Hushabye Baby (1987)

I wrote this as an exercise in metaphor and simile—nothing heavy on my mind, just letting the images come. A valley where flowers won’t grow, a maiden whose tears bring them back, love as renewal. It came out sweet, simple, and lovely.

But it took on an entirely different meaning the week my father went into the hospital.

He was heavily sedated on morphine, barely aware, not speaking. They told me to bring my guitar, so I did. I played him a few songs—no response. Then I started singing Hushabye Baby. And something happened.

He moved. He reached out.

I took his hand. I sang the rest of it a cappella, and somewhere in his medicated sleep, he smiled.

It was a quiet moment, but one of the most profound in my life. A small, fragile connection between a son and a father at the edge of parting. I didn’t write the song for him—but that night, it became his. And now, it’s ours.

Lyrics:
[Chorus]
Hushabye baby, there’s no need to cry
Hold your sweetheart close to mine
Close your eyes and I’ll sing you a sweet lullaby
And we’ll leave your sad teardrops behind

[Verse 1]
There once was a valley surrounded by hills
Where the flowers would no longer grow
Then a pretty fair maiden cried down on those hills
‘Cause she loved the wild flowers so
Her tears fell like rain on the parched barren soil
And the flowers came back to bloom
Those hills were my heart when I met you, my darling
And the pretty fair maiden was you

[Chorus]
Hushabye baby, there’s no need to cry
Those flowers still bloom in my heart
Close your eyes and I’ll sing you a sweet lullaby
And we’ll leave your sad teardrops behind

[Chorus]
Hushabye baby, there’s no need to cry
Hold your sweetheart close to mine
Close your eyes and I’ll sing you a sweet lullaby
And we’ll leave your sad teardrops behind
[Outro]
Let’s leave these sad teardrops
Behind