Origin of the song “Here Comes the Sandman”

Note: For an update on this story and the sheet music please see here

I have been trying to figure out where this song comes from, who wrote it and when it was written. If you know anything about it or have any experiences with it please post them in the comments below.

Here is the text:
Here Comes the Sandman (composer unknown)
Here comes the Sandman, stepping so lightly
Creeping along on the tips of his toes.
As he scatters the sand with his own tiny hand
In the eyes of the sleepy children.

Go to sleep my darling, close your weary eyes
The lady moon is watching from out the starry skies.
The little stars are peeping, to see if you are sleeping.
Go to sleep, my darling, go to sleep, good night.
This song has a long history in my family it was sung by my great-grandmother to my grand-mother. My grandmother sang it to my mother and she sang it to me. So it is no doubt possible that the text has changed in the transfer from generation to generation. My grandmother “Nain” had no idea where the song came from. I recorded the song from as I remembered it for my cd “Elephants Have Wrinkles” and I published the lyrics as I remembered them on my Rainbow Songs website.

Of course in this day and age the usual way to look something like this up is via the internet, which of course I did. Unfortunately it seems that my version is one of the few sources about this song on the internet. In fact people have been contacting me about the song.

Last week a woman from New Zealand wanted me to send her an MP3 of the song to be played at her grandmother’s funeral. It was her grandmother’s favourite song.

I found another version of the song from a baby signing cd:

Here comes the sandman
Skipping so softly
Skipping along on the tips of his toes
And he scatters the sand
From each little hand
In the eyes of the sleepy children
Go to sleep my baby
Close your sleepy eyes
The lady moon is watching
Throughout the darkened skies
The little stars are peeking
To see if you are sleeping
Go to sleep my baby
And close your sleepy eyes

Pretty close to the words that my family know and love,
I found another reference to the song here. However this was just other people also looking for the origin of the song so it is of no help.

I’m hoping others who are know of this song will find this post and share their information about it so that this mystery can be solved.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 21st, 2006 at 1:04 pm and is filed under Childrens' Music, Music, Song Origins. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

76 Responses to “Origin of the song “Here Comes the Sandman””

1. On November 21, 2006 at 3:16 pm nancy wrote:

When I camp counseled, I sang the Sandman to kids who were a lot older than 5– I can’t remember exactly, but 8-10 in age. they seemed to like it. the Camp Director told me he’d never had a counsellor who had done that before.

2. On November 23, 2006 at 8:56 am Judi wrote:

I have been looking for the words to this song for over 50 years. At last they are here. My mother used to sing this to me and I did remember almost all of the words, but some did go missing in my brain, so now I have the whole song and can sing it to my grandson.

I don’t know where it comes from, in fact, since I couldn’t find anybody other than family members who even knew of it, I thought my family made it up. If you ever find out, I would love to know. Thanks.

3. On November 23, 2006 at 2:24 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Judy,

Thanks for stopping by. How interesting that your family sings this song too!! Where do you live if you don’t mind me asking?
If you would not mind posting the words you know, I’d be really interested in how you sing it.

Can you record yourself? If so I’d love to hear your melody.
Anyway we have had a break on finding out more about the song.
My Dad found a source for the song:

Hi Mike,

Here is some further information about the Sandman. This is what I have located from a song collection of 1900, as cited on the Web at the following location:
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:I-UmcdRRSMgJ:www.kididdles.com/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/kididdles/dcforum/dcboard.cgi%3Faz%3Dshow_thread%26om%3D54%26forum%3DDCForumID16+%22Here+comes+the+Sandman%22&hl=en&gl=ca&ct=clnk&cd=49&client=firefox-a

HERE COMES THE SANDMAN
Words and Music By: Lucine Finch
Copyright 1899, by Lucine Finch

Here comes the Sandman stepping so lightly,
Stealing along on the tips of his toes;
And he scatters the sand
With his own little hand,
In the eyes of the sleepy children.

