Last Friday, when I posted an early version of Swampland Lullaby to the tune of Toora Loora Looral (written by James Royce Shannon and written in 1913, so it's definitely in the public domain), Kelly Fineman said in the comments, "What is it with lullabies and death? Does it have to do with the old belief that sleep was a form of death, or what? (It's not just this one, that's for sure, that talks about death or dying -- think of rock-a-bye baby!)"
I started looking at my collection of lullabies, and noted, "Hmmm, death, death (hunting), pecking out of the eyes, sorrow, loss, easily-breakable toys, and of course, bed-gear that should have been on a national recall list." On the other hand, there's The Riddle Song, Lavender's Blue, and Sleep, Baby, Sleep, and Over in the Meadow, so all is not melancholy in the realm of lullabies. Update: here is Langston Hughes' Lullaby (For a Black Mother), courtesty of A Wrung Sponge.
My "Swampland Lullaby" falls into two subgenres of lullaby: death and hunting. However, now it's a little more subtle than my original glib composition, plus I've now got guitar chords for you:
Pi-po-pi-po-pi-po (That's A Swampland Lullaby)
3/4 time
[G] Over in the marshes, [C] many nights [G]ago
The spring frog piped his songs of love in [A7] sweet tones from [D7] below.
[G] He couldn’t call with gusto for the [C] owls were on the [G] wing
With fine-tuned ears they’d find him, so he [A7] softly [D] had to [G] sing:
[G]Pi-po-pi-po-pi-po, [C] Pi-po-pi-po- [G] pie
Pi-po-pi-po-pi-po, the [A7] moths and gnats do [D7] fly
This [G]world is filled with longing; our [C] dreams are filled with [G] sky
Pi-po-pi-po-pi-po, that’s a [A7] swampland [D] lulla [G] by.
High above the marshes, the bats prepared for flight
While other creatures slumbered deep, they’d hunt for food by night.
Mosquitoes hummed a warning as the spring frog piped his song,
“This world’s both fierce and beautiful, and we won’t be here for long.”
Pi-po-pi-po-pi-po, Pi-po-pi-po-pie
Pi-po-pi-po-pi-po, the moths and gnats do fly
This world is filled with longing; our dreams are filled with sky
Pi-po-pi-po-pi-po, that’s a swampland lullaby.
Words: Farida Dowler Music: James Royce Shannon
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