[Archive]

Originally Posted By Ice3angel

Hey I'm looking for the title and lyrics to a song that starts off with
"Oh don't you remember a long time ago, to poor little babes their names I don't know"
And that's all I know so if anyone knows it reply please! Thanks

[snjdowney]

So wondrously I see someone else has been "lullaby-ed" on a tender loving lap to the same lullaby my grandmother sang to me (her grandchildren).

My grandmother of 91 died December 27, 2003. No words could describe the tender, loving, gentle soul she was. This is a song she passed on to each of us grandchildren. Her name was Alta May Hogan, born May 12, 1912, in Copan Oklahoma. Her Mother, Celia Gardner-Bolen, sang this song to her as a child, so I know it is well over 100 years old. Her version went like this:

Oh don't you remember a long time ago,
Two little babes, their names I don't know
Were strolling away on a bright summer's day
And were lost in the woods, I heard people say.

And when it was night, so sad was their plight
The moon rose above but the stars gave no light.
They sat on a log and bitterly cried
Two poor little babes, they laid down and died.

And when they were dead the robins so red
Took strawberry leaves and over them spread,
And sang them a song the whole day long.
Two poor little babes
Two poor little babes.

That's the version I had been sung and I passed on to my children (now grown), so even as historical lullabies and fairy tales were sometimes bitter-sweet, it is a tender tune that will always remind me of my Grandma Alta and her softly sung lullaby and the most secure and loving arms I have ever known.

Sherry
Tulsa, OK

[ikeosaurus]

this looks like a rather old thread, but i hope you still frequent the site and can read this. My mother sang me this lullaby when I was a child as well, but it was a slightly different version. ours is as follows:

Oh don't you remember a long time ago,
Two poor little babes, whose names I don't know
Were stolen away, one bright summer day,
And lost in the woods, so I've heard people say

Those poor little babes, so sad was their plight
The moon went down, the stars gave no light
They sobbed and they sighed, and they bitterly cried
Then those poor little babes, they laid down and died

And when they were dead, the Robin so red,
Brought strawberry leaves and over them spread
And sang His sweet song the whole night long
Those poor little babes, who'd never done wrong

hehe it still brings a tear to my eye when i hum it to myself

[southern_teach]

I happened upon your site in my search for the lyrics of this song. My grandmother used to sing it to my mom and to me. She said her mother sang it to her. I could never remember all the words, but I can hear her singing it clear as a bell. Thank you for posting the lyrics!

[StorkWatcher]

Wow! My grandfather sang that to us. I've been singing part to my son, but missed the middle verses. Thanks for resurrecting this!

[StorkWatcher]

Not sure if this one is made up by someone in our family or not. Anyone else heard:

Ki yi yi yi
Chickie chickie ki yi
Make a monkey man laugh
Ki Yi yi

I love a monkey girl
She love a me
She pulla my hair
Til I know can see

(repeat chorus then)