By Clint McElroy
HQ 116 | WINTER 2022
In the blockbuster hit movie Taken, Liam Neeson’s character delivers the classic line: “What I do have is a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career.”
I can certainly relate, because what I have is a particular set of skills, skills I have acquired … as a grandfather. And one of those skills is singing lullabies.
I love to sing, and I have been lucky enough to do so in some very cool settings and circumstances over the years. I got to sing in the rain on the stage of the Ritter Park Amphitheatre with the amazing Debra Davis Wolfe, the former Huntington First Lady and Mrs. America 1984. We performed “It Only Takes A Moment” from Hello Dolly while rain poured down on us. The show must go on, right?
I sang in the hit Broadway musical 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee where I faltered on the word “xeropthalmia.” I sang on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium, the definitive Mother Church of Country Music in Nashville, as part of the outer space country and western band Hootie and the Nannies which comprised me, Paul Sabourin and my three sons — Justin, Travis and Griffin.
Notice, I didn’t say I sing well, although I do sound better on a stage where I have a character to hide behind. But I do my best vocalizing playing the character of grandparent. I may not be Tony Bennett, but I’m a world-class Lullabyist. (Yes, I invented the word.)
The pressure is off for the Lullabyist. Most other performance-based art forms strive to entertain, excite or evoke strong emotions. For the Lullabyist it’s the complete opposite. Our only goal is to put the audience to sleep!
There’s not a grandchild on the planet I cannot put down like a bad book. And I am effective no matter what the venue: rocking chair, edge of the bed, even sprawled in a beanbag chair.
To keep it fresh and interesting for me, the artist, I try to keep my repertoire updated. Traditional lullabies don’t always work. Brahm’s Lullaby, for instance:
Lullaby and good night,
With roses bedight
With Lilies o’er spread
Is wee baby’s bed
What in the name of Raffi is that all about? Nobody knows what “bedight” even means! You have to keep it new and fresh. It has to be something kids can relate to. For my children, I found myself going to the soft rock standards of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
Some of my go-tos include “House At Pooh Corner,” “Muskrat Love” and “All the Pretty Little Ponies.” Horses and muskrats and bears, oh my!
Finding a lullaby in contemporary music is not that difficult, especially since a lot of songs were written for the express purpose of putting a child to sleep. The most on-the-nose choice is “Rock and Roll Lullaby” by B.J. Thomas. But you can’t discount “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)” by Billy Joel or “St. Judy’s Comet” by Paul Simon.
When asked for a recommendation, Huntington’s own award-winning actor/singer/good dude Michael Cerveris suggested “Pony Girl” by his band Loose Cattle. Check it out on YouTube.
Lullabying is one of the few entertainment forms not limited by ageism. As a matter of fact, age only seems to increase the somnambulistic gifts of the Lullabyist. After all my bedside performances I have polished my talents to the point where I can induce sleep within minutes. No tiny tot can resist my rendition of Don McLean’s “Wonderful Baby.”
Wonderful baby livin’ on love,
The Sandman says maybe he’ll take you above,
Up where the girls fly with on ribbons and bows,
Where babies float by just
Counting their toes …
See? You’re asleep already.
