Korea: Korean HUG Lullaby

After the first two stops on our itinerary, I'm remaining faithful to my intention to write a lullaby for each country we visit. The latest lullaby is based on a well-known melody that every Korean parent knows. Like many lullabies and fairy tales around the world (think “Rockabye Baby, in the Treetop”) this one’s lyrics explore an unsettling dimension of parenthood and childhood: a mother, living near the sea, must leave her baby alone while she goes to gather oysters to eat.

Jan had the idea of changing this theme to one that specifies and celebrates the steps that a father might take to settle a fussy baby. She and I worked to make the lyrics fit the tune. A draft of the result appears below. Since HUG Your Baby concepts seemed to translate well in a Korean setting, hopefully our new lyrics will compliment the traditional melody.

I have been impressed by the radio music I've heard in Korea. I knew a little about Psy and the K-Pop movement, but I was not expecting the quality and variety, as well as the consistently high production values, that I've found on Korean FM radio. Koreans appear to love classical, jazz, and Latin (especially Brazilian) music, along with the pop stuff. Late at night (when I do most of my listening), I was surprised to hear many beautifully arranged, slow tempo songs with great singers and sophisticated harmonies—just my thing!

Perhaps trying to envision a lullaby in such a setting is reaching too far, but the lead sheet below gently points a performance or production in that direction! Let me know what you think of this draft. Maybe rhyming "me" with "kimchi" is a bridge too far!