All the Pretty Horses (lullaby)
Encyclopedia
"All the Pretty Little Horses" (also known as "Hush-a-bye") is a traditional African American lullaby
from the southern United States
.
Some of the singers who have recorded adaptations of "All the Pretty Little Horses" include (but are not limited to):
It has also inspired several pieces of literature, including Cormac McCarthy
's award winning novel in 1992 (All the Pretty Horses), a young adult short story in the 1998 Here There Be Ghosts collection by Jane Yolen and David Wilgus, as well as Lisa Saport's 1999 children's picture book adaptation (All the Pretty Little Horses: A Traditional Lullaby).
Lullaby
A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....
from the southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
.
Meaning
It was originally sung by an African American slave who could not take care of her baby because she was too busy taking care of her master's child. She would sing this song to her master's child (Lacy 1986, p. 76). Originally, the lyrics were "birds and butterflies, peck at his eyes" but were changed to "birds and butterflies, flutter 'round his eyes" to make the lullaby less violent for younger children. This theory is backed by the reference to "wee little lamby...cried for her mammy" as slaves were often forcibly separated from their own families in order to serve their owners. This verse is in a very different emotional tenor to the rest of the lullaby, suggesting a particular significance.Lyrics
The oldest surviving set of lyrics are as follows:- Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
- Go to sleepy little baby.
- When you wake, you shall have,
- All the pretty little horses.
- Blacks and bays, dapples and greys,
- Go to sleepy you little baby,
- Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
- Go to sleepy little baby.
- Daddys boy mamas joy
- go to slumberland my baby
- When you wake, you shall have,
- All the pretty little horses.
- hush your crys
- close your eyes
- dream of pretty little horses
- hush a bye dont you cry go to sleep my little baby
- darkness falls sand man calls
- go to sleep my little baby
- When you wake, you shall have,
- All the pretty little horses.
- up and down round and round
- dream of pretty little horses
- hush a bye dont you cry go to sleep my little baby
- go to sleep my little baby.
Musical and literary adaptations
"All the Pretty Little Horses" has inspired a variety of recordings (both direct performances of the known lyrics and adaptations thereof).Some of the singers who have recorded adaptations of "All the Pretty Little Horses" include (but are not limited to):
- Barbara DicksonBarbara DicksonBarbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
- Becky Jean Williams
- Caroline HerringCaroline HerringCaroline Herring is a country and folk singer-songwriter. Born in Canton, Mississippi, she has lived in Oxford, Mississippi and Austin, Texas, but now lives in Atlanta with her son, daughter, and husband. Many of her songs deal with slavery and her Mississippi upbringing...
- Calexico
- Charlotte ChurchCharlotte ChurchCharlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
- The ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
with Patty GriffinPatty GriffinPatty Griffin, born Patricia Jean Griffin, March 16, 1964, is an American Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and musician. She is especially known for her down-home crafting of songs and her connection to musicians including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, and the Dixie Chicks, who have played with... - CoilCoil (band)Coil were an English cross-genre, experimental music group formed in 1982 by John Balance—later credited as "Jhonn Balance"—and his partner Peter Christopherson, aka "Sleazy". The duo worked together on a series of releases before Balance chose the name Coil, which he claimed to be...
, as "All the Pretty Little Horses", for their album Black AntlersBlack AntlersBlack Antlers was originally released in CD-R format by Coil in 2004 in a limited edition. The album was later re-edited by Peter Christopherson and expanded to include a second CD of two new tracks, as well as a new track on the first disc. The second edition was released in 2006 August on the... - Current 93Current 93Current 93 is an eclectic British experimental music group, working since the early 1980s in folk-based musical forms. The band was founded in 1982 by David Tibet .-Background:Tibet has been the only constant in the group, though Steven Stapleton has appeared on...
, two versions as "All the Pretty Little Horses", for their 1996 album of the same nameAll the Pretty Little HorsesAll the Pretty Little Horses: The Inmost Light is an album by English band Current 93. It forms the second part of the Inmost Light trilogy; the first being 1995's Where the Long Shadows Fall and the last being 1996's The Starres Are Marching Sadly Home ...
