English
Lullabies

Lyrics

Shoo shoo, shoo la roo
shoo la rack shack,
shoo la baba boo

When I find my sally bally bill
come dibb-a-lin a boo shy lor-ree

Here I sit on Buttermilk hill
who could blame me cry my fill
every tear could turn a mill
Johnny's gone for a soldier

Shoo shoo, shoo la roo
shoo la rack shack,
shoo la baba boo

When I find my sally bally bill
come dibb-a-lin a boo shy lor-ree

Oh my baby, oh my love
gone the rainbow, gone the dove
your father was my own true love
Johnny's gone for a soldier

Shoo shoo, shoo la roo
shoo la rack shack,
shoo la baba boo

When I find my sally bally bill
come dibb-a-lin a boo shy lor-ree

Comments

I learned this song from my own mother. One of the few, early memories I have is of her singing this to me at night time.

It originated in Gaelic as an Irish song, and then was imported to the States.

There it split into several different versions depending on the part of the country it settled in.

There's a nice explanation of this here. Also there are alternate lyrics here.

I think Mia always liked it because of the soothing nonsense syllables in the chorus.