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Pajiba Lullabies

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Comment Diversions | Comments (109)



golden-slumbers.jpg

Tonight’s comment diversion comes from legib, a reader and all-around amazing PajibaMom. She’s soliciting lullabies, as she writes:


I have an ancient iPod that I have set up in my daughter’s room to play music while she sleeps. I think it’s the first shuffle, so there’s no picking specific songs — you just have to go with what plays. The first time she slept through the night (it’s been 7 long months) is when I set this up. So now I have been on a constant hunt for music that would suit this purpose. I also want to give a good mix to my child — I don’t want it to be normal children’s music, but stuff I would listen to. So my question is: What would be music that you would play for your child that would both define your music taste and possibly how you feel for the kid? Mind you, I am looking for quiet music to play while sleeping, so loud stuff won’t really work. Classical, country, pop, anything would do. What would be your “lullibas” or your “Pajibabies” be? Here’s a sampling of what I have on there to give everyone an idea of what I am looking for:

1. “The Rainbow Connection” — Willie Nelson (originally done by Kermit the Frog)
2. “Hallelujah” — kd lang
3. “Baby” — Rufus Wainwright
4. “Clair de lune” — Debussy
5. “Wonderwall” — Ryan Adams


——

All right, folks. Help a mom out. My suggestions: A double dose of Ben Folds. Try out “Lullabye” from Ben Folds Five, and a cover of “Golden Slumbers” from solo Ben Folds. Oh, and “Bedtime Lullaby” from Mark Kozelek may be the most perfect baby lullaby of all time.









Box-Office Round-Up May 10, 2009 | Ibid: A Life by Mark Dunn













Comments

"Somewhere Out There" from An American Tail

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by Judy Garland

"This Spiteful Snake" by Meshuggah

Anything by either The Softies or The Innocence Mission.

Posted by: TK at May 10, 2009 8:06 PM

Ring of Fire-Johnny Cash
Orion-Metallica
Shame- The Motels
Harden My Heart-Quarterflash

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at May 10, 2009 8:08 PM

Oh OH!! and

Sweet Lullaby-Deep Forest

'natch

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at May 10, 2009 8:16 PM

'Grapevine Fires' - Death Cab for Cutie
'Scarborough Fair' - Simon and Garfunkel
'Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell' (or, if that seems too melancholy, as many of my suggestions might) 'Vein of Stars' - The Flaming Lips
'Walking on Moonlight' - Brookville
'Strange and Beautiful' - Aqualung
'The Dress Looks Nice on You' and 'The Great God Bird' - Sufjan Stevens
'Waterloo Sunset' - The Kinks
'Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War' - Paul Simon
'Dock of the Bay' - Otis Redding
'New Slang' - The Shins

That's all I can think of on the fly. Hope it helps.

Posted by: lareigna at May 10, 2009 8:21 PM

"Endgame" - R.E.M.
"Willow Logic" - Gord Downie
"Mining for Gold" - Cowboy Junkies
"I Will" - Radiohead
"Gold In Them Hills" - Ron Sexsmith

Posted by: meaux at May 10, 2009 8:22 PM

The whole of The Cowboy Junkies The Trinity Sessions comes quickly to mind.

Posted by: Cindy at May 10, 2009 8:26 PM

"Baltimore" by Lyle Lovett.
"Over the Sea to Skye" which is a Scottish folk song, and the King's Singers did it pretty nicely.

Posted by: Lucas at May 10, 2009 8:30 PM

Breathless By Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Innocent, whimsical, lovely.

Posted by: Stacy D at May 10, 2009 8:36 PM

For the more down tempo kid times, you might want to pick up Kimya Dawson's Alphabutt. She has some kids and made a kid album. They have some fun things for your verbal infants, too. That song about not wetting the bed was used in Juno.

To get the kid tired enough to take a nap, I suggest an all out dance fest to Beck, CSS, MGMT, or Does It Offend You, Yeah!

Although the classical is a good move if you're kid the the type that hyperactive songs might as well be your death knell. Then I suggest anything but a march from Liszt. It might just me rhapsodies I'm thinking of, but anyway, I've used his fantasias to mellow me out before.

Posted by: Jackseppelin at May 10, 2009 8:37 PM

Sweet Baby James - James Taylor

Goodnight - The Beatles

Junk - Paul McCartney

Uprising Down Under - Sam Roberts Band

Posted by: katers at May 10, 2009 8:47 PM

I second Ben Folds Lullabye.

Also: XTC Knights in Shining Karma. It's down tempo, beautiful and sweet.

Posted by: JGirl at May 10, 2009 8:50 PM

I've always thought that Barenaked Ladies' "When You Dream" from Stunt is one of the most beautiful songs written by a parent about his child.

Posted by: Nicole at May 10, 2009 8:50 PM

"My Darling" by Wilco on Summerteeth is a beautiful, quiet lullaby. There are a couple other good soft songs on that album, too, like "Pieholden Suite" and "How to Fight Loneliness."

Also, pretty much the whole album Devotion by Beach House is just nice.

Posted by: HB at May 10, 2009 8:51 PM

-"I've found a way to make you smile" by R.E.M
-"Goodnight, Sweetheart" by Rufus Wainwright
-The Amelie Soundtrack
-"Somewhere over the rainbow/What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (best version of that song I've ever heard)
-"A love that will never grow old" by Alison Kraus
-"Lullaby" by Regina Spektor
-"Fields of Gold", "Can't take my eyes off of you", or just about anything by Eva Cassidy.
-Just about anything by Norah Jones. Really relaxing music and a gorgeous, soothing voice.

That's all the stuff I usually listen to when I need to fall asleep. All just perfect sleepy music.