, one sung by Nick CaveNick CaveNicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and... - Esther Ofarim
- Friends of Dean MartinezFriends of Dean MartinezFriends of Dean Martinez is an instrumental rock/post-rock band featuring members of Giant Sand, Calexico, and Naked Prey. FoDM music may be described as a combination of americana tunes with bits of electronica, ambient, lounge, psychedelia and dub intertwined with surf rock inspired lead...
- Grant Campbell For The BurrowersThe BurrowersThe Burrowers is a 2008 horror/thriller film with a Western theme. The film is based on a seven-part television series from director JT Petty.-Plot:...
- Holly ColeHolly ColeHolly Cole is a Canadian jazz singer, particularly popular in Canada and Japan for both her versatile and distinctive voice, along with her adventurous repertoire, which spans such divergent genres as show tunes, rock, and country music.-Holly Cole Trio:In 1983, Cole travelled to Toronto to seek a...
, as "All the Pretty Little Horses", for her 1997 album Dark Dear Heart - Joan BaezJoan BaezJoan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
- The JourneymenJohn Phillips (musician)John Edmund Andrew Phillips , was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter and promoter . Known as Papa John, Phillips was a member and leader of the singing group The Mamas & the Papas...
on their 1963 album "New Directions in Folk Music" - Judy CollinsJudy CollinsJudith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
, for her 1990 album Baby's Bedtime - Suzanne Langille & Loren Connors, as "Horses Blues" on "Suzanne Langille & Loren MazzaCane Connors 1987-1989" CD, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKOiHGEFDr0&feature=related
- Kenny LogginsKenny LogginsDuring the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
, as "All the Pretty Little Ponies", for his 1994 album Return to Pooh Corner - Laura GibsonLaura GibsonLaura Gibson is a Portland-area folk singer and songwriter. She was raised in Coquille, Oregon.She currently records for the independent U.S. label Hush Records. In 2008, she toured the United States as the opening act for Colin Meloy. She also added vocal harmonies to his Colin Meloy Sings Sam...
, as "All the Pretty Horses", for her EP Six White HorsesSix White Horses"Six White Horses" is a song written by Larry Murray and recorded by Tommy Cash in 1969. Probably Cash's best-known recording, it reached #4 on the Billboard country charts and #79 on the Billboard Hot 100, the only song of his to make the pop charts... - OdettaOdettaOdetta Holmes, known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals...
, as "Pretty Horses" - Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
- Peter, Paul and MaryPeter, Paul and MaryPeter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...
, as "Hush-A-Bye", for their 1963 album In the WindIn the WindIn the Wind is the third album by the American folk music trio Peter, Paul & Mary, released in 1963 . It was reissued on audio CD in 1990. In the Wind was so successful that when it hit #1 on the Billboard album charts, it caused their two previous albums to re-enter the Top 10 as well... - Sam Cahoon as "All the Pretty Little Horses", on his 2008 album The Dismal Stars and the Clouds Afar
- Shawn ColvinShawn ColvinShawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
- ShearwaterShearwater (band)Shearwater is an American indie rock band formed in Austin, Texas in 1999 by Okkervil River members Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff, although Sheff is no longer with Shearwater.-History:...
, as "All the Pretty Horses", for their 2004 split album Sham Wedding/Hoax FuneralSham Wedding/Hoax FuneralSham Wedding/Hoax Funeral is a split CD featuring Austin, Texas "brother bands" Okkervil River and Shearwater. It was first available only at North American tour dates in the spring and summer of 2004, but fans later were able to purchase it online. The tracks include demos, unreleased songs and... - The New Christy Minstrels, on their album "Live From Ledbetters", recorded live on April 10, 11 & 12, 1964, released in 1999.
It has also inspired several pieces of literature, including Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy is an American novelist and playwright. He has written ten novels, spanning the Southern Gothic, Western, and modernist genres. He received the Pulitzer Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction for The Road...
's award winning novel in 1992 (All the Pretty Horses), a young adult short story in the 1998 Here There Be Ghosts collection by Jane Yolen and David Wilgus, as well as Lisa Saport's 1999 children's picture book adaptation (All the Pretty Little Horses: A Traditional Lullaby).
Sources
- American Folk Traditional: According to Living Documents in American History from Earliest Colonial Times to the Civil War, edited by John A Scott, (Trident Press 1963), the song was collected by Alan Lomax, who learned it from his mother, who took it from North Carolina to Texas after the Civil War.
- National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services (http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/prettyhorses.htm)