Nursery Rhymes›Cherokee Lullaby
Cherokee Lullaby
Key: C major~60 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsCherokee · Southeast USA
Cherokee Lullaby. A traditional song of the Cherokee people, passed down within families to comfort children at bedtime, reflecting the deep connection between Cherokee culture, nature, and family life. On this page, you will find the meaning, cultural context, and chords.
Sing & play
Hum & play
A gentle chant on soft syllables — let it rise lightly over the chords below.
Chant — soft vocables
C F C
Oo-loo-la, oo-loo-la, oo-way,
C F G7
oo-loo-la, oo-loo-la, oo-way.
C G7 C
Hmm-mm, hmm-mm, oo-way.
Play it
Chords — guitar & piano
C
Guitar
Piano
F
Guitar
Piano
G7
Guitar
Piano
Free printable chord sheet
Cherokee Lullaby — guitar & piano chords
A clean, printable PDF of the chords on this page. Free for members — sign in to download.
Good to know
The story
In the Cherokee view of the world, nature is one extended family. A lullaby like this is an invitation to the moon and the wind to keep watch over the sleeping child — a bond of protection woven between the little one and all of creation. More than anything it is a song of gratitude, celebrating the quiet harmony of the world at night.
Vocal coach tip. Use open, round vowels and keep the resonance high and bright. Imagine your voice rising, light as air, toward the night sky.
Indigenous lullabies are part of a millennia-old oral heritage. The arrangement presented here is an original reworking, intended as a respectful tribute to the beauty and spirituality of these cultures.
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