I am stealing this week’s Top 5 with an announcement. We are adding another little rug rat to our clan. For those of you who know me you know that’s quite a feat. I won’t go into details here in the post but suffice it to say we are at an even number, or rather, will be when this one is born in early November. This news got me to thinking about what I like about babies and one of my favorite things is that they love their daddy’s singing no matter how awful it is and that’s how this particular Top 5 was inspired. These songs are the top 5 songs I sing to my kids to get them to sleep. I have never been one for traditional lullabies and it shows in this list. Well technically this list is songs 6-2 and the video is the number one song. You see I couldn’t find my copy of the #1 slot to save my life so you’re getting a video. And if you don’t have kids, nieces, nephews, etc then post the top 5 songs you like to fall asleep to yourself. After all we can’t leave anyone out…
romeosidvicious
Ronnie’s Song is one of my favorites from Tim Barry.
Mark Kozelek Bedtime Lullaby and Jay Bennetts version of My Darling
In our house, we only fall asleep to Elliott Smith (don’t ask). But if I had kids or got to choose the tunes here’s a few that I’d pick:
Austin Lucas – Darlin
Dexateens – New Boy
Joey Kneiser – Through the Screen Door
Micah Schnabel – My Blue Heart
Truckstop Coffee/ Pete Stein – Blinking Star
Okay, those are terrible songs for kids.
In our house…we only fall asleep to a white noise machine playing a thunderstorm loudly so as to offset the snoring the two bulldogs on the floor do.
First, congratulations to you sir. You’re building quite the posse.
1. “Welcome to the World” – Mic Harrison
May be my favorite song ever from the point of view of an adult to a newborn.
2. “Stars” – The Weepies
My go-to zone-out song and the one I listened to when I tried to sleep in the Truckstop van.
3. “Sleepwalking” – Modest Mouse
Just a good reminiscent story song with a 50s slowdance beat.
4. “Good Old Boys Like Me” – Don Williams
Comforting when I was little, comforting now.
5. “Sounds Familiar” – The Weakerthans
Brutal and honest. Just like a 5 year-old.
I am trying to learn all of My Blue Heart and have made some not so great attempts at Austin Lucas – Shoulders. I singe them all a cappella and not necessarily the versions I posted. I do Green Fields of France slower than the one I posted, but it’s the only I had to post at work, and Lullaby I toss in the name of whatever kid I am singing to. I also sometimes do, and it should be in the top 5 but it was in the last top 5 so I skipped it, Fields of Barley. The kids most often request Lullaby, Fields of Barley, or one I didn’t post called Back When I Could Fly by Trout Fishing I America. But they love all the songs I sing, even the ones I sing badly. I am not looking forward to the day when they realize I am not Superman.
@larry
Man I should add Good Old Boys Like Me to my repertoire. I can remember drifting off to that one when I was very little. It might be one of my first memories of music…I think there may be a top 5 in that.
Congrats, RSV. But seriously, are you trying to start an army?
An ex and I used to fall asleep to Iron & Wine’s first album. A side effect of this is that he also fell asleep during his live show.
@romeosidvicious
You’ll be surprised when 20 years from now they still remember the lyrics. My dad always sang Pete Seeger and while the Abiyoyo nightmares finally faded, I can still sing most of his songs.
@Cowbelle
We Irish prefer the term “Clan”
This one will be the last. But not hijacking this thread: http://romeosidvicious.com/2010/03/24/were-having-a-baby/
@Brit
I remember songs my mother sang to me. I hope they remember the songs and not how bad daddy sang them!
Thanks for posting this TFIA video. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them several times over the last 20 years and they always deliver a show that all ages can enjoy. “Lullaby” has always been a favorite of mine even though I never had children until I was in my 50s and the child was already 9 years old and just too old for singing him to sleep. Nonetheless I learned the song and sang it out a few times beacuse it s a beautiful song and is worth hearing again…for children of all ages…just maybe it will soothe your own journey to reat tonight. I plan to watch it again later. Thanks again.
