The best lullabies for babies aren’t the fanciest. They’re the ones you can sing softly at 2 a.m. without thinking. Below are 15 classic, public-domain lullabies, each with where it comes from, how it begins and when it fits best. Once you’ve found a favorite, you can record your own lullaby so your voice is there even on the nights you’re not.
What makes a good lullaby?
A good lullaby is slow, quiet, simple and repetitive. Across cultures, lullabies share those features, and research suggests babies relax to them even when the song is completely unfamiliar (Bainbridge et al., 2021).
So don’t worry about your voice. In one study, mothers sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to their babies in a soothing style, and both mother and baby became calmer as the singing went on (Cirelli et al., 2020). Soothing is about how you sing: slower, lower and softer than a playsong.
The 15 best lullabies at a glance
| # | Lullaby | Origin | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brahms’ Lullaby | Germany, 1868 | The very last song of the night |
| 2 | Twinkle Twinkle Little Star | England (poem 1806), French tune | First songs with newborns |
| 3 | Rock-a-bye Baby | England, printed 1700s | Rocking and swaying |
| 4 | Hush, Little Baby | American South, traditional | Long settles: endless verses |
| 5 | All Through the Night | Wales, tune printed 1784 | Night feeds |
| 6 | Golden Slumbers | England, 1603 | Gentle mornings and naps |
| 7 | Frère Jacques | France, 1700s | Toddlers who like to join in |
| 8 | Sleep, Baby, Sleep | Germany, traditional | Short, simple loops |
| 9 | All the Pretty Little Horses | American South, traditional | Slow, minor-key calm |
| 10 | Bye, Baby Bunting | England, printed 1784 | Tiny newborns |
| 11 | Lavender’s Blue | England, late 1600s | Cuddles before bed |
| 12 | Baa, Baa, Black Sheep | England, printed c. 1744 | Same tune as Twinkle, for variety |
| 13 | Sweet and Low | England, Tennyson poem, c. 1850 | Parents who like poetry |
| 14 | Suo Gân | Wales, traditional | A soft, hymn-like hum |
| 15 | Row, Row, Row Your Boat | United States, 1850s | Rocking older babies |
Classic lullabies to sing tonight
1. Brahms’ Lullaby (“Wiegenlied”)
Johannes Brahms published his “Wiegenlied”, Op. 49 No. 4, in 1868, writing it for a friend’s new baby. The German words begin “Guten Abend, gut’ Nacht”. A traditional English version begins “Lullaby, and good night…”.
When to use it: as the final song before you lay your baby down. It’s the tune most music boxes play, so it pairs well with our music box lullabies.
2. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
The words come from Jane Taylor’s poem “The Star”, published in 1806. The melody is the older French tune “Ah! vous dirai-je, maman”.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.
When to use it: from the very first weeks. The range is small, so it’s easy to sing quietly.
3. Rock-a-bye Baby
One of the best-known English nursery lullabies, first printed in the 1700s.
Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock.
When to use it: while rocking or swaying. Some parents swap in gentler last lines of their own.
4. Hush, Little Baby (“Mockingbird”)
A traditional folk lullaby from the American South. The author is unknown.
Hush, little baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.
When to use it: long settles. You can add verses forever, and swap “Mama” for “Papa” or a grandparent’s name.
5. All Through the Night (“Ar Hyd y Nos”)
The Welsh tune was printed in 1784. The best-known English words are by Harold Boulton (1884).
Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee, all through the night.
When to use it: dim, quiet night feeds. Hum it if you’re half asleep.
6. Golden Slumbers
Written by the playwright Thomas Dekker in Patient Grissel (1603), one of the oldest English lullabies still sung.
Golden slumbers kiss your eyes, smiles awake you when you rise.
When to use it: naps and gentle wake-ups as well as bedtime.
7. Frère Jacques (“Are You Sleeping?”)
A French round from the 1700s.
Are you sleeping, are you sleeping, Brother John?
When to use it: toddlers who want to sing along. Slow it right down for bedtime.
8. Sleep, Baby, Sleep (“Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf”)
A traditional German lullaby, printed in the early 1800s.
Sleep, baby, sleep, thy father guards the sheep.
When to use it: short, simple loops when you need something you can repeat on autopilot.
9. All the Pretty Little Horses
A traditional lullaby from the American South.
Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry, go to sleepy, little baby.
When to use it: its slow, minor-key melody suits the very end of a wind-down.
10. Bye, Baby Bunting
An English nursery rhyme printed in Gammer Gurton’s Garland (1784).
Bye, baby bunting, Daddy’s gone a-hunting.
When to use it: tiny newborns. It’s short enough to repeat during a quick cuddle.
11. Lavender’s Blue
An English folk song that dates back to the late 1600s.
Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly, lavender’s green.
When to use it: slow cuddles and swaying before bed.
12. Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
First printed around 1744, and sung to the same tune as Twinkle Twinkle.
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
When to use it: when you want a change of words without learning a new tune.
13. Sweet and Low
A poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson added to The Princess around 1850, later set to music by Joseph Barnby.
Sweet and low, sweet and low, wind of the western sea.
When to use it: parents who love poetry. It works just as well spoken softly.
14. Suo Gân
A traditional Welsh lullaby with a hymn-like melody.
Huna blentyn ar fy mynwes (Sleep, my baby, on my bosom).
When to use it: humming. You don’t need the Welsh words for it to soothe.
15. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
An American song first published in the 1850s.
Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.
When to use it: sing it very slowly while rocking. Older babies love the motion.
How to sing a lullaby so it actually soothes
- Slow down. Sing more slowly than feels natural, and slower still on each repeat.
- Go low and soft. Soothing renditions are quieter and lower than playful ones (Cirelli et al., 2020).
- Repeat the same song. Familiarity is the point. One or two favorites, most nights.
- Pair it with touch. A hand on the chest, gentle sway or slow rocking.
- Finish in the crib. End the song as you lay your baby down drowsy but awake, on their back.
For more on why this works, read do lullabies help babies sleep.
Keep your favorite lullaby playing
Record yourself singing your favorite, up to a minute at a time, and Baby Mantra plays it inside a soft sound mix. Your recording stays on your phone, with no account needed. The free version includes 1 recording.
Sources
- Bainbridge CM, Bertolo M, Youngers J, et al. Infants relax in response to unfamiliar foreign lullabies. Nature Human Behaviour, 2021.
- Cirelli LK, Jurewicz ZB, Trehub SE. Effects of maternal singing style on mother–infant arousal and behavior. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 2020.
- NHS. Helping your baby to sleep.
