Rock a bye baby, in the tree top
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all
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Background
There is not a clear history for this famous lullaby so there is plenty of speculation. What we do know is that the first published version appeared in 1765.
The clearest explanation we have found is that it reflects the observations of a pilgrim boy in America who saw native Indian women place their babies in birch bark cradles which they hung from trees so that the wind would gently rock them to sleep. Some versions use “Hush a bye” instead of "Rock a Bye” in the title and verse.
Another story says the song originated from a family that lived in a huge tree in England.
In the end, all we really know is that the song is over 250 years old and has been sung to English speaking babies for generations.
