Carol wrote to me:
I am from Trinidad, but live in Canada. There is a lullaby that is sung to babies that goes “dodo petit popo”. Those are the only words I remember and now that I have a grandchild, I sing only those words, but I don’t remember the rest. Would you know it, and if not where could I find the words and the music?
If anyone can help with this lullaby, please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
This article was posted on Monday, March 26th, 2007 at 4:42 pm and is filed under Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Creole, France, French, French Lullabies, Grenada, Languages, Lullabies, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions, Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidadian Lullabies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
April 4th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
The song goes:
Dodo petit popo
Mama gone to town
To buy sugar plum
And give popo some
The melody sounds something like “ring around the rosey”. Enjoy!
April 11th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
In 1837 a slave ship from the African slave coast left slaves at Grenada. They were recruited into the West India regiment and sent to Trinidad where they revolted. Their leader had been a chief of the Pawpaw tribe (pronounced Popo). Petit-Popo (little Popo) was a slave trade post in Togo. Does Mama Lisa know her ancestry?
April 11th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
It seems to me that petit popo means little baby.
I found another similar lullaby on a site of folk songs from Trinidad and Tobago:
Petit Popo
Do do petit popo
Do do petit popo
Si ou pa do do, petit popo
Maco chat allez mangé ou
This looks like a Creole French song. Fais dodo in French is “go to sleep”. Again, it’s using “petit popo” – which must mean “little baby” – or something like that.
It looks like this song is saying something like:
Sleep little baby
Sleep little baby
If you don’t sleep, little baby
? cat is going to eat you.
Even though historically Petit-Popo comes from the name of a slave trade post in Togo, Africa. It seems clear that it came to have another meaning in Trinidad.
April 12th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
I wrote to Robert, at the folk song site above, for a translation of the French Creole song. Here’s what he wrote…
“Do-do” simple means “Go to sleep”.
The song is a lullaby which says;
Go to sleep little babe
Go to sleep little babe
If you don’t sleep, little babe
A big cat will come to eat you up.
It sound horrible but I guess it worked!
Regards
Robert
April 19th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
WORDS TO GO TO SLEEP MY LITTLE BABY…
GO TO SLEEP
GO TO SLEEP
GO TO SLEEP MY LITTLE BABY
GO TO SLEEP
GO TO SLEEP
…….???????
June 7th, 2007 at 8:48 am
My Grandmother sang this to me-
Do Do petit popo petit popo do want to do do
mama will go to town to get the popo
some sugar plum so do do popo
June 17th, 2007 at 5:34 am
clap hands with (insert name here)
’til mama comes,
bringing cake and sugarplum
and give the baby some..
November 9th, 2007 at 12:02 am
I know this version
Do do petit po-po
Petit fanm la pa vle domi
Aponlo ke mange li
Betani pie ke mange li
Kakara ke mange li
zambi do ke mange li
Do do petit po po
petit fanm la se ka domi
Aponlo pa mange li
Betanie pie pa mange li
Kakara pa mange li
Zambi do pa mange li
Do do petit popot
Le popo se ka domi
le popo se ka domi
November 9th, 2007 at 12:18 am
Here is another
Do do petit popot
Petit popot pa vle do do
Zambi a ke mange li
Sukugnan ke suce san
November 9th, 2007 at 12:55 am
Thanks for posting those versions. I’m wondering if you’d be able to post English translations to go with them?
-Mama Lisa
April 21st, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Found this version at this page: http://www.kith.org/cgi-bin/mt332/mt-k3comments.cgi?entry_id=3945
Do do petit popo,
Petit popo pas fait dodo
Do do petit popo,
Petit popo pas fait dodo
Do do petit popo,
Petit popo pas v’lez dodo,
Si vous pas dodo, petit popo,
Mako chat allez manger ‘o.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Yes ! I remember that beautiful Lullaby.
Dodo petit popo,
Dodo petit popo,
petit popo, pavre dodo,
petit popo, pavre dodo,
long du chat en la mange li
……
Go to sleep little baby
Go to sleep little baby
baby little, pavre go to sleep
cat´s tongue in the freezed hand
and the big cat is going to eat you
May 24th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
my mom sang this son to me as a child and I in turn sing it to my 3 sons (4 yo & twins 1 yo)
I goes like this:
Dodo petit popo
Mama gonna pway dodo
Ika dede manuela
Ana mange morsha
October 13th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
My father form St Lucia use to sing this song
Do do petit popo,
Petit popo pas fait dodo
Do do petit popo,
Petit popo pas fait dodo
Do do petit popo,
Petit popo pas v’lez dodo,
Si vous pas dodo, petit popo,
Mako chat allez manger ‘o.
or a version of it.
