Remember one of the famous lines from the 1946 movie It’s a Wonderful Life: “Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.”
Well, at our local hospital, every time a baby makes his/her way into the world, the hospital plays the first stanza of Brahms’ Lullaby over the hospital intercom system. It brings a smile to many faces.
Johannes Brahms published this lullaby (officially titled Wiedgenlied) in 1868 in Germany.
Consider this: In 1868, there was no radio that transmitted the song around the world. No one recorded it for You Tube. There wasn’t a single posting of it on Facebook asking for a LIKE. Not one person thought to capture it on video for Snapchat. And I’m pretty sure it didn’t show up in conversations on Skype or FaceTime.
So how the heck have most of us grown up knowing it?
This question is posed in the introduction of a fascinating book by Derek Thompson called Hitmakers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction.
Thompson tells us that Brahms had loved a woman named Bertha; she used to sing folk songs to Brahms. But alas, Bertha eventually married someone else. But she was still so fond of Johannes that she named her son Hans after him.
In gratitude (and I believe a still-lingering love for Bertha), Johannes wrote the music for the lullaby based on one of the folk songs Bertha formerly sang to him. The words came from a collection of German poems.
Johannes sent the sheet music to Bertha and family with a note that read in part, “…so while she is singing Hans to sleep, a love song is being sung to her.” So romantic.
Uh, my guess is that “Mr. Bertha” wasn’t too happy with the note OR the song.
A year later, Wiedgenlied had its first big public performance and it was quite successful. The result was that, at least in Germany, the song became quite popular.
But still…how did it get to America?
By ship, it turns out. One ship after another filled with German immigrants who knew and liked the song arrived in America. These immigrants settled mostly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan between 1870-1890.
So the song was brought to us in person by millions of Germans who left their war-torn country for the peace and promise of America. And, oh yes, who one by one sang their babies to sleep.
Go ahead and hum it; you know you want to. Here’s a beautiful version of it from You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t894eGoymio
My guess is that you now have a deeper appreciation for the softly magical lullaby.
Goodnight and sleep tight.
P.S. If you’re reading this during the day, you may feel the urge to take a nap.
Go ahead. It’s therapeutic.
Always my favorite lullaby. Thanks for the history as well as the sweet reminder. It is about bedtime.
Here is a versions of the words to the lullaby.Published on Mar 22, 2012
Dedicated to Jewel’s daughters.
My daughters Lesana and Lea.
Lullaby, and good night, in the skies stars are bright
May the moon’s, silvery beams, bring you sweet dreams
Close you eyes, now and rest, may these hours be blessed
Till the sky’s bright with dawn, when you wake with a yawn
Lullaby, and good night, you are mother’s delight
I’ll protect you from harm, and you’ll wake in my arms
Sleepyhead, close your eyes, for I’m right beside you
Guardian angels are near, so sleep without fear
Lullaby, and good night, with roses be-dight
Lilies o’er head, lay thee down in thy bed
Lullaby, and good night, you are mother’s delight
I’ll protect you from harm, and you’ll wake in my arms
Lullaby, and sleep tight, my darling sleeping
On sheets white as cream, with the head full of dreams
Sleepyhead, close your eyes, I’m right beside you
Lay thee down, now and rest, may your slumber be blessed
Go to sleep, little one, think of puppies and kittens.
Go to sleep, little one, think of butterflies in spring.
Go to sleep, little one, think of sunny bright mornings.
Hush, darling one, sleep through the night
Sleep through the night
Sleep through the nightPublished on Mar 22, 2012
My daughters Lesana and Lea.
Lullaby, and good night, in the skies stars are bright
May the moon’s, silvery beams, bring you sweet dreams
Close you eyes, now and rest, may these hours be blessed
Till the sky’s bright with dawn, when you wake with a yawn
Lullaby, and good night, you are mother’s delight
I’ll protect you from harm, and you’ll wake in my arms
Sleepyhead, close your eyes, for I’m right beside you
Guardian angels are near, so sleep without fear
Lullaby, and good night, with roses be-dight
Lilies o’er head, lay thee down in thy bed
Lullaby, and good night, you are mother’s delight
I’ll protect you from harm, and you’ll wake in my arms
Lullaby, and sleep tight, my darling sleeping
On sheets white as cream, with the head full of dreams
Sleepyhead, close your eyes, I’m right beside you
Lay thee down, now and rest, may your slumber be blessed
Go to sleep, little one, think of puppies and kittens.
Go to sleep, little one, think of butterflies in spring.
Go to sleep, little one, think of sunny bright mornings.
Hush, darling one, sleep through the night
Sleep through the night
Sleep through the night
Published on Mar 22, 2012
sung on you tube by Jewel —so beautiful and precious <3
I remember this foundly, even if we only hummed it to our boys with an occasional word or two.
Thanks for the walk down memory lane. <3