Mama made Papa be quiet as a mouse Papa climbed up on the top o' the house Made a lot o' whoopee, made a lot o' noise Stood up an' cheered with the rest of the boys Baby's in the cradle, Brother's gone to town Sister's in the parlor tryin' on a gown Mama's in the kitchen messin' all aroun' Papa's on the housetop an' he won't come down Well the blues they come, well the blues they come, Nobody knows where the blues come from Now the blues they go, now the blues they go, And everybody's happy when the old blues go Baby's in the cradle, ... Papa saw a chicken out in the yard Picked up a rock and hit him hard Hit him hard and killed him dead, now the Chicken's in the gravy and the gravy's on the bread Baby's in the cradle, ... Hush-a, little baby, don't you cry, Them blues gonna leave you by and by Papa come in, sure as you're born, Put the baby in the cradle, kick the blues out the door Baby's in the cradle, ... Baby's in the cradle, Sister's gone to town Brother's in the parlor tryin' on a gown Mama's in the kitchen messin' all aroun' Papa's on the housetop an' he won't come down
recording: Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell (1930) [YouTube]
recording: Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band (1966) [YouTube]
recording: Housetop (2011) [YouTube]