Oh! Hear the sandman singing so softly,
Singing the children to sleep ev’rywhere;
See how drowsy they grow
Tired heads drooping low,
And hear the Sandman singing.

Go to sleep, my children.
Close your sleepy eyes,
The lady moon will watch you
From out the dark’ning skies;
The little stars are peeping,
To see if you are sleeping;
Go to sleep, my children,
Go to sleep. Good night.

Lucine Finch was a Birmingham, Alabama author at the end of the nineteenth century who wrote a number of short stories.

The source here google’s cache of a now defunct kids music discussion forum. So it is not definitive source. I would love to know if the book these words were printed in also had the music.

This version as some different words and a whole verse we don’t sing.

4. On November 26, 2006 at 11:05 pm Judi wrote:

Hello again, Mike,

Thank you so much for the information. I am originally from Chicago, Illinois and was born in 1945. I remembered almost all of the words to the song with a few tiny differences and with one big exception… Stealing along on the tips of his toes. I don’t remember that line at all, and when I sing the song, I can’t make that fit the melody.

Is there anyplace that I can here your version? I will try to record mine in the near future. I have been so busy with Thanksgiving holiday and I will be out of town for the next few days.

Thanks again for the information.
Judi

5. On November 26, 2006 at 11:10 pm Judi wrote:

I forgot to mention this. I found it unusual that it refers to the moon as being a woman and in the States we refer to The Man in the Moon. I read somewhere on this site that someone from New Zealand also asked about the words so it seems to be a worldly song and explains the moon issue.

6. On December 3, 2006 at 2:48 pm Greg wrote:

This is one of my mother’s favourite songs ! She asked me to sing it for her at her 80th birthday in February. I asked her if she knew where it came from, but all she knew was that her mother sang it to them, and she sang it to us and my children too. Here are her words….

Here comes the sandman
Stepping so lightly
Steeling along on the tips of his toes
He will scatter the sand
From his own little hand
In the eyes of the sleeping children

Go to sleep my children
Close your weary eyes
The lady moon is watching
From out the deep blue skies

The little stars are peeping
To see if you are sleeping
Go to sleep my children
Go to sleep goodnight

Greg
Edinburgh
Scotland

7. On December 3, 2006 at 3:23 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Greg

Thanks for leaving your lyrics. Seems this song is passed on from generation to generation all over the English speaking world.

8. On December 3, 2006 at 4:07 pm Greg wrote:

Hi Mike,

Just ordered your CD as I am fascinated to hear your version of Sandman. Hope it doesn’t take too long to come ! If you are still interested in hearing other versions I can create an MP3. Don’t expect too much though. I’m no singer !

9. On December 3, 2006 at 4:24 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Greg,

I’d love to hear your version or anyone else’s for that matter. You can send it as an email to admin@rainbowsongs.com

Mp3 files would be perfect.

I’d be curious to hear how the melody had changed from family to family.

10. On December 6, 2006 at 2:02 pm Cheryl wrote:

These are the words my dad would sing to all of us

Here comes the Sandman, creeping so lightly, stealing away on the tips of his toes,
And he scatters the sand, with his own little hands, in the eyes of the sleepy children,
Go to sleep my baby, close your pretty eyes, the lady moon is watching, above the darkened skies,
The little stars are peeping, to see if you are sleeping,
Go to sleep my baby, go to sleep, goodnight.

11. On December 6, 2006 at 8:57 pm Mike Whitla (ddp) wrote:

Cheryl

Thanks for coming by and leaving your lyrics. Your family only changed two words from the original !!(at least what seems to be the original)
That’s pretty faithful reproduction from generation to generation.

Where are you from by the way?

It’s interesting seeing where all of you are from. This song has got around. So far I’ve heard from people from Canada, US, Scotland, and New Zealand.