May 2nd, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Marvin wrote:
i was wondering what about some folk songs? i am looking for a few?
mangoes
mi bouli
boy-ken??(not sure of de spelling)
Marvin
Can anyone help Marvin?
May 24th, 2010 at 12:53 am
Would anyone know more words to an old southern lullaby my mother sang to me. Her father was born in Virginia about 1845, his mother died and his father had slaves that helped raise him. He sang her a lullaby she also sang to me. All I can remember is – Andrew Jackson White, shut your eyes up tight. Daddys in the hen house lookin for a chicken, brothers waitin outside helpin with the pickin, mammys gwain to make the chile a little chickie pie. Any help appreciated. Thank you
December 14th, 2010 at 1:23 am
That must be part of one my mother used to sing to us, and her mother sang it to her when she was young. Her mother was born around 1878, and they were in North Carolina.
Actually, my 94-year-old mother sang it to me this evening. :) She wasn’t positive this was all the same song, but they always sang it together. Here’s her version.
Hushabye my little Georgia n_____
Lay your kinky head in Mammy’s arms.
Don’t you dare wink or blink or snigger
If you do I’m gwine to do you harm.
Little Jackson White
Shut your eyes up tight.
Daddy’s in the hen house lookin’ for a chicken
Buddy’s in the hay barn helpin’ with the pitchin’
Mama’s (or Sissy’s) in the kitchen makin’ corn pone.
Honey don’t you cry.
Mammy’s gwine to make her chile a little chicken pie.
May 30th, 2011 at 8:56 am
This is the first time I’ve been able to find this. My mom used to sing it to me and my twin sister, circa 1944. None of the rest of the family, 8 of us, remembers it. As I racall:
Andrew Jackson White, shut your eyes up tight
Mamy’s in the hen house looking for a chicken
Pappy”s on the outside waitin for the picken
For to bake little Andrew Jackson White a supper pie.
I remember Mom didn’t go to the market and get a frozen chicken. She rung their necks, dad used an ax.
I wonder how many young ladies today would have a clue how to kill, clean and prepare a chicken. Ah, chicken and HOME MADE noodles. I salivate just remembering that meal.
June 6th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
I will be 45 this year and I remember my Mother singing to me:
Dodo Petit Popo
Mama’s coming just now
Bringing sugar and sweet plums
For the Petit Popo
:)
June 6th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
That’s lovely! If you (or anyone else) would like to sing it for us, we’d be really happy!
July 6th, 2011 at 10:12 am
Robin wrote:
Hi Lisa
I was looking at your site and came across the lullaby ‘do do petit po po’. This song obviously has been corrupted through much – I tend to lean towards the one with the ‘Jumbie’ as a Moko Jumbie is a bad gremlin of the woods. The one taught to me 50 odd years ago was translated thus:
Sleep, my little one
My little one, sleep
Or the big cat will eat you up
The big cat will eat you up
Do do petit po po
Petit popo ?pavle? do do
Ou le grand chat que mange te
Le grand chat que mange te
I cannot remember the word where the question marks are but it means ‘Little one make sleep’.
My husband’s is sixth generation Trinidadian and my mother-in-law used to sing this to our children.
I do enjoy your website
Robin Scott
July 19th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Monique wrote about Robin’s version just above where the ? is: “‘pavle’ is ‘pa v’lez’ = ‘pas vouloir’ = ‘does not want’.”
August 29th, 2011 at 12:44 am
To Carol and Daisy – My Grandmother used to sing this song to me years ago. I’ve always wondered where she learned it. I remember her singing it this way…
Andrew Jackson White, shut your eyes up tight. Papa’s in the hen house huntin’ for a chicken; brothers on the outside to help with the picken’; Sisters makin’ corn pone out in the kitchen.
Hush little baby don’t you cry, Granny’s gwine to make her child a little chiken pie.