Posted by: figgy at May 10, 2009 8:54 PM

I hear some women have food cravings when pregnant; My mom had a craving for Sitting on the Dock of The Bay. As such, I have loved this song my whole life and it is my favorite to this day.


It has nothing to do with babies.


Posted by: scone at May 10, 2009 8:54 PM

Err, sorry, that R.E.M song is called "At My Most Beautiful". It's lovely.

Oh, and every version of "dream a little dream of me" you can find. I love the Diana Krall one in particular.

Posted by: figgy at May 10, 2009 8:57 PM

Ooh Ooh and "landslide". I have versions by Fleetwood Mac, The Dixie Chicks and The Smashing Pumpkins. The song is so beautiful.

Posted by: figgy at May 10, 2009 9:00 PM

Fields of Gold - Eva Cassidy

Sundrenched World - Joshua Radin

Most of Iron & Wine's music.

Posted by: branded at May 10, 2009 9:00 PM

Tangerine & Going to California - Led Zeppelin

Planet Caravan - Black Sabbath

Ah, er, that's all I got off the tops of my heads.

Posted by: Edwina the Magnificent at May 10, 2009 9:01 PM

TK knows The Softies?

Posted by: Jay at May 10, 2009 9:02 PM

I totally agree with Nicole about Barenaked Ladies "When You Dream." I've sung that song about a billion times to the lil' pug. We also like "Your Song" by Elton John, "Emma's Song" by Sinead O'Connor, and "Mama Tried" by Merle Haggard. Mr. Pug sings Billy Joel's "Piano Man," "Desperado," by the Eagles, and (inexplicably) "Break Your Heart" by Barenaked Ladies.

Posted by: idgiepug at May 10, 2009 9:04 PM

my dad used to put on the big chill soundtrack for me, it was foolproof.
"track of my tears"- smokey robinson
"songbird" - fleetwood mac
"for your precious love" - otis redding

Posted by: samma at May 10, 2009 9:05 PM

I make a personal lullabye mix for all of my pregnant friends, but until I get to my laptop to access my playlist, let me suggest the hands-down lullabye ever, courtesy of Disney:

"Baby Mine" by Alison Krauss

Posted by: The Pink Hulk at May 10, 2009 9:06 PM

"I Don't Want To Live on The Moon"-Ernie of the Sesame Street, I believe

Posted by: coveredinbees at May 10, 2009 9:07 PM

Morphine - Swing It Low

The Ocean Blue - A Separate Reality

The Waterboys - When Ye Go Away

The Sundays - Here's Where The Story Ends

Posted by: Cindy at May 10, 2009 9:09 PM

You might try listening to some stuff by Lorenna McKennit -- always makes me sleepy...

Posted by: dirt monkey at May 10, 2009 9:10 PM

figgy, you are so spot on with those suggestions! Wainwright's take on 'Goodnight Sweetheart' is lovely as hell.

I'd also recommend 'Dear Someone', by Gillian Welch and for some reason Bob Dylan's 'Tomorrow Is A Long Time' played softly is very relaxing.

For French speakers, 'La berceuse' by Benabar is probably the funniest song ever written. Set to a soothing lullaby melody, it's a song about a parent's exhausted, hair-tearing despair at his child not falling asleep. He tries everything and nothing works, and when the kid finally falls asleep he's only got an hour before he's got to get up to go to work. Brilliant.

Posted by: Caspar at May 10, 2009 9:26 PM

"Here Comes The SUn" Beatles

"Your Face" - The Frames

"Life's A Gas" - T.Rex

"The Nightingale" - Julee Cruise

"WIndmills of Your Mind" - Dusty Springfield

"Bella Luna" - Jason Mraz

"Do You Realize??" - Flaming Lips

"The Moonbeam SOng" - Harry Nilsson

"Water" - Feist

"Wild Horses" - The Sundays

"Sweet Jane" - Cowboy Junkies

"That Summer Feeling" - Jonathan Richman

"Baobabs" - Regina Spektor

"Spectacle" - Sean Lennon

"Little Drop of Poison" - Tom Waits

"Lay Me Down" - The Frames

My playlist is endless, really.

Posted by: bubblegumshoe at May 10, 2009 9:27 PM

Hmmm... these songs are gentle enough to sleep to, but I don't know if they all convey a message you'd send to your children...

"You Belong to Me" - covered by Lifehouse
"Sparks" - Coldplay
"Melt Your Heart" - Jenny Lewis w/the Watson Twins
"Older Chests" - Damien Rice
"Clementine" - The Decemberists
"Fireflys" - Rhett Miller & Rachael Yamagata
"Into the Mystic" - Van Morrison
"True Love Waits" - Radiohead
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - covered by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

My fiance just suggested Billy Joel's "Lullaby." I've never heard it, except what he's just sang to me, but it sounds perfect for what you're trying to find.

