Nursery Rhymes›American Lullabies›Hush Little Baby
Hush Little Baby lyricsHush Little Baby lyrics
With Nelly · The Giraffe

Hush Little Baby

Key: C88 BPMGuitar & Piano chords
⬇ Download the chord sheet (PDF)

Hush Little Baby Lyrics. A classic American lullaby famous for its list of promised gifts to the baby, from a mockingbird to a horse and cart. Its exact origin is uncertain, but it has been sung in American homes for generations. The song belongs to a long tradition of cumulative ‘list songs’ common in Appalachian folk music, where each verse simply adds one more promised gift, and because no single author or date can be traced, it has picked up countless regional variations over generations, with different families swapping in their own favorite gifts along the way. Here you will find the full lyrics, meaning, and chords.

Hush Little Baby video

▶ More lullabies on YouTube

C                        G
Hush little baby don't say a word
G                                C
Mama's (Papa's) gonna buy you a mockingbird.
C                      G
And if that mockingbird don't sing
G                      C
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
C                         G
And if that diamond ring turns brass
G                           C
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass.
Play it

Chords — guitar & piano

C
×
Guitar
CEG
Piano
G
Guitar
DGB
Piano
Good to know

What “Hush Little Baby” Means

A traditional lullaby from the American South. A parent promises a string of gifts to comfort a crying child — and when each one fails, reassures the baby they’ll still be “the sweetest little baby in town.” Behind the playful list of presents, it’s really a song about unconditional love and comfort.
Now streaming

Prefer to listen on Spotify or Amazon Music?

This lullaby is also available as a full handplayed recording.

⬇ Download the full chord sheet (PDF)

More songs to sing & play

Back to all our nursery rhymes and lullabies — each one with a different friend.

← All nursery rhymes Compare Lullaby Traditions 🌍

Sources & rights

  • Words and melody: see the credits in the text of this page. Older songs are traditional or in the public domain; songs by known authors keep their authors' credit.
  • Recording and arrangement: real instruments played by hand, no AI music, by Relax In No Time.
  • Chords: written by us for guitar and piano.
  • Translation: our own meaning-for-meaning translation, written for understanding. The sung words stay in the original language.

Spotted a mistake or know a better source? Tell us. How we work · Get in touch