Crow on the Cradle

The sheep sit in the meadow

The kye in the corn

Now is the time for our child to be born

He'll cry at the moon

And he'll laugh at the sun

If he's a boy he'll carry a gun

Cries the crow on the cradle

And if it should be that our child is a girl

Never you mind if her hair doesn't curl

Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes

Above her, above her wherever she goes

Cries the crow on the cradle

Rockabye baby, the black and the white

Somebody's baby is born for a fight

Rockabye baby, the white and the black

Somebody's baby is not coming back

Cries the crow on the cradle

Your mama and papa

They'll scrimp and they'll save

Build you a coffin and dig you a grave

Hushabye little one, why do you weep?

We have a toy that will put you to sleep

Cries the crow on the cradle

We have a gun that will shoot that bird dead

That's what your mama and papa once said

Crow on the cradle, now what shall I do?

That is a thing that I'll leave up to you

Cries the crow, crow, crow on the cradle

Cries the crow

Cries the crow

Cries the crow

Cries the crow

Cries the crow

Cries the crow

Cries the crow