Posted by: Melissa at May 10, 2009 9:32 PM

1) First Love - Adele
2) Arms of a Woman - Amos Lee
3) Across the Universe - Both the original Beatles and the Fiona Apple version
4) It Ain't Me Babe - Bob Dylan
5) Skinny Love - Bon Iver
6) Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You - Colin Hay
7) Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright
8) Syrup & Honey - Duffy
9) Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby - from the "O Brother, Where Art Thou" soundtrack
10) Be OK - Ingrid Michaelson
11) Far Away - Ingrid Michaelson
12) Dreams Be Dreams - Jack Johnson
13) The Last Goodbye - James Morrison
14) Oh My Love - John Lennon
15) A Satisfied Mind - Johnny Cash
16) So Much Beauty in Dirt - Modest Mouse
17) The Nearness of You - Norah Jones
18) Ode To... - Rachael Yamagata
19) Narrow Escape - Ray LaMontagne
20) Sampson - Regina Spektor
21) Eyes - Rogue Wave
22) Full of Grace - Sarah McLachlan
23) Now Slang - The Shins
24) I Summon You - Spoon
25) The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us - Sufjan Stevens

Posted by: SadieRue at May 10, 2009 9:37 PM

"Sentimental Heart" & "You Really Got a Hold on Me" - She & Him
"Soft Rock Star [Jimmy & Joe Mix]" - Metric
"Lady In Spain", "Breakable", "Highway", & "Keep Breathing" - Ingrid Michaelson
"Name" & "Black Balloon" - Goo Goo Dolls
"Brandy Alexander" - Feist
"Jealous of the Moon" - Nickel Creek
"Try" & "Other Side of Day" - Bebo Norman
"Sunset Borderline" - Sandi Thom
"Butterfly Cry" - Kerli
"Gravity" - Sara Bareilles

Also:
Anything by Allison Krauss, Iron & Wine, Cowboy Junkies, Sarah McLachlan, Jack Johnson, Frou Frou, Lisa Loeb, Zero 7, the Shins, Damien Rice, and Venice is Sinking.

Posted by: nutmeag at May 10, 2009 9:38 PM

"Farewell and Goodnight" - The Smashing Pumpkins

"We Only Come Out at Night" - The Smashing Pumpkins

"Beautiful" - The Smashing Pumpkins

"Lily" - The Smashing Pumpkins

"Love to Love" - The Djali Zwan (UFO cover)

"Mr. Moon" - Kate Micucci

These songs help me sleep. "Farewell and Goodnight" is especially calm and serene.

Posted by: MegMeg at May 10, 2009 9:39 PM

We got Raymond Scott's "Soothing Sounds for Baby" when my son was born. Worked every time, and he was not a good sleeper. Scott was an early electronica type of composer and he also adapted music for some of the early Looney Toons cartoons which was used again for Ren & Stimpy. You'll totally recognize it when you hear it.

I also highly recommend anything by Lush-- "Spooky" and "Gala" are particularly good-- they always work a treat for me when I can't settle.

Posted by: Mrs Smith at May 10, 2009 9:43 PM

Talk Dirty to Me- Poison

Push It- Salt N Pepa

Fuck tha Police- NWA

Anything by Insane Clown Posse

...Seriously Sweet Baby James or anything on Taylor's greatest hits, and Sinatra classics, always did the trick for me I guess.

Posted by: Be Adequite! at May 10, 2009 9:45 PM

You all are fantastic! My whole reason for asking for good music (and not your everyday children's songs) was because essentially I have to listen to it through the night due to the monitor. The first night I tried children's music and drove myself insane the next day because I couldn't get the songs out of my head.

Posted by: legib at May 10, 2009 9:54 PM

I do have a another song (just in case anyone else is using this list)...
"You are My Sunshine" - Carly Simon (or the Johnny Cash version is good)


Posted by: legib at May 10, 2009 10:00 PM

after the goldrush - neil young

helpless - neil young

when the ship comes in - bob dylan

going to california - led zeppelin

landslide - stevie nicks/fm

slow song - joe jackson

wooden ships - csny

wild horses - the rolling stones

Posted by: celery at May 10, 2009 10:00 PM

By the way, baby Katie thanks you for this as well. We had two great nights of sleeping through the night and now are back to our multiple wake ups. (Sigh)

Posted by: legib at May 10, 2009 10:01 PM

Delicate - Damien Rice
Bach Cello Suite No. 1 Prelude - Yo Yo Ma
Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven
Recuerdos de la Alhambra - Andres Segovia
Asturias - Andres Segovia
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
As the World Falls Down - David Bowie
Killing Me Softly - Fugees
Stay Awake - Julie Andrews
Out in Space - Travis
Fly Me to the Moon - Sinatra

Personally anything with a cello or classical guitar relax me, but I think that has more to do with the fact that I grew up with a jazz guitarist who had a love for classical and flamenco music.

Posted by: DoubleH at May 10, 2009 10:03 PM

oh yeah, i'd add to my above list:
david bowie - quicksand, oh! you pretty things and life on mars.

Posted by: celery at May 10, 2009 10:06 PM

and some pink floyd... too many to list.
you could put on the whole "shine on your crazy diamond" album, or just choose tracks from dark side of the moon, animals, the wall, etc... all have some really beautiful songs.

Posted by: celery at May 10, 2009 10:09 PM

that's, YOU crazy diamond.

ok. goodnight.

Posted by: celery at May 10, 2009 10:10 PM

One More Cup of Coffee - Bob Dylan
Angel - Sarah McLachlan
The Nearness of You - Norah Jones
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Whiter Shade of Pale - Procul Harum
A Woman's Work - Maxwell
Angelito - Don Omar
Ordinary People - John Legend
Angie - The Stones
Old Friend - Chris de Burgh

Oh! Figgy! I didn't know Smashing Pumpkins covered Landslide! I must have it! Thank you!

Posted by: Eyvi at May 10, 2009 10:13 PM

Alrighty, let's see here...

"Hysteric (Acoustic)" - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"The Park" - Feist
"Falling Slowly" - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
"Hide & Seek" - Imogen Heap
"Calculation Theme" - Metric
"Anthems for a Seventeen-Year Old Girl" - Broken Social Scene
"Challengers" - The New Pornographers
"Gravity" - Sara Bareilles
"Marry Me" - St. Vincent
"Your Ex-Lover is Dead" - Stars

Hope that helps!