Well, I sing to my niece and nephews and it’s wonderful. I’ve got an ok enough voice that even at 6,9,&10 they still ask me to sing for ‘em.
“Surfer Girl”,”God Only Knows”-The Beach Boys
“Cecilia”-Simon&Garfunkel
“Our House”-Crosby,Stills,Nash,&Young(BTW, for those who haven’t figured it out yet, ‘Deja Vu’ is one of the best collection of lullabies ever. Kids love the harmonies.)
Also, my mom used to sing a lullaby to us girls that she learned from a couple who wrote it. It’s only 1 verse of the song, but I still love it. I’ll post the lyrics and you’d probably have to hear it over the phone to get the tune to it.
Teddy bear in my bed
Makin’ such a fuss
Teddy bear in my bed
There’s room for the both of us
Well, you can talk about your hippos
Your lions and your tigers too
But when the sun goes down
And the moon comes up!
My teddy bear will do!
@Duncan Walls
That one is actually hard for me. I knew TFIA when they lived here in Houston and then they moved down the road from my grandparents in Arkansas (total coincidence) in the middle of nowhere. To this day the directions include “…when the pavement ends..”. They went to my grandfolks ice cream socials, the pig roast down the road in the spring and so on. When my grandmother passed a few years back Ezra was a pallbearer and sung Lullaby graveside with an acoustic guitar. I still tear up singing it to the kids sometimes.
1 most mazzy star tunes
2 i knew these two people – Paris, Texas soundtrack
3 the fitzgerald – richmond fontaine
4 dntel
I love “When Halley Came to Jackson” by Mary Chapin Carpenter. A gorgeous lullaby!
Here’s a top 5 I can actually do!
1. No Depression. This is currently the most requested song from our 5yo and our 3yo, they love it.
2. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. The former favorite.
3. I’ll Fly Away. A runner up.
4. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. A classic, and they still love it. The 3yo requested it yesterday.
5. Close To You (Carpenters). My mom sang this to me, and I sing it to our babies.
@Michelle
Those are amazing songs to sing to your kids. Beautiful. It’s so important to sing to kids, even if you have a bad voice(mr.romeosidvicious).
I am enjoying thinking about these on my way in to work – thanks for letting us share our stories guys.
Let it Shine by Rebekah Pulley gets a lot of use in my house.
Love Vigilantes by Iron and Wine calms me and the baby.
Umbrella by Rihanna – I know it’s embarrassing but it works and it has her name in it.
(my wife’s favorite) Top of the World – Dixie Chicks version of a Patty Griffin tune
One Love and Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. In 2-1/2 years, that’s still about all I do, but she loves the Marley tunes. We have another one on the way, so I really need to work on this.
Blue Moon…Big Star
The Trapeze Swinger…Iron & Wine
While You Were Sleeping…Elvis Perkins
Puff The Magic Dragon…Peter Paul & Mary
Thank God For Kids…Oak Ridge Boys
She Wakes When She Dreams – Lucero. That is all.
When I was young my mom would just put on The Beatles “Revolver” and I start out singing “Taxman” and “Eleanor Rigby” and MAYBE “Yellow Submarine” but buy they time “Good Day Sunshine” is playing I am OUT like a light.
So now whenever I can’t sleep it is either “Revolver” or The Beatles “Past Masters Volume Two. Which has to be the greatest Beatle compilation ever:
Tracklist for Past Master Vol. 2
1. Day Tripper
2. We Can Work It Out
3. Paperback Writer
4. Rain
5. Lady Madonna
6. Inner Light
7. Hey Jude
8. Revolution
9. Get Back
10. Don’t Let Me Down
11. Ballad of John and Yoko
12. Old Brown Shoe
13. Across the Universe [Version]
14. Let It Be
15. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)
Awesome.
I can’t believe I forgot this one, “Such Great Heights”…Iron & Wine a fine cover of The Postal Service