Rock a Bye Baby — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

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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Learning from "Rock a Bye Baby"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Rock a Bye Baby" uses 8 lines to create a memorable verse — proof that effective poetry doesn't need to be long. Pay attention to the meter: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is what makes the rhyme stick in your head.

Songwriters and poets can borrow these patterns. Try writing your own lyrics using the same rhyme scheme and line length as this nursery rhyme. You can also use words from the poem above as starting points — click any word to find rhymes or look up its definition, then build from there.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the words to Rock a Bye Baby?
The lyrics to Rock a Bye Baby are: Rock a bye, baby, / in the tree top. / When the wind blows, / the cradle will rock. / When the bough breaks, / the cradle will fall, ... Read the full 8-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Rock a Bye Baby have?
"Rock a Bye Baby" has 8 lines of verse.

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