12. On December 7, 2006 at 7:13 pm Cheryl wrote:

I’m from Southern Utah. I’ve been wanting to sing it to my little baby, but I couldn’t remember all of it. I tried looking it up on the internet, and of course found this. So I asked my dad, and those are the words he gave me. I was surprised to see how close they were to the possible original. My mom and I think it would be fun to get the original sheet music and words for it.

13. On December 7, 2006 at 7:51 pm Mike Whitla (ddp) wrote:

Cheryl,

Yeah I would love to see the sheet music too!!

14. On December 11, 2006 at 5:58 pm Jim wrote:

Mike,
My late grandfather sang “Here Comes the Sandman” to me when I was a child. Until discovering your version of the song, I had been unable to confirm the song’s existence outside of my family’s memories.
Grandpa grew up in southwestern Wyoming and was singing the song as early as his children can recollect (late 1930’s). Some of them believe the song was from a musical play in which Grandpa performed during high school (early 1920’s). I have privately sent a copy of a recording from the 1970’s of Grandpa singing the song to my cousins (which you may post). The song has been passed though all of Grandpa’s children and their children and is now lulling to sleep a fifth generation (at least) of the family - now in nearly every western state.

Grandpa’s version has the following lyrics:

Here comes the sandman, tripping so lightly
He’s a little brown man with a big bag of sand
And he scatters the sand with his little brown hand
In the eyes of the sleepy children

Go to sleep my babies, close your pretty eyes.
The maiden moon is watching from out the deep blue skies
The little stars are peeping to see if you are sleeping
Go to sleep my babies. Close your eyes. Good night.

Thanks for assembling the information you have collected!

15. On December 22, 2006 at 2:58 pm kristi wrote:

My late Grandmother who immigrated from Germany in 1903 at the age of 9, sang this to my mother who is now 77. She grew up in Fargo ND. I have a melody of it in my head, but no way to record for PC transmission. What I remember is…….

Here comes the Sandman, stepping so lightly
Creeping along on the tips of his toes.
And he sprinkles the sand, with his two tiny hands
In the eyes of the sleeping children.
Go to sleep my baby, close your weary eyes.
The mother or (lady) ? moon is watching you,
From out the darkning skies……ending unclear in memory , my sisters or mother might know.

16. On December 22, 2006 at 3:06 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Kristi

Thanks for sharing your families version and history with this song.

17. On January 1, 2007 at 11:29 am Louise Ryder wrote:

I am so thankful that I found your website, I have wanted the lyrics because I remember that my mum sang the very same song to me when I was a little girl and now I want to sing it to my daughter. I am orginally from England UK and my Greatgrandma (Little Nanny) use to sing it my mum when she was little. Its definitly a song that has been sung through my family and now thanks to you it can remain in my family for many years more.

18. On January 1, 2007 at 11:38 am Mike Whitla wrote:

Louise,

Glad you found the site useful. I plan to post a new blog page with some of the recordings people have been sending me so please come back any time you like.

19. On January 1, 2007 at 11:43 am Mike Whitla wrote:

Ok here is the first version anyone has sent me:
This is Jim Larson’s (see above post #14) grandfather singing the song to some nieces and nephews in the 1970s.
Enjoy!!
sound sample

20. On January 8, 2007 at 5:09 pm laura wrote:

hi,
I have been looking for the whole song for ages - my nana used to sing it to me and my sister when she looked after us when we were younger, and I recently asked her if she could remember it - unfortunately her memory isn’t as good as it was, and all my sister and I could remember (we are 19 & 21 now) was something like “Go to sleep my baby, close your pretty eyes, angels will awake you when you come to rise” apart from that it seems like the same song, and I would love to find out its origins.
I am from Wiltshire, England, and my nana grew up in Essex, England.

21. On January 8, 2007 at 7:57 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Laura

Glad you found the lyrics helpful and thanks for information about your history with the song.

