by Line Meaning
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry, go to sleep you little baby
Sleep peacefully, let go of your sorrows and worries, my darling child
When you wake you shall have all the pretty little horses
When you arise from slumber, beauty and warmth will be bestowed upon you in the form of alluring animals
Dapples and greys, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses
The collection of animals that await your presence extend beyond any limit, with colors ranging from greys to browns to a plethora of spotted patterns
Way down yonder, in the meadow
Far away, in the distant fields
Poor little baby cryin' "mama"
The baby is in a state of distress and seeks the comfort of their mother's warm embrace
Birds and the butterflies flutter 'round his eyes
The baby is surrounded by a myriad of fluttering creatures designed to distract them from their worries
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry, go to sleep you little baby
Sleep peacefully, let go of your sorrows and worries, my darling child
When you wake you shall have all the pretty little horses
When you arise from slumber, beauty and warmth will be bestowed upon you in the form of alluring animals
Dapples and greys, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses
The collection of animals that await your presence extend beyond any limit, with colors ranging from greys to browns to a plethora of spotted patterns
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NOEL PAUL STOOKEY, PETER YARROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juliasamson9559
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry, go to sleep you little baby
When you wake you shall have all the pretty little horses
Dapples and greys, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses
Way down yonder, in the meadow
Poor little baby cryin' "mama"
Birds and the butterflies flutter 'round his eyes
Poor little baby cryin' "mama"
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry, go to sleep you little baby
When you wake you shall have all the pretty little horses
Dapples and greys, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses
@bobbyscott1000
Sang this to all my babies and now my grandchildren and soon my great grandchild.
@irateoverlord.theresa1324
Me too!!! ❤
@ToniGlick
My dad had this album and I listened to it all the time.
@davidanthonystone5165
Tom. Everything they sang and their albums are wonderful but they were even better in concerts. I saw them from
The early 60’s until 2005 And Mary
Such a cool chick
@lankytor6396
My mom used to pat my back to sleep
@lankytor6396
I miss my mom
@lankytor6396
My mom held me. It’s 70’s
@rayraysamazin
Just heard this song on a kids show. Literally stopped me in my tracks. I havent heard this song in 20 or more years! Its so beautiful and relaxing 💜💜
@bobcrunch
I sang this to my grand daughter tonight, she loved it, and had me sing it several times. I only knew the first verse and I had it wrong, so I came here to refresh my memory.
@MovieTube4Me
I hope you kept your version. They will remember it because it was different. I say Rockabye Baby to both my kids, but I like you didn't know the correct words so created my own. Walking the hallways at night patting their little backs as I held them to me to put them back to sleep Rockabye Bay on a tree top Mummy does love you ye she does.
one day I sang it when my kids were both grown and they looked at me surprised and said you sang that to me and They knew the words were my own too. Something precious linked us forever.