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Rock-A-Bye
Baby
(1886)
Words
& Music: Effie I. Canning (1857-1940)
Arr: Merv Rowley
Nearly everyone has heard and sung Rock-A-Bye Baby,
both as children and adults, and we think of it as a
“traditional” folk tune. Actually it is a nineteenth century
composition that was once copyrighted and published, and has
verses to accompany the lullaby itself. Almost no one can
remember having heard the verses!
One reviewer
of nineteenth-century popular music has explained that before
1890 there was no such thing as “popular” music in the USA,
nor even a viable “publishing” business, with its system for
promotional advertising and mass printing. The few existing
publishing houses were located mainly in Boston, New York City,
Chicago and Cincinnati. Music tended to follow the tradition of
the Victorian era (1837-1901), with its themes of truth, love,
honor and home. Rock-A-Bye Baby, written in 1886, was
first published as part of a folio of some 11 songs whose theme
title was Songs of the Old Homestead. These were
published in Boston by Chas. D. Blake & Co., in 1887. The
title page of this old song book is shown in one of the links
below.
The
composer/lyricist of record is Effie I. Canning, a pseudonym for
Effie I. Crockett, (a relative of Davy) whose career combined
that of actress and governess. A search of the records shows
that Effie was actually Mrs. Harry J. Carlton. She chose her
song title from a book of children’s poems by “Mother
Goose”, printed about 1755. (It should be noted that the
verses of the poem are entirely different from the lyrics of the
lullaby). There has been speculation that the music was borrowed
from the tune, Lilliburlero and that the lyrics of the lullaby
may have been written by a young passenger on the ship,
Mayflower. Neither of these ideas has been substantiated,
however.
♫♫♫
This
arrangement is written in the key of A, using a D-F#-A tuning.
As you play and listen to the introductory verses on the first
page, we think you will be impressed by the lovely sound of the
music, which requires several chromatic notes, including D#, A#,
F-natural and C-natural. Notice measure 8, where a C-natural
passing note is required, as shown on fret 13 of the bass
string. This is not really awkward to play, however those having
an 8+ fret on their dulcimers may wish to play this note at that
fret on the treble string. We hope you enjoy hearing this oldie on the dulcimer and
playing it for friends.
Your
1-3-5 Team
Download
links to files:
RockabyeBaby
with lyrics.pdf
RockabyeBaby.tef
RockabyeBaby.mid
Songs
of the Old Homestead - songbook cover
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