Lullabies

I don't know any children's songs.  The three that I do know, I learned from V's baby music class.  They are three lines long and involve spiders and other vermin.  There is also one about a bus.

Right now, V's go-to lullabies are Dreams on Fire, that song from Slumdog Millionaire, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  SOtR was the audition song for the 8th grade show choir in middle school.  Every girl in school was in chorus, and every girl wanted to be in show choir.  It was the Glee of the 1990s.  When I was in 7th grade, they sang and danced to Good Vibrations.  OMG SO COOL.  But Ms. D only let 12 or so girls in there every year, and of course it was the group of popular girls (i.e., not I because I thought it was ok to wear a car windshield on my face as glasses).

And there was an audition.  One song you had to sing in front of Ms. D, and another song that you had to dance to with two girls already in show choir.  I practiced every day.  I was going to make it.
That day came.  I stood in front of Ms. D and the two show choir girls, and I opened my mouth, and my heart seized.  I was having a panic attack.  But I couldn't not sing.  So I tried to sing anyway, and it sounded like someone had cut my vocal cords, like I was freaking Don Corleone.  Ms. D was accompanying me on the piano, and she had this look of OMFG on her face and the two show choir girls were looking at me like I had pooped myself.  I don't even remember the dance part, but I could have done back to back handsprings and levitated and I still wouldn't have made it in.

So when I sing SOtR to V, I make it a point to SING it.  Like I'm in show choir--loud and with fake vibrato.  Finally, a captive audience!  I know lullabies are supposed to be soft and soothing but I am a performer damn it, and V no longer gets startled. 

SOtR doesn't always work to soothe her to sleep, such as last night when she woke up after I realized that the heat in her room was on too high and dashed in like a monkey banging two cymbals.  She was so.freaking.pissed.off at me, and screaming her adorable little lungs out.  I tried the standards, and then had to pull out a classic and one of my all time favorites -- All I Want to Do is Make Love To You (All Night Long) by Heart.  I remember seeing the music video for this song the first time when I was in middle school at my BFF's house, and thinking holy guacamole, are they allowed to sing that?  YES.

It was a rainy night, when he came into sight
Standing by the road, no umbrella, no coat
So I pulled up alongside and I offered him a ride
He accepted with a smile, so we drove for a while

I didn't ask him his name, this lonely boy in the rain
Fate tell me it's right, is this love at first sight
Please don't make it wrong, just stay for the night
All I wanna do is make love to you
Say you will, you want me too
All I wanna do is make love to you
I've got lovin' arms to hold on to

So we found this hotel, it was a place I knew well
We made magic that night. Oh, he did everything right
He brought the woman out of me, so many times, easily
And in the morning when he woke all I left him was a note

I told him I am the flower, you are the seed
We walked in the garden, we planted a tree
Don't try to find me, please don't you dare
Just live in my memory, you'll always be there

All I wanna do is make love to you
One night of love was all we knew
All wanna do is make love to you
I've got lovin' arms to hold on to

Oh, oooh, we made love
Love like strangers
All night long
We made love

Then it happened one day, we came round the same way
You can imagine his surprise when he saw his own eyes
[here I look deep into Violet's eyes]
I said please, please understand
I'm in love with another man
And what he couldn't give me
Was the one little thing that you can

All I wanna do is make love to you
One night of love was all we knew
All I want to do is make love to you
Come on, say you will, you want me too

All I wanna do is make love to you
One night of love was all we knew
All I want to do is make love to you
Say you will, you want me too

All night long ...

And it worked.  She shut up and went to sleep.