All the pretty little horses

Having a folk moment (well, I don't need much encouragement...), was listening to this wonderful lullaby on one of my kids' cds the other day and decided to find out a bit more, I was in tears when I realized...
Here are the lyrics:

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,


Go to sleepy you little baby.

When you wake, you shall have cake,

And all the pretty little horses.

Blacks and bays, dapples and greys,

Go to sleepy you little baby,

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,

Go to sleepy little baby.

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,

Go to sleepy little baby,

When you wake, you shall have,

All the pretty little horses.

Way down yonder, down in the meadow,

There's a poor wee little lamby.

The bees and the butterflies pickin' at its eyes,

The poor wee thing cried for her mammy.

It was originally sung by an African American slave who could not take care of her baby because she was too busy taking care of her master's child. She would therefore sing this song to her master's child (Lacy 1986, p. 76). Originally, the lyrics were "birds and butterflies, peck at his eyes" but were changed to "birds and butterflies, flutter 'round his eyes" to make the lullaby less violent for younger children. This theory is backed by the reference to "wee little lamby...cried for her mammy" as slaves were often forcibly separated from their own families in order to serve their owners. This verse is in a very different emotional tenor to the rest of the lullaby, suggesting a particular significance. (from Wikipedia)


Also found some great renditions on YouTube
Joan Baez http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ9FDLSI98k
Odetta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7QXidR_Aks
And this lovely man who dedicates it to his daughter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clqj1j9PrgQ&feature=related