Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE JAZZ BABY, by BERTON BRALEY Poet's Biography First Line: There was a time when babies were gently Last Line: "baby an' the cradle an' all!" Subject(s): Babies; Infants | ||||||||
There was a time when babies were gently sung to sleep. With soft and tender lullabies they sank to slumber deep, They drifted off to sleepy land in drowsy happy bliss While mother crooned a little song, a lullaby like this: "Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top, When the wind blows the cradle will rock, When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, And down will come baby, cradle and all." But now it is the age of Jazz and even babes in arms Are devotees of music that has syncopated charms, And when the infant's bedtime comes the modern mother gayly Accompanies her lullabies upon the ukelele, For syncopated rhythm is a universal passion And so the baby's lullaby runs something in this fashion: "Rockrockrock-a-bye Baby, Mother will buy you a saxophone, maybe; Hear the wind a-blowin', Sets your shoulders goin'. Baby's up a tree, up a tree, up a tree, Swingin' to the breezes in a minor key. Oh, my, Don't cry, Hear the jazzy music of my lullaby. When the bough is breakin' Cradle starts to shakin' Shakin' like the dancers at a barbers' ball. Toot on the saxophone, bang on the drums Jazz 'em up, jazz 'em uphere the Baby comes Down on the ground you can see him fall, Baby an' the cradle, Baby an' the cradle, Baby an' the cradle an' all!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A POET TO HIS BABY SON by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON BABYHOOD by ELIZABETH AKERS ALLEN INFANCY by EDMUND JOHN ARMSTRONG BALLAD OF THE LAYETTE by WAYNE KOESTENBAUM A TOAST FOR LITTLE IRON MIKE by PAUL MARIANI THE PAMPERING OF LEORA by THYLIAS MOSS ONE FOR ALL NEWBORNS by THYLIAS MOSS IN THE THRIVING SEASON by LISEL MUELLER |
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