October 14th, 2011 at 8:26 pm
My grandmother used to sing this to me and her mother sang it to her. My great grandmother was born in Kentuckey in late 1800s and my grandmother was born in Florida in 1922.
Anderson Jackson White
Keep your eyes shut tight
Daddy’s in the henhouse
Gittin’ you a chicken
Brother’s on the outside
Helpin’ with the pickin’
Sister’s making cornpone
Honey, don’t you cry
Your mammy’s gwine to make her chile’
A little chicken pie
November 30th, 2011 at 12:30 pm
My great-grandfather was raised by a wonderful woman who had been born into slavery. She sang it to him and my grandmother sang it me.
Hush-a-bye my little pickaninny
Lay ya kinky head on mammys arm
Don’t you even wink or blink or snicker
Cuz if you do ya mammy gonna spank you til you hum humm hummm hummm
Mammys little child, why dont you hush a while
Daddys in the hen house lookin for a chicken
Mandy’s standin outside waitin for the pickin’
Mammy gonna lay da baby down and bake him a chicken pie
January 11th, 2012 at 6:23 am
i remember a semi different version my mum and gran sang to us when we were young:
do do petit popo
petit popo pavle do do
si ou pa vle pour? do do
Maco chat ka? manger lit
si ou pa vle pour? domi?
the question marks are there cause im not sure its the write word, but it sounds like that.
April 29th, 2012 at 4:19 am
This is the same song my mother and Granny sang to me…I always laughed my butt off as an adult wondering WHERE the heck they got this song, but most of all why they sang it to ME. I never thought I even closely resembled an “Andrew Jackson White” …I was a white baby girl…but…ha ha ha…see, I still crack up!
Hushabye my little Georgia n_____
Lay your weary head in Mammy’s arms.
Don’t you dare to wink or blink or snicker
If you do I’m g’one to do you harm.
Andrew Jackson White
Shut your eyes up tight.
Daddy’s in the hen house lookin’ for a chicken
Brother’s in the hay barn to help him with the pickin
Sister’s makin’ corn pone.
So Honey don’t you cry.
Mammy’s goin to make her child a little chicken pie.
May 1st, 2012 at 8:04 pm
Thank you for this website. I thought I was crazy. Also not very politically correct looking for the Go to sleep Little Georgia ____ song. My mother sang this to me as a child and I tried to sing it to my oldest when he was a baby. His dad lost his mind. I had not thought about it in years but I love this song so much. My mother (84) and her mother grew up in cotton fields with sharecroppers, I assume that is where they learned it originally. I am trying to do a pc rewrite so I can use it in a storytelling program I am putting together based on South Louisiana stories I heard growing up so any ideas on how to preserve the integrity would be appreciated.
November 25th, 2012 at 11:43 am
I love this song my grandmother used to sing it to me. I now sing it to my newborn daughter. I have made it more pc at the urging of my wife. Even with the changes , I still love it and think of my grandmother every time I sing it.
May 22nd, 2013 at 9:27 pm
Re-post,
POPO/Egun is the name of a tribe in Africa, the salves carried their name POPO in their names and songs to remind them of who they were. The POPO/ Egun tribe is what I know as my family ancestors.
RE-Post
In 1837 a slave ship from the African slave coast left slaves at Grenada. They were recruited into the West India regiment and sent to Trinidad where they revolted. Their leader had been a chief of the Pawpaw tribe (pronounced Popo). Petit-Popo (little Popo) was a slave trade post in Togo. Does Mama Lisa know her ancestry? I know my ancestors.
July 31st, 2013 at 10:43 pm
a marshall post sings it as close as i can remember. i’m about 60 years old and i remember hearing this and also sang it to my three children, i had an aunt named georgie and always thought that is lyrics were made to fit her name. lol
over the years we changed the n,,,,, word to the first and lst name of the baby.
September 11th, 2013 at 12:03 am
My grandma born in Arkansas in 1913, sang this to my mother born on 1942, and I now sing it to my kids.
Hush abye my little Georgia —(baby)—, lay your kinky head on mammys arm, won’t you weep or weeper blink or snigger, if you do I’m gonna do ya harm. Andrew Jackson white, shut your eye up tight, your mammys in the hen house Picken out the chicken, sisters makin conpone, honey don’t you cry.
Mammys gonna make her child a good ol chicken pie.