Posted by: Jeremy Feist at May 10, 2009 10:15 PM

"Wonder" Natalie Merchant
"Dark Angel" Blue Rodeo and Sara McLachlan
"5 Days in May" Blue Rodeo
"A Different Corner" George Michael
"Angels" Robbie Williams

Posted by: PallasJay at May 10, 2009 10:43 PM

Do yourself a favor and get all of Zero 7's albums. They are ethereal and beautiful. If I had to recommend one song, I'd probably go with 'Somersault' off of 'When it Falls'

Posted by: Nate at May 10, 2009 10:45 PM

I am loving this. I'm copying every single song down so I can get it, because I love sleepytime music.

Eyvi, their cover is amazing. That song always kills me.

Some more:

-"Baby Bird" by The Wallflowers. It's a hidden track right after "Bird Cage" off of "Breach". I don't know if you can get it on its own, it's worth it.
-"Complainte de la Butte" by Rufus Wainwright
-"By Your Side" by Sade

For some latin flavor
-"Bendita la Luz" by Mana

Posted by: figgy at May 10, 2009 10:55 PM

Okay, I don't know how easy to track this one down, but for some reason, it is all lullaby to me...

Blue Shadows on the Trail, by Randy Newman, Three Amigos.

(link)

Posted by: replica at May 10, 2009 10:57 PM

i would totally second the cowboy junkie's 'trinity sessions'.

i myself sleep to it turned down low.


or 'tonight that i may see' by mazzy star

Posted by: gp at May 10, 2009 11:00 PM

Walking After Midnight- Patsy Cline
I sing that to my rugrat every night.

Blueberry Hill and Whiskey Heaven by Fats Domino

People Are Strange- the Doors. My kid loves that last one. She's a little "off".

Posted by: Cletus at May 10, 2009 11:06 PM

Check out the soundtrack to "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" Some good soft awesome songs on that.

Also:

"Dream" by Priscilla Ahn, gorgeous.

"I Adore You" by melpo mene

If you like John Denver, he's got loads of great mellow stuff.

Otis Redding? Soulful and lovely.

"Way Over Yonder" Carole King

Chopin's Nocturnes

Oooo! Adieu False Heart, a CD by Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy....LOVELY haunting Cajun tunes

Posted by: Snuggiepants the Deathbringer at May 10, 2009 11:06 PM

"sweetness follows"--r.e.m.
"as i'm leaving"--david gray
"i don't know"--the beastie boys
"blackbird"--the beatles
"still water"--daniel lanois
"catch the wind"--donovan
"my funny valentine"/"what'll i do"--chet baker
"running on faith"--eric clapton
"dear jessie"--madonna
"i will follow you into the dark"--death cab for cutie
"somebody"--depeche mode
"in the wee small hours of the morning"--frank sinatra
"wonderful world/somewhere over the rainbow"--israel kamakawiwo'ole (i think i got that right)
"fade into you"--mazzy star
"the wind"--cat stevens
"moonlight mile"--rolling stones
"i found a reason"--cat powers
"danny boy"--celtic woman
"catch"--the cure

Posted by: kelley at May 10, 2009 11:09 PM

legib Awww you have a baby Katie? I have a 14 year old Katie. I used to sing her "The Rose" and "Amazing Grace." (No ipods back then.) Strange choices, I guess, but I sang them to her well into her preschool years and she still fondly remembers singing them with me, so it's our "thing." Cool memories.

Baby Katies are the best. :)

Posted by: Snuggiepants the Deathbringer at May 10, 2009 11:09 PM

YES on the Oh, Brother soundtrack. I particularly recommend "I am Weary, Let me Rest".

Also:

"Love of my Life" by Queen.

I could just keep going on and on.

Posted by: figgy at May 10, 2009 11:09 PM

Since no one else has mentioned it, how about Dvorak's Symphony #9 - From the New World?

Movement #2, please, have to be careful about that. Also, someone mentioned Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, but stick to the first movement. The second movement is lively and happy, and the third movement could wake the dead!

-Ralphie

Posted by: ralphie at May 10, 2009 11:18 PM

"Harvest Moon" and "Hangin' On a Limb" -- Neil Young

Posted by: , (the commenter formerly known as bucdaddy) at May 10, 2009 11:37 PM

Ralphie, I dropped a couple more suggestions for you on the "Bands That Need to Stop" thread, check it out.

Posted by: , (the commenter formerly known as bucdaddy) at May 10, 2009 11:41 PM

Jimmy Eat World - "Goodbye Sky Harbor"
Death Cab For Cutie - "A Movie Script Ending"
Wilco & Billy Bragg - "Eisler On The Go"
Bon Iver - "Re: Stacks"
Smashing Pumpkins - "Galapogos"
Bob Dylan - "One Too Many Mornings"
Nick Drake - "Which Will"
Radiohead - "Gagging Order"
American Football - "Never Meant"
Moby - "God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters"
Mineral - "LoveLetterTypewriter"

I used to listen to a few of those entire albums almost every night to fall asleep. As I was typing "A Movie Script Ending" I had this total Pavlovian moment where I flashed back to feeling the wind coming through my window in the middle of the summer. That was really nice, just now.

Posted by: Benny at May 10, 2009 11:45 PM

Also, Los Lobos in general. David Hidalgo's voice is a sweet thing of comforting beauty.

"Purgatory Line" -- Drive-By Truckers

Posted by: , (the commenter formerly known as bucdaddy) at May 10, 2009 11:47 PM

OK, here are some more from my lullaby playlist....

