What song do you sing to your little ones to send them off to sleep?
When Teenage Daughter was a baby, I sang The National Anthem, my old school song, and Summertime, in my best Ella Fitzgerald lament. Cheery!
When The Gentleman was a baby, I sang Eternal Flame, by the Bangles, because it starts with the line 'Close your eyes, give me your hand, Darling.." I also sang Science Fiction from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, because it had a lot of words that I could remember. When he was a little older, he also requested Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
When Monkey Boy was a baby, I continued on with Science Fiction and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but I dropped the Bangles, I never knew all the words anyway.
A few years ago, both boys moved into the same room. Mr BC reads Monkey Boy a short story, while I read The Gentleman a short story. Then I sing to the three of them;
There's a light, (over at the Frankenstein place), from Rocky Horror Picture Show. It sounds creepy, but the words are lovely;
In the velvet darkness
in the blackest night
burning bright
there's a guiding star
no matter what, or
who you are
there's a light (over at the Frankenstein place)
there's a light (burning in the fireplace)
there's a light, a light
in the darkness
of every body's life
the darkness must go
down the river
of life's dreaming
flow morphia slow
let the sun and light come streaming
into my life
into my life
There's a light (over at the Frankenstein place)
There's a light (burning in the fireplace)
there's a light, a light
In the darkness
Of every body's life
This is Richard O'Brien, writer and creator of pretty much the entire Rocky Horror Picture Show, performing an acoustic version of Over at the Frankenstein Place. (I don't use a guitar.)
Then, I allow myself to get a little bit country and western with the basic version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. If I try the extended version, The Gentleman's eyes will spring open and he will say
Mum....sing it properly. So I don't do that.
And then all three of them are asleep.
xx