Babies Dont Keep

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.



Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

Shes up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.



Oh, Ive grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo



The shoppings not done and theres nothing for stew

And out in the yard theres a hullabaloo

But Im playing Kanga and this is my Roo

Look! Arent his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.



The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

But children grow up as Ive learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

Im rocking my baby and babies dont keep.