1. Brahms’ Lullaby – Celine Dion
2. Close To You – Mary Beth Maziarz
3. Mountain Lullaby – Disney
4. Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
5. Baby I’m Yours – Barbara Lewis
6. Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel) – Billy Joel
7. River Lullaby – Amy Grant
8. A Mother’s and Father’s Prayer – Melissa Manchester and Collin Raye
9. Baby Mine – Allison Kraus
10. A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes – Disney
11. Sleep, Daddy, Sleep – Disney
12. All the Pretty Little Horses – Joan Baez
13. Hush Little Baby – Lifescape
14. Rock a Bye Baby – Disney
15. You Are My Sunshine – Nat King Cole
16. Mr. Sandman – Chordettes
17. Angel’s Lullaby – Richard Marx
18. La La Lu – Disney
19. Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
20. Golden Slumbers – Ben Folds
21. A Mother’s Prayer – Celine Dion
22. These Are the Days – Van Morrison
23. Moon River – Judy Garland
24. Doe Eyes – Clint Eastwood
25. I Will – Ben Taylor
26. Godspeed – Dixie Chicks

Posted by: The Pink Hulk at May 10, 2009 11:54 PM

Sleeping on the Roof (The Flaming Lips)
Skindiving (James)
You Come Through (PJ Harvey)
Wishlist (Pearl Jam)
Mayfly (Rasputina)

I can't wait to check out some of the suggestions others have made to add to my mellow playlist :)

Posted by: osmate77 at May 10, 2009 11:58 PM

And you can't ever go wrong with the O Mickey Where Art Thou cd. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to the Kevin Montgomery version of "You'll Be In My Heart" from Tarzan and wished I had a little one of my own to share it with...

Posted by: The Pink Hulk at May 11, 2009 12:01 AM

I have the same thing for my daughter (she's just over 1 now). We started with just four songs, which was a pretty weird collection:

"Still Alive" by Jonathan Coulton & Ellen McLain (the awesome end credits song from the game Portal)

"1234 - Sesame St Version" by Feist

"All I Want Is You" by Barry Louis Polisar (from Juno)

"Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)" by Peter Sarstedt (from Darjeerling Limited)

And although we're not religious (at all), the next batch of songs that we added have a lot of god-bothering about them:

"God Is In The House" by Nick Cave

"Sinnerman" by Nina Simone

"The Partisan" by Noir Desir & 16 Horsepower

"Tomorrow Wendy" by Andy Prieboy

"Ain't Got No... I've Got Life" Nina Simone

"Coat Of Many Colours" by Shania Twain*
* The Dolly Parton version's good, but she yaks on for ages after the song's over...

We're still working out the next set...

Posted by: Justin at May 11, 2009 12:14 AM

Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Nancy Sinatra

Only appropriate if you aren't paranoid about babies with a grudge. Don't want to give them any ideas - if you hold out on the milk, those crapstackers can get mean.

Also, Air's Pocket Symphony is very mellow.

Posted by: Lauren at May 11, 2009 12:29 AM

A lot of the easy ones have been picked off, so I'm going to go a little farther afield.

The entire album Letter From Home by Pat Metheny Group...holy cow, there are some great slow jams on that! But if you add just one of its songs to your playlist, go with Dream of the Return and its achingly beautiful guitar.

You also can't go wrong with the Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento. I was introduced to him by Paul Simon (courtesy of Graceland), and I'm eternally grateful. Do your best to secure the song Portal de Cor (Threshold of Colors) from the album Encontros e Despedidas -- his melodies tend to be simplistic but he sings in Portugese, which is just a delightful language sung, and Portal de Cor is simply one of the most gorgeous songs I've ever heard.

And how about Eye in the Sky by Alan Parsons Project? That song always put me to sleep, and it has the right parental overtones...

Posted by: Che Grovera at May 11, 2009 12:43 AM

porcelain by red hot chili peppers, hooray!

Posted by: Alan at May 11, 2009 1:18 AM

Have You Ever Seen the Rain by CCR is on my sleep playlist. For classical, try Meditation from Thais by Massenet, the Mahler Adagietto (Symph 5, mvmt 4), and Air on the G String or any other version of Bach's Air.

Posted by: tinydundie42 at May 11, 2009 1:20 AM

Moon River - Audrey Hepburn.

Posted by: DeadNotSleeping at May 11, 2009 2:06 AM

Wow, looking at this list after I've made it, I feel like I'm hogging space here in the comments. But truth is, I could easily have made it 10 times longer. I love this kind of thing. So I tried to stick to more unusual choices and lesser known bands. Let the perusal of my iTunes begin:
Aerosmith - Boogie Man (Instrumental)
Anita Kelsey - Sway
The Band - The Weight
Barenaked Ladies - When You Dream
The Beatles - Norwegian Wood
Blue Merle - Burning in the Sun
The Church - Under the Milky Way Tonight
The Cranberries - No Need To Argue
Dar Williams - The Beauty of the Rain; Mortal City
Depeche Mode - Waiting For the Night
eastmountainsouth - You Dance
Freedy Johnston - Bad Reputation
Garfunkel and Oates - As You Are
Gary Jules - Mad World
Grateful Dead - Ripple
Hooverphonic - Eden
James - Dream Thrum; Lullaby
The Jane Does - Bring the Devil
Josh Ritter - Come and Find Me; Song For the Fireflies
K's Choice - Live For Real
Kaki King - Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers
Lady Antebellum - Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
Lyle Lovett - If I Had a Boat
Marcella - Sunshine
Mazzy Star - Fade Into You
The Notting Hillbillies - Your Own Sweet Way
Orba Squara - Perfect Timing
R.E.M. - Endgame
Rusted Root - Blue Diamonds
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Thomas Lane - For Days
Wilco - Radio Cure
Yo La Tengo - Our Way to Fall

Posted by: Bistro at May 11, 2009 2:23 AM

Nightswimming - Automatic For The People, R.E.M.
-followed by-
Find The River - Same album

and now it's nappy time

Posted by: bluesilver at May 11, 2009 2:48 AM

I'm with Cindy, even in college I used Cowboy Junkies Trinity Sessions to go to sleep. Actually, I've been having trouble sleeping lately, maybe I should try it again.

