What are the most haunting lullabyes and children's songs?

[BillHadersNewWife]

I find Lavenders Blue and "On the Mountain Stands a Lady" wonderfully creepy.

What about you?

As a child I used to sing Weela Waile. With my friends. I liked the words Weela waile, thought they were funny but the song is awful and not something a child should be singing.

Where's you mamma gone. Where did that baby's family go. Used to make me very sad as a child.

Ally Bally, ally Bally bee (scots will know that one)

Speaking of 'How Much is that Doggy in the Window', I was traumatised by this awful RSPCA advert that uses that song:

puppymonkey I knew the writer of Mucky Kid, the late, wonderful Stan Kelly Booth. It represents an authentic Scouse childhood mid-last century, when mothers would have told their kids to behave otherwise they’d get a belt from their dads. Could have been said in jest too, not meant to be creepy, of its time.

Hope the surgery goes well ikeakia

@SubtleInnuendo Hush Little Baby gets me too and I don’t know why either! I used to play this version to my little one as a baby and it makes me emotional!

m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=NOCx4D7KoGo

DH has a danish children’s song book from the 70s/80s and one song is about a captain who beats his wife until she is blue and yellow and then hoists her naked up the last to use as the Swedish flag. It has illustrations as well. We will be using it to teach DS how not to treat his future partners!

He also has a children’s book with pictures of cats called My Pert Pussies. I don’t know what his parents were thinking...

Sing a song of sixpence used to make me feel a bit weirded out.. baking blackbirds in a pie

My mum would sing nobody’s child and a mother’s loves a blessing to me. They made me sob

I find A smuggler's song, by Rudyard Kipling, very haunting. My Df used to read it, to me at bedtime, when I was quite small.....bad man.....

I came on to say Coventry Carol but see I've been beaten to it several times over! the whole concept of Childermas is so bittersweet.

It's South American but I was brought up with it as a child. Duerme, duerme negrito. There are lots of great versions but the one I remember best is the Victor Jara version.

@Whatthefunk I learnt to sing that when I was about 10. It's quite creepy!

@DaughterOfEvening I know the one you mean- she left her baby in a field or something whilst she picked the berries and when she came back the baby was gone, never saw again- I think she thought the fairies took it away or something?

It's a Gaelic song btw but there's an English version.

I always loved this one;

Sing lullaby!
Lullaby baby, now reclining,
Sing lullaby!
Hush, do not wake the Infant King.
Angels are watching, stars are shining
Over the place where he is lying:
Sing lullaby!
Sing lullaby!
Lullaby baby, now a-sleeping,
Sing lullaby!
Hush, do not wake the Infant King.
Soon will come sorrow with the morning,
Soon will come bitter grief and weeping:
Sing lullaby!
Sing lullaby!
Lullaby baby, now a-dozing,
Sing lullaby!
Hush, do not wake the Infant King.
Soon comes the cross, the nails, the piercing,
Then in the grave at last reposing:
Sing lullaby!
Sing lullaby!
Lullaby is the babe awaking?
Sing lullaby!
Hush, do not stir the Infant King.
Dreaming of Easter, gladsome, morning,
Conquering death, its bondage breaking:
Sing lullaby!

Honestly in love with this thread I've googled all the ones I've not heard of and it's brought back lots of memories from grandparents 💗

I just listened to Puff the magic dragon for the first time as an adult. There are tears 😢

My bonnie lies over the ocean.

@Lordfrontpaw
Coulter's Candy

Not a childrens song as such but the music to In The Night Garden makes me emotional

Hello mother hello father (letter from camp) Although my dad only sang the sad verse so I never knew the child ended up enjoying his time at camp, until I was an adult!

agree with @Marinated about hushabye mountain. The arrangement is quite haunting I think

Hushabye Mountain from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.. always thought it was quite eerie.

Clementine so sad. Tripping over a splinter and drowning.
You are my sunshine. So sad
Molly Malone cockles and mussels alive alive O.

How about the woman who lived in the shoe, who beat her children before sending them to bed. It was the accompanying image of the screaming child in the fairytale books that used to get me.