Nursery World - In My View - Once in a lullaby

There is something truly wonderful about the fact that children and carers today still love to sing 'Baa Baa Black Sheep'. The first written version of this song appeared in a book of nursery rhymes back in 1744. That makes it a very old sheep indeed. In a world where huge technological changes are occurring on an almost daily basis, it's comforting to know that some things last.

So why do they last? Because human beings love rhymes, especially when they are combined with song. Simple words put to repetitive melodies with strong beats stick in our heads. We use them to express emotions and ideas to others and in doing so we create group identity and bonding with others. Nursery rhymes work in the same way, to nurture and strengthen the bond between a child and its carer. When a mother sings 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' to her baby, she doesn't worry that her baby has never seen a sheep, or will most probably never talk about 'masters' or 'dames' or that some scholars claim the song is a description of the medieval wool tax of 1275. Rather than the actual words the relevant message being imparted to her baby as she sings is, 'I love you, I am looking after you, you are safe.'

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