22. On January 11, 2007 at 9:25 am Kathy wrote:

I’m almost 50, my Grandma would sing this song to me every night before bedtime, then my mom did the same…then came my only child, a son, who is now 24 and knows the song and sings it to his 4 month old son. I MADE him learn the words and song and he will never forget it. I wish you had it on your example of songs. Thanks so much for knowing the song and sharing it with all of us. Kathy

23. On January 13, 2007 at 4:57 am Sandy wrote:

I am not sure if this is the same song, but I have been looking for the lyrics to a lullabye my grandmother used to sing to me. She heard it from her mother in Glasgow.

Go to sleep, little baby.
Close your pretty eyes.
Angels are above you
Peeping diligently from the skies.
The great big moon is shining
Stars begin to peep
It’s time for little baby (name of child)
To go to sleep.

Can anyone tell me if this is just a version of Here Comes the Sandman or is this an entirely different lullabye.

Thanks

24. On January 27, 2007 at 9:51 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Sandy

Thanks for sharing your lyrics with us. Without hearing your version I can’t tell if your song is the same as our version.
The words you have seem to be quite different than our Sandman song.

Our sandman goes something like this:

sound sample

25. On February 6, 2007 at 2:46 pm Amy Yeager wrote:

This song has been in my family for generations as well! My great grandmother sang it to my grandmother who sang it to my mother and us grandkids who now sing it to our children. Its my two girls favorite lullaby! This is our version:

Here comes the sandman
Stepping so lightly
Stealing along on the tips of his toes
And he scatters the sand
with his own little hand
in the eyes of sleepy children

Go to sleep my baby
Close your sleepy eyes
the lady moon is watching
from the starry skies
the little stars are peeping
to see if you are sleeping
go to sleep my baby
go to sleep, goodnight

Thanks so much for posting the origin of the song!!

26. On February 7, 2007 at 12:55 am Lance Herrick wrote:

I believe that I have a recording of my mother singing this lullaby. It was a song she sang to my brother, sister and me when we were children. My mother wrote out lyrics for several of the songs she sang to us, and made a tape for our children, probably in the 1970s. The tape includes “I’ve a Dear Little Dolly,” “I’m Hiding, I’m Hiding, and No One Knows Where,” “The Evening Is Coming, the Sun Sinks to Rest,” and others. I should put these on a CD (although such a recording is not archival quality).

27. On February 7, 2007 at 6:17 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Amy

Your words are really close to the ones my family sings. Thanks for leaving them.

28. On February 7, 2007 at 6:21 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Lance

I would love you to email me the version you have of you mom singing this song (or any of the other ones). If you are agreeable I could post it here for others to hear it.

Can you make an mp3 and email it to me?

My contact info is here:
http://www.rainbowsongs.com/mikeblog/contact/

29. On February 19, 2007 at 6:33 pm Mary Lee McClure wrote:

Hello, Mike!
I am so thrilled to find that others know about this lovely little lullaby song. It’s something my mother used to sing to me, and, I’m supposing my little sister, and it’s something I’ve loved and sung to my own children, although, they, alas, don’t seem to recall it. My singing, perhaps? But, let me introduce myself: I am Mary Lee McClure, nee Tibor, born in 1923 in Chicago, IL. Mother’s father came from England so I’ve always supposed that the song was of English origin but only just now have I tried to find its source.
My words vary only very slightly so I’m positive it’s the same song. And now, after reading about it in your blog, (blessings on Google!) I’ve found it’s quite widespread and rather well known. I loved the vocal rendition by the elderly gentleman and was so thrilled to find that my tune follows almost note for note what he sang. There are a few slight variations in words, but it’s truly remarkable that it could have stayed so true for all these many years and with so many different singers all over the English speaking world, it would seem.
Here’s to happy lullabies! May they all end so sweetly!

30. On February 19, 2007 at 10:21 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Mary

Thanks for your story. I’m amazed at the way this song is emotionally connected to so many people.
Also amazing how it has been passed from generation to generation by the oral tradition.

Mike.