There was a soundtrack that was great on its own, but was also calm enough to lull--I'm thinking it was the High Art soundtrack, most of it done by Shudder to Think. Kind of slow, trance stuff, hardly any of the tracks have words. I think it would work really well.

Posted by: Sharon at May 11, 2009 3:18 AM

Sea People - Emiliana Torrini
Honeymoon Child - Emiliana Torrini
Autumn Leaves - Paula Cole

And I second Baby Mine from Disney's 'Dumbo'. Though my nephew prefers the distinctly more upbeat Bare Necessities from Disney's 'The Jungle Book'.

Posted by: VampireNomad at May 11, 2009 3:20 AM

Oh, also "Twice" by Little Dragon. Great album, but that first track is perfect for this list.

Posted by: Sharon at May 11, 2009 3:24 AM

Bloc Party-Signs
Laura Marling- New Romantic
Actually, anything from Laura Marling's collection is good lullaby music.
Lykke Li- Dance Dance Dance. Its still pretty soft and puts me to bed. I'm essentially a 2 year old girl.

Posted by: den at May 11, 2009 4:43 AM

"Faraway Voice" by Katie Melua

"Space they cannot touch" by Kate Miller Heidke (this is really gorgeous, definitely try it, she's an amazing Australian musician

"Happily Ever After In Your Eyes" or whatever it's called by Ben Harper on his Morning Yearning album (apparently, Heath Ledger asked Ben Harper to write a lullaby song after he had his child and this is what Ben wrote. It's a beautiful song).

On that note, "Morning Yearning" is very beautiful, but maybe slightly morose. Anyhow, I still love it.

"Swallowed in the Sea" by Coldplay

"Moonshadow" by Cat Stevens

"Morning has broken" by Cat Stevens

"Watch Over me" by Bernard Fanning

"River" by Joni Mitchell

Posted by: JJ McClay at May 11, 2009 7:12 AM

Lullaby by The Cure *chchchchchch*

Only if you want to give the kid nightmares. ;)


Seriously, though:

Dry Your Eyes - The Streets

Imagine - John Lennon or A Perfect Circle (which is the better version IMO)

Bungee - Adam Green
Frozen in Time - Adam Green
Jessica - Adam Green

Dream on - Aerosmith

Onwards - Afro Celt Sound System

Forrest Gumb Suite - Alan Silvestri

Die Katze - Annett Louisan

Romance - Beth Gibbons
Show - Beth Gibbons
Spyder - Beth Gibbons

April in Paris - Billie Holiday

Play Dead - Bjork

Sunken Waltz - Calexico

Iron Man - The Cardigans

Big Cities - Director

Je ne regrette rien - Edith Piaf

Sabrina - Einstuerzende Neubauten

Summertime - Ella Fitzgerald

Many Moons Ago - Empyrium
Nebel - Empyrium

Blue Monday - Flunk

Beautiful - India Arie

Working Class Hero - John Lennon

Little Red - Kate Nash

Moonshine Sonata - Ludwig van Beethoven

Gaude Barbara - Palestrina

Black is the color - Paul Weller

Georgia on my mind - Ray Charles

Riders on the Storm - The Doors

Broken Glass (Piano version) - The Gathering
Herbal Movement - The Gathering

Damnatio Memoriae - Two Gallants
Linger on - Two Gallants

Hiertets Vee - Ulver
Høyfjeldsbilde - Ulver

Posted by: FabMax at May 11, 2009 7:13 AM

And also "Dreaming my Dreams" by the Cranberries. That song totally got my fifteen-year-old self through many a heartbreak and the subsequent sleepless nights!

Posted by: JJ McClay at May 11, 2009 7:19 AM

My dad used to sing me two lullabies when I was little. One was The Irish Ballad, by Tom Lehrer (I'd post the lyrics but they're quite long), and the other was a maddening little ditty called A Doggy Stole A Sausage, in which a starving little doggy is beaten to death by a cook.

This probably explains way more about me than I would like.

Posted by: embertinw at May 11, 2009 7:39 AM

I have a couple to add that I haven't seen posted yet. If I'm mistaken, sorry.

Night Swimming - REM
Return to Pooh Corner - Kenny Loggins

Posted by: TylerDFC at May 11, 2009 7:49 AM

oh yeah, and Music Box Dancer.

Don't remember who that one was by but it's a piano instrumental that got airplay in the early 80's. Very catchy.

Posted by: TylerDFC at May 11, 2009 7:52 AM

I agree with a lot of the songs/artists mentioned above... I would also add:
Go to Sleep by Sarah Harmer
Lake Constance by Mike Oldfield
aaaaand maybe Pink Moon by Nick Drake

Posted by: b at May 11, 2009 8:38 AM

Bucdaddy- I did check it out, thanks. I just don't always respond. Gonna have to wait until payday anyway before I can hear any of that stuff.

Thanks again.

-Ralphie

Posted by: Ralphie at May 11, 2009 8:44 AM

DeVotchKa - how it ends

Snow Patrol - You could be happy

Snow Patrol - Run

Keane - Bedshaped

Posted by: M at May 11, 2009 8:49 AM

Snuggiepants - yes, baby Katies are the best in the world! I always sing her "Baby Mine" when she's really fussy. For some reason the minute I start singing it, she immediately quiets down. I also sing "Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin. Strange I know, but it works really well softly sung.