September 16th, 2013 at 8:06 am
My Grenadian Husband sings to our son, Mathias:
Dodo for Mama til daddy comes
when daddy comes
he’ll bring suga’ cake
and give Mathias some.
October 5th, 2013 at 7:09 pm
My mother died at age 95 in 2008. She sang a lullabye to me and my sister (10 years younger) That went:
Andrew Jackson White, close them eyes up tight.
Daddy’s in the henhouse, counting out his money.
Mama’s in the kitchen, making bread and honey.
(not sure about this line)
Go to sleepy, little Georgie N*gger, lay your kinky head on mammy’s arm.
Don’t you dast to wink or blink or snigger, cause
If you do I swan I’ll do you harm.
(not sure about the rest)
Mother taught me to respect all people, no matter race or religion, so there was no racism intended. Pretty sure she learned this when she was a little girl.
The henhouse line makes sense if you understand that people kept their money hidden in the henhouse, so the hens would cause a ruckus if anybody snuck in there, an early times burglar alarm.
November 16th, 2013 at 1:08 am
I also remember a 2nd verse
High up above hangs a little possum, hanging from the branch of a tree. All the way li’l Georgia — cutest little cooter ever seed.
February 26th, 2014 at 7:32 pm
My grandmother sang it like this:
Hushabye my little Georgia n…
Lay your kinky head on Mammy’s arms
Dont you dare to wink or blink or snicker
Cause if you do I’se gonna do you harm
Andrew Jackson White
Shut your eyes up tight!
Daddy’s in the hen house looking for a chicken
Brother’s waiting outside for to do the pickin’
Sister’s making cornpones, Honey don’t you cry…
Mammy’s going to make her boy a liitle chicken pie.
Lie as still as any little possum,
Hanging from the branches of a tree,
Sweetest chile is Mammy’s little blossom,
Prettiest little flower she’s ever seen
Andrew…etc
March 20th, 2014 at 1:42 pm
My grandmother used to sing the lullaby, “Dodo, petit popo”, to us, her Trinidadian grandchildren, from the 1940s. She sang it in Trinidadian patois and, since we couldn’t quite make out the second two lines, we simply repeated the first two:
Dodo, petit popo,
Petit popo pas v’lez dodo,
Dodo, petit popo,
Petit popo pas v’lez dodo.
The tune was (in sol-fa, with one syllable to each note):
Soh, Me, Soh Soh Soh Me,
Soh Soh Soh Me (upper)Doh Soh Soh Me,
Fah, Ray, Fah Fah Fah Ray,
Soh Soh Lah Soh Fah Me Ray Doh.
Another, which was always sung in English, went:
Go to sleep, my little pickaninny,
Mama’s going to spank you if you don’t,
Rock-a-bye, lullaby, tra–la-la-la-la.
And this one, mentioned in other forms above and which was more of a “playing with the baby” nursery song, we heard as:
Clap hands for Mama
‘Til Papa come,
He’ll bring cake and sugar plum
And give baby [or name of the baby] ALL!
This last has a syncopated beat.
I have had the honour, and great pleasure, of singing all three to lull two generations of babies in my family to sleep.
April 3rd, 2014 at 8:48 pm
I can’t believe I finally found it! I am 80 years old, and my Mom sang this song to me as a child, and also to my children. I’m now singing it to my great-grandchildren, with a change or two, so not to be offensive or pass on words best forgotten. I substitute a name (i.e., Go to sleep, little baby Jonah). Who knows, maybe in the next century someone will be singing it to their little babies, and keep this old tradition alive.
April 26th, 2014 at 1:25 am
Go to sleep you little Georgia N….
Lay your kinky head on mammy’s arm
Don’t ya dare to wiggle little n….
If ya do it’s sure to do ya harm
Andrew Jackson White
Shut them eyes up tight
Pappy’s in the henhouse
Looking for a chicken
Brother’s on the outside helping with the picking
Sister’s making corn pone
Honey don’t ya cry
Mammy’s gonna make her child a chicken pie
Grandmama from Kentucky used to sing it to me. Can’t even believe others have heard it too. Lol
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:54 pm
My family is from Trinidad and my grandmother and my mother sang it to me, now my mother sings it to my daughter. However the version I know is different:
♩doh doh po po,
♩doh-uh doh po po,
♩doh doh petit popo,
♩do do po po.
