"Rock-a-bye Baby" Nothing says sweet dreams like the image of a baby tumbling out of a treetop to his death among the shattered remnants of his cradle, yet the soothing lullaby has become so ingrained in our consciousness we rarely question the shocking nature of the lyrics to "Rock-a-bye Baby," originally titled "Hush-a-bye Baby." This song is pretty spooky by itself too. When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. 2. Rock-a-bye Baby falls into this category because of it’s uncanny ending. Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop. And down will come baby, cradle and all. People say that the end of it is clearly a symbolic meaning for injury or death because the cradle that contains the baby mysteriously falls from a tree. Just like “Rock-a-Bye Baby”, this rhyme did not originate from Britain but rather from America. Others speculate the wind represents the Protestant movement, the breaking bough represents the Stuart monarchy, and the baby in danger is England herself. According to this political theory, the lyrics of "Rock-A-Bye Baby" were a death wish directed at the infant son of King James II, hoping he would die and be replaced by a Protestant king. Rock-A-Bye Baby. When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. The most common version used today is [citation needed]: Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree tops, When the wind blows, the cradle will rock, When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, We haven't found any reviews in the usual places. 15: Rock-a-bye Baby: A Death Behind Bars. Hush-a-bye baby From inside the book . Preface . ROCK-A-BYE BABY (1765) One interpretation of this famous lullaby is that it is about the son of King James II of England and Mary of Modena. 0 Reviews. Rock-a-bye baby, thy cradle is green; Father's a nobleman, mother's a queen; And Aggy's a lady, and wears a gold ring; And Johnny's a drummer, and drums for the king. What people are saying - Write a review. Since he could not keep his spouse from having sexual affairs with numerous men, he decided to kill her and hide her body in an absurdly large pumpkin. See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. It … And down will come baby, cradle and all” Some say that this verse was sung by a mother cradling her infant, who would lower her child into the cradle during the last line for the following verses: Contents. Amazon Price New from Used from Hardcover "Please retry" — — CDN$ 39.78: It is generally believed that Peter’s beloved wife was a hooker . “Rock-A-Bye Baby” This classic lullaby, which is well-known in much of the English-speaking world, sounds very sweet. But the ending is pretty unnerving, as it seems like a baby has fallen from a treetop to his or her death ... or at least serious injury. 9: When I was a child I could never defend myself . 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