If your bedtime song routine feels a little stale, try learning some of these beautiful lullabies brought to us by the silver screen. When my kids were tiny, I realized I was singing the same few songs on repeat. If teething or sickness called for extra song time, it was easy to run out of melodies that were soothing, easy to remember, and (maybe most importantly) easy to sing.
While racking my brain for ideas of good lullabies to learn, I thought of all the sweet scenes in movies I love, where someone sings a peaceful tune. There are so many lovely written-for-the-screen songs that make absolutely wonderful lullabies.
Here are a dozen of my own favorites. They're all easy to learn, and beneath each one, I've shared a link to a recording of the song being sung, and also to the lyrics, so it's easy to learn the words.
These are now favorites with my kids, and when they're sick or sad, they'll still ask me to sing to them, even though we're out of the bedtime lullaby stage. (WHY do our babies grow up so fast?) I hope you and your little ones enjoy these as much as we do.
1. How Does a Moment Last Forever (Beauty & the Beast, 2017)
Of all the lovely elements from the live action version of Beauty and the Beast, this gorgeous little tune is a real highlight. It's charming and sentimental, short and perfectly sweet.
Sometimes our happiness is captured. Somehow, our time and place stand still. Love lives on inside our hearts and always will.
You can read the full lyrics here, and listen to it in Kevin Kline's soothing voice from the movie, here.
2. Ivy's Lullaby (The Village, 2004)
Baby sleep, gently sleep. Life is long, and love is deep. Time will be, sweet for thee. All the world to see.
The first time I saw this film in the theater, I knew I wanted to learn that beautiful lullaby that Ivy sings so gently to her sobbing sister.
Unfortunately, it's a little bit hard to hear the song perfectly in the clip from the movie, which you can watch here. It's pretty easy to learn the simple tune though, and you can read the lyrics here.
3. I Don't Want to Live on the Moon (Sesame Street, 1978)
This precious little Sesame Street gem, written by Jeff Moss, is such a treasure. I could watch the clip of Ernie singing this song about 12 times straight.
Though I'd like to look down at the earth from above, I would miss all the places and people I love. So although I might like it for one afternoon. I don't want to live on the moon.
You can read the full lyrics here.
4. Mother Earth and Father Time (Charlotte's Web, 1973)
Probably most of us grew up watching this beautiful classic almost every Autumn. It wasn't until I had children of my own that the sweetness of this song really struck me, though.
How very special are we, for just a moment to be, part of life's eternal rhyme. How very special are we, to have on our family tree, Mother Earth, and Father Time.
You can listen to the original song from the movie here.
5. Eideweiss (The Sound of Music, 1965)
This is a beloved favorite that's been in the canon of lullaby classics for a good long while now.
Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow, bloom and grow forever.
Here is the beautiful clip from the movie where you hear Christopher Plummer sing it, and here you can read the full lyrics.
6. Moon River (Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1961)
Two drifters, off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting, round the bend. My Huckleberry Friend, Moon River, and me.
So dreamy and wistful, this beautiful number is another classic lullaby tune that holds up to being sung over and over and over again.
You can read the full lyrics here, and watch the gorgeous film clip of Audrey Hepburn singing it here.
7. Bless Us All (The Muppet Christmas Carol, 1992)
This is such a sweet, sweet song. With words are so earnest and pure, it almost feels like a prayer.
Let us always love each other. Lead us to the light. Let us hear the voice of reason, singing in the night. Let us run from anger. And catch us when we fall. Teach us in our dreams, and please, yes please, bless us one and all.
With a sweet and peaceful melody to match, it's just a perfect lullaby. The full, beautifully-written lyrics are available here, and you can watch the adorable clip from the film here. This song gets extra points with my kids because it's sung by "precious baby Robin"...they think that little frog is absolutely the cutest thing!
8. Hushabye Mountain (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 1968)
This is a song that probably deserves a comeback.
A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain, Softly blows o'er Lullaby Bay. It fills the sails of boats that are waiting, waiting to sail your worries away.
You can read the lyrics here, and watch the charming film clip with Dick Van Dyke singing the song here.
9. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (The Wizard of Oz, 1939)
This song is old enough that it's served as a soothing lullaby to more than one generation of little sleepy-heads.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true.
The full lyrics are listed here, and you can watch the original movie clip, with Judy Garland singing the song here.
10. Goodnight My Love (Stowaway, 1936)
As always, dimples and true love abound in this feel-good classic. As an unintentional stowaway, Shirley Temple's character ends up singing her own lullaby, since her new guardian doesn't know any, and it's really the sweetest.
Goodnight, my love. Your mommy is kneeling beside you. Goodnight, my love. To dreamland the sandman will guide you.
You can watch the adorable scene from the movie here, and read the lyrics here.
11. The Rainbow Connection (The Muppet Movie, 1979)
Why are there so many songs about rainbows, and what's on the other side?
Another beautiful lullaby-worthy song from the Henson team. You can watch Kermit the Frog earnestly serenading in the swamp, with this beautiful tune in the movie clip here. Lyrics are available here.
12. Sigh No More (Much Ado About Nothing, 1993)
Then sigh not so, but let them go. And be you blithe and bonny; Converting all your sounds of woe, into hey nonny nonny.
Patrick Doyle did such a lovely job turning Shakespeare's lyric into this song, for the 1993 film version of Much Ado About Nothing. Whimsical and lighthearted, I may be alone on this, but I think it makes a nice lullaby.
The lyrics can be read here (or in your copy of Much Ado!), and the film clip with the song can be found here.
What other movie song do you like to sing as a lullaby? Share in the comments!
Anna Chesley
Anna Chesley is a freelance writer living a homestead lifestyle, with a special love for family travel, old books, vintage skills, and seaside living. In addition to founding Salt In My Coffee, she runs the website, New England Family Life, as well as The 1800's Housewife, a website devoted to re-creating authentic 1800's recipes.
Christine says
Somewhere Out There, from An American Tale. ❤️