I alwas thought it was a Indian dialect but “petit” sounds Creole/french.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:38 pm
Jason – I believe it’s Creole French. Dodo (or fais dodo) in French means go to sleep. -Mama Lisa
May 17th, 2015 at 3:40 am
My mother sang Andrew Jackson White when I was a child in the fifties inOregon. I now sing it to my grandchildren. But, my mother’s version always started at “Andrew Jackso White… And end with “Your mammies’ gonna make her child a homemade chicken pie.” Thank you all for adding clarity to this favorite childhood song.
April 11th, 2017 at 12:17 am
My grandmama (born in 1927 in Mississippi) used to sing:
Rockabye my little Georgia N_____
Lay your head on your Mammie’s arm
Don’t you dare to wink or blink or snicker
In case it’s gonna do you a bit of harm
Daddy’s in the hen house lookin for a chicken
Sister’s cooking corn pone
Honey don’t you cry
Mammie’s going to cook you a chicken pie
August 18th, 2017 at 11:26 pm
I was born in the 80s and my great-grandmother sang a version of this song to me.
Go to sleep, my little Georgia n___ (I guess it was really Georgia, but I always thought she’d said little George the n____)
Lay your kinky head on Mammy’s arm
Don’t you dare to wink or blink or snigger
Cause if you do, I t’wanna do you harm
Papa’s in the chicken house trying to catch a chicken
Sister’s at the chicken gate waitin’ for the pickin’
So shut your eyes and don’t you cry
Mammy’s gonna make you a chicken pie
She would sing it to me while rocking me in the rocking chair. I heard that she’d sung it to others as well. From what I heard, her black friend/neighbor taught it to her to use as a lullaby (we’re a white family). I don’t think there was any malevolent intent, but I feel guilty typing out the lyrics. I’ve always wondered where this originated.
August 23rd, 2017 at 10:55 pm
I have sang to Andrew Jackson White song to my children and my grandchildren, not knowing where it came from or whether I am even using the correct tune. I am assuming that my grandmother and mother sang it to me. I’m so happy to find that it is real. My four-month-old granddaughter tries to sing it with me. Her six-year-old sister is now singing it to her sister. Yes, I, too, have changed some words.
December 20th, 2017 at 10:34 am
Lisa I know a different version of this song my husband who is Trinidadian use to sing it to our daughter who is now 16.
Dodo baby dodo,
mami gone to town to buy cake for the baby and give mammy some, to buy cake for the baby and give daddy none…
Then he will repeat the song over till she fall asleep
December 20th, 2017 at 12:51 pm
That’s sweet! Would you like to record it for us? :) Mama Lisa
October 14th, 2018 at 3:39 pm
My Mema, who just passed sang this song to me for my entire childhood. I always begged her to sing “Chicken Pie” to me. She was born in 47 and was adopted. Her mother sang this to her as well.
“Hushaby my little pickaninny, lay you little head on Mema’s knee.
Won’t be you cry or wink or blink or snikker, or I’m going to pull your nappy hair.
Andrew Jackson White, close your eyes up tight, Pappy’s in The Henhouse going to kill a chicken, (insert name)s waiting outside to help with the pic’n,
Mema’s cooking corn pone, honey don’t you cry cuz this little pickaninnies going to get a big old chicken pie!”
October 15th, 2018 at 1:02 pm
Thanks for sharing! Would you (or some one else) like to record it for us? We’d love to hear it! -Mama Lisa
March 4th, 2019 at 5:24 am
My Mother was born in Missouri in 1920. In my 10 brothers and sisters recollection that she learned it from her Mother. Here is our family version…
Go to sleep my little Georgia blossom
Lay your little nappy head in Mama’s arm
Don’t you dare to wink or blink or snicker
Cause if you do I’m gonna do ya harm.
Andrew Jackson White you shut those eyes up tight
Daddy’s is in the cornfield helping with the pickin
Sister’s in the hen House helping with the chickens
Mammy’s making corn pone
Honey don’t you cry
Mama’s going to make a little coon some chicken pie
You can sleep as sound as any possum
Hanging from the da branches of the tree
Go to sleep my little Georgia blossom
Sweetest little coon I ever seen
Sweetest little coon I ever seen.