For Father’s Day, a lighter diary….
Indoctrination in the Cradle: A Brief Study of the Roots of American Consumerism
“Hush, Little Baby” is a traditional lullaby and a multi-generational song — thought to be from the American South, and perhaps dating as far back as the mid-to-late 19th century. It officially entered the annals of folk music in 1951, when it was recorded by The Weavers. 1
The lyrics of the song demonstrate that American Society had become one of Purposeful Consumerism, of using item acquisition to achieve a goal, whether it be on a larger social scale to promote industry and economic growth or, on a simpler personal scale, to gain some level of pleasure or status. In this song, there are three distinct consumers with varying goals: Mama, Papa, and Baby.
Herewith are the commonly sung lyrics. Note that there is opportunity for singers to ad lib lyrics that continue the delight and promise of acquisition for the listener.
“Hush Little Baby”
Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
2
And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
3
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat.
And if that billy goat won't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won't bark
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down,
4
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town. 5
Notes:
- The Weavers were a popular singing group who kick-started the American interest in folk music. Their widespread popularity may be the reason the group – starting as gospel singers in the 40’s and branching out in the 50’s to traditional folk songs – survived the McCarthy Era anti-Communist blacklisting that threatened them after they refused to sign a “political loyalty oath” prior to a scheduled appearance on the Tonight Show, then hosted by Jack Paar, and which caused the group to be banned by NBC. (see Wikipedia, “The Weavers”.)
- From the first two lines, it’s clear that the singer, Mama, is stuck with the traditional chore of child-minding, and undoubtedly she is to a large degree confined with Baby to the home. Mama’s goal is to lull Baby to quiet sleep, so she can go on to the other domestic chores for which Papa holds her responsible. Meanwhile Papa is free to be at large in society, earning an income which he then uses to acquire desirable items for Baby’s consumption. [Historically, mockingbirds were unlikely to have been consumed per se in the American South, certainly not by babies. However, the tradition existed in other parts of the world (see pages 4 and 20 in Cuisine for A King, by Emma Goose, 1997 Singsong Press.)]
- From this stanza, and the rest following, we see that although Papa possesses a sizable funding pool to be able to afford his purchases for Baby, he has no particular idea of appropriate items for a child still at “lullaby age.” Papa’s goal in acquiring these diverse and unsuitable items, perhaps with an exception for the dog, appears to be attaining peace and quiet in the home, and can be considered a backup strategy to counter having acquired a wife (Mama) who is less than successful at shutting up Baby.
- Shoddy workmanship or planned obsolescence may be assumed from the consistent failure of Papa’s purchases. These failures also imply an unstated social imperative, which is to encourage frequent consumption of goods in order to maintain a Wealth Advantage of Producers over that of Consumers.
- The song’s final line is the marketing “hook” for Baby to continue in a lifetime of Consumerism, in pursuit of an unattainable goal, which is to remain the town’s apex of sweetness. [In reality, once beyond “lullaby age”, Baby very likely would face decades of rebuff from peers and authority figures (see “Social Traumas”, by Brewster Egoh, Child Rearing Magazine, May/June 2002.)]