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions! I can't wait to print out all of this and spend lots of time searching through music.

Posted by: legib at May 11, 2009 9:05 AM

thought of two more :

Au Revoir Simone - the lucky one

Emiliana Torrini - big jumps

Posted by: M at May 11, 2009 9:08 AM

Daughter -- Loudon Wainwright III


obvious, but still awesome.

Posted by: Elle at May 11, 2009 9:21 AM

Anything by David Gray (that's what my 5 month old sleeps to).

And I find the Rock-A-Bye Coldplay CD very soothing.

Posted by: Kiko at May 11, 2009 9:33 AM

Just select anything by Bob Marley. I swear that Three Little Birds helped me survive my daughter's infancy and toddler years, because she'd mellow out as soon as it came on.

When she watched I Am Legend recently, though, she had the strangest deja vu when they played it in the movie.

Posted by: Wednesday at May 11, 2009 9:48 AM

I had a very religious roommate at summer camp who couldn't sleep without music, and she gave me the choice of falling asleep to either weird Christian rock or Jewel's album "Spirit". Naturally, I picked Jewel, and liked it so much I went out and bought it. Some of the songs are very sad, but most are really soothing.

Posted by: RhymesWithSilver at May 11, 2009 10:05 AM

All cool, Ralphie. Just, I posted it pretty late in the game and didn't know if everyone had moved on.

Posted by: , (the commenter formerly known as bucdaddy) at May 11, 2009 10:08 AM

Lullaby - Dixie Chicks
Where's my love - Cat Power
Strawberry - Paul Baribeau
You can never hold back spring - Tom Waits
Somewhere there's a feather - Nico
Baby don't you cry -Quincy Jones (Waitress soundtrack)
Baby of Mine (Dumbo soundtrack)
More Adventurous - Rilo Kiley
Place to be - Nick Drake
Hammond song - The Roches

Posted by: rio at May 11, 2009 10:34 AM

While I appreciate your need for a good night's sleep, I think you're going about it the wrong way. Don't train her to fall asleep to music, or it will drive you and her future roommates nuts for the rest of your lives.

What you needed to do was vacuum outside her room after you put her to bed. The vacuum cleaner mimics the sound your body made when she was in your womb, AND you get clean carpet when you're done.

Posted by: BWeaves at May 11, 2009 10:47 AM

Sorry I'm late to the party, but I have to tack on a few more:

"Good Feeling" by the Violent Femmes. Perfect for this.

"Do You Believe in Rapture?" by Sonic Youth.
I would also recommend the beginning of Diamond Sea as it is just a beautiful, but you may want to cut it off before things get all dissonant and experimental (unless the kid is into it)

Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. Plenty of great stuff out there from these gruff, soothing voices to expand little minds.

Regina Spektor... Iron & Wine... Flaming Lips... She and Him... Bowie... Elton John... The Beatles... Bell & Sebastian.. Smashing Pumpkins....

Kids should hear real music not that patronizing watered-down bullshit that gets marketed to them. Kids are a lot smarter then they get credit for and if you don't treat them like they are handicapped little half-people you will be surprised by how fucking cool the little ones can be.

Posted by: Yossarian at May 11, 2009 10:54 AM

Music For Airports - Brian Eno

Music For Zen Meditation - Tony Scott

Posted by: Mohaski at May 11, 2009 10:56 AM

BWeaves- We just started playing music recently. I am not training her to fall asleep to music, just wanting something that will mask out the sounds of our dogs etc during the night.

I would vacuum outside of her room, but a) I don't have any carpet in my house and b) the vacuum (currently) scares the crap out of her.. so it would only succeed in making the situation more unhappy. Plus, she's 7 months old now so we're pretty far removed from the whole "sound of the womb" thing.

Posted by: legib at May 11, 2009 11:06 AM

The Kooks--I already Miss you. (The lyrics aren't anywhere close to being for a baby, but its slow and pretty and it always reminds me of my sister, saying how much she misses her son and her son's eyes when he goes to sleep.)

Fiona Apple--cover of Across the Universe

Curious George Soundtrack (Lullabies feat. Jack Johnson and co.)

Israel Kamakawiwoole--Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful world


Posted by: Kate at May 11, 2009 11:08 AM

I used to work at a preschool and I got so sick of the three CDs they had to play during nap time that I came up with my own playlists for them:

The whole discs of:
-"Sacred Arias" by Andrea Bocelli
-"The Life Aquatic" soundtrack by Seu Jorge
-"Quelqu'un M'a Dit" by Carla Bruni (now Sarkozy)
-"Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust" by Sigur Ros

Individual Songs:
-"Comeback" and "Better People" by Xavier Rudd
-"Ne Me Quitte Pas" by Nina Simone
-"Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap
-"Waiting for my Real Life to Begin" by Colin Hay
-"Dearest" by Buddy Holly
-"If I had a Boat" by Lyle Lovett
-"Honey and the Moon" by Joseph Arthur
-"Be Here Now" by Joseph Arthur
-"Older Chests" by Damien Rice
-"Winter" and "Closer" by Joshua Radin
-"Bright Smile" by Josh Ritter
-"For the Widows in Paradise,for the Fatherless in Ypsilanti" by Sufjan Stevens
-"Wild World" by Cat Stevens
-"Stars Above" by Maria Doyle Kennedy
-"Sweetest Thing" by St. Fiachra's Junior School
-"Mountains O' Things" by the Duhks
-"Ooh Child" by Nina Simone
-"Blackbird" by the Beatles
-"The Crane Wife 3" by the Decemberists
-"Born Into a Light" by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
-"Your Face" by the Frames

okay, I could think of more, but that is probably enough.

Posted by: ami at May 11, 2009 11:11 AM

I second Jewel's album, Spirit. It always put my nephew straight to sleep. It's so beautiful, delicate and soothing and there's a hidden track that's a lullaby Jewel's mom wrote and used to sing to her sung by Jewel and her mom.

Posted by: kayla at May 11, 2009 11:24 AM

Just a quick correction: "Be Here Now" is by Ray LaMontagne, not Joseph Arthur

Posted by: ami at May 11, 2009 11:29 AM

If no one else said so-

Husky Rescue "The Blueberry Tree" Series. There's three blueberry tree songs, and I can't make it through all three without nodding off. It's a clean, sweet sound.

My mum made up songs to sing to me. I have a couple made up for the day when I need them.

Posted by: Sweetie Dahling at May 11, 2009 11:46 AM

The Welsh lullibye "Suo Gan" from Empire of the Sun

Posted by: Leftylad at May 11, 2009 4:51 PM

A lot of good ones already mentioned. Ami suggested the soundtrack to the Life Aquatic, which would be my top recommendation.

Some other ones:

"Mother Nature's Son" by The Beatles
"Stardust" by Willie Nelson
"I'll Be On The Water" by Akron/Family
"Shed Your Love" by The Helio Sequence
"The Park" by Feist
"Boots of Spanish Leather: by Bob Dylan

I think I'll go take a nap now.

Posted by: Borg at May 11, 2009 7:20 PM

I don't know how easy this would be to find, but if you were able to find an acoustic version of "Yellow Submarine", that would be nice and soothing and abnormal. My dad used to sing it to me when I was a bebbeh, and it was one of the few things that would get me to sleep. I'm a hardcore insomniac, so much so that it was noted when I was an infant. For some reason, "Yellow Submarine" as a lullaby was magic.

Posted by: Blonde Savant at May 11, 2009 7:47 PM

Duncan Sheik's entire third album, Phantom Moon. Thats what I used to go to sleep during my freshman year at college.

Posted by: Kate at May 11, 2009 7:49 PM

"Merman" from Tori Amos. Beautiful song.

Posted by: sarahcat at May 11, 2009 7:53 PM

form the age of 1 i went to sleep listening to Air Supply.

Posted by: Utah Dynamo at May 11, 2009 8:07 PM

Putting my education to practical use? Great googly-moogly! This will NOT make your baby smarter. Only knowledge makes babies smarter. Motor skills help.

Beware of tears.

Poulenc: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, 2nd movt. Suite Francaise- Pavane, Sicilienne, Sarabande for Guitar, Elegie for Two Pianos.
Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano, 3rd movt.
Ravel: Pavane for a Dead Princess, Jeux d'eau, Prelude, Minuet from Le Tombeau de Couperin, Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn
Schubert: Moment Musicaux no 2
Bach-Gounod: Ave Maria
Vivaldi: Guitar Concerto, second movement, La Primavera, second movement
Beethoven: Appassionata Sonata, second movement
Pathetique Sonata, second movement, piano sonata no 27, second movement
Handel: V'adoro, pupille from Julio Caesare
Stravinsky: Sonata for Piano, second movement
Couperin: Les Barricades Mysterieuses
Debussy: The Girl with the Flaxen Hair, Footsteps in the Snow, Scents and Sounds Turn in the Night Air, Dancers of Delphi, Arabesque No. 1, Dead Leaves, Heather, Canopy, Hommage a Rameau, Sarabande from 'For the Piano'
Saint-Saens: The Swan
Faure: Sicilienne from Pelleas et Melisande, pavane
D'Indy: Arrau from Helvetia (don't bother with anything else, the rest of his output is so boring it's almost illegal, and he was an Olympic-level asshole to boot. But this one thing is nice)
Villiers Sanders: The Bluebird
Satie: Gymnopedies, Gnossiennes (especically the first four), Sarabandes
Liszt: Transcendental Etude number 9
Britten: The Birds, Corpus Christi Carol
Messiaen: Turangalila-Sinfonie, 6th movt
Mozart: Clarinet Concerto, 2nd movt
Purcell: Thy Hand, Belinda and When I am Laid in Earth from Dido and Aeneas
Strauss: Four Last Songs- number three
Chopin: Nocturnes
Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonella
Schumann: Traumeri
Dowland: Pavana Lachrymae
Verdi: O cieli azzuri (o patria mia)
Dvorak: New World Symphony, second movt.

Jordan: Werewolf Bar Mitzvah

This stuff will make you and the baby too sweetly drowsy to bother each other.

Posted by: Jo 'Mama' Besser at May 11, 2009 9:39 PM

Tom Petty - Alright for Now

Posted by: jamiepants at May 12, 2009 10:55 AM

one of my favorite topics so i have to add:

- i try: ben taylor
- baby mine: bonnie raitt
- never ending song of love: delaney and bonnie
- blackbird: don latarski
- once in a blue moon: edie brickell
- you are my sunshine: elizabeth mitchell
- you: fisher
- anything by innocence mission
- if i had words: from the movie babe sung by the actor james cromwell
- dream a little dream of me: cass elliot
- kiss at the end of the rainbow: mitch and mickey (actually catherine o'hara and eugene levy from the movie a mighty wind)
- sweet sweet baby: michelle featherstone
- here comes the sun: nina simone
- only you: nrbq
- it must be love: ricki lee jones
- la vie en rose: louis armstrong
- into the mystic: van morrison
- can't go back now: weepies
- world spins madly on: weepies
- think about a lullaby: merle haggard

Posted by: ann at May 12, 2009 11:48 AM


















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