31. On March 4, 2007 at 4:57 pm Chloe Mason wrote:

Hi
My mum used to sing it to to me and my children love the song but i don’t remember the sandman, just;

go to sleep my darling close your pretty eyes
angels will be watching
watching over you from the skies
big blue moon is shining
stars begin to peep; now its time for little…..(childs name) to go to sleep
time for little boys/girls to go to sleep

Its a different tune to the one on your clip but I would have to sing it to you as I don’t read music it must be the same source though, fascinating!

32. On March 4, 2007 at 9:28 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Chloe

Thanks for posting your words. If they are the sandman it is the most different version yet. Though there does seem to be some definite similarities. I’d love to hear your version if you want to email it to me. Can you make a mp3 of it?

Actually my Aunt has tracked down the sheet music for the original sandman composition and I will post if on the blog when I get a chance.

33. On March 27, 2007 at 11:51 am Eleanor M wrote:

Hi! I was searching for the words to a song my grandmother used to sing to me when I was an infant (I was born 1949), and found your blog. The words are similar, although I don’t remember anything about the sandman, though she did say he was coming ( a frightening concept to me at the time!). Here are the few words I remember:
Go to sleep my baby
And close your pretty eyes
Lady Moon is shining
Way up in the skies
I know there was more. My grandmother was of French-Canadian descent, so I don’t know where she learned the song.
There was another web site with a related song: http://www.grainger.de/music/songs/gotosleep_pg.html
I don’t have sound on my computer, so I have no idea about the tunes, which is like what my grandmother sang to me.

34. On April 11, 2007 at 6:31 am Amanda wrote:

At last! I have been searching for information about this song since my grandfather passed away on Saturday April 7. He would recite the words to my daughter who is 4 months old and said his mother had sung it to him when he was a child. But he would whisper it so the only parts I remembered were go to sleep my baby, rest your dreamy eyes which is a little different to the postings so far. I’m from Melbourne in Australia but my great-grandmother was English, the origin of the oral tradition for my family. I look forward to the sheet music being posted on your blog. I hope to continue the tradition and to keep my grandfather alive for my daughter who will not remember knowing him.

35. On April 11, 2007 at 9:07 am Mike Whitla wrote:

Amanda and Eleanor

Thanks for adding your stories about this wonderful song. I just posted a new article about this song which has the full original text as well as the sheet music!!

Please see:
http://www.rainbowsongs.com/mikeblog/2007/04/11/here-comes-the-sandman-song-origins-revealed/

36. On April 11, 2007 at 1:12 pm Frances wrote:

My family has always sung it starting with “I’ve a dear little dolly”

I’ve a dear little dolly and her eyes are bright blue, she can open and shut them and she smiles at me too.

In the morning I dress her and we go out to play, but I lke best to rock her at the end of the day.

Go to sleep my baby close your eyes of blue, soon will come the sandman, bringing dreams to you.

My family is from Ireland and England.
I will try to make a sound file and post it.

37. On April 16, 2007 at 5:12 pm Benjamin wrote:

My mother would sing this song to me when I would go to bed as well as my brother and sister, and her mom sang it to her as well. I had never known that others sing, let alone know, this song.
Our version is very similar to those posted:

Here comes the Sandman,
Stepping so lightly.
Stealing away on the tips of his toes,
As he gathers the sand, in his own little hands
In the eyes of the sleeping children.

Go to sleep my [insert children's names], close your little eyes,
The lady moon is watching from out the darkening skies.
The little stars are peeping, to see if you are sleeping.
Go to sleep my [insert children's names], go to sleep, goodnight.

My family is from Hungary via England

38. On April 16, 2007 at 5:14 pm Benjamin wrote:

Sorry,

the line should read as he SCATTERS the sand, with his own little hands

39. On May 1, 2007 at 4:59 pm Doreen Lambert wrote:

My version is similar to Chloe’s I don’t remember the Sandman bit.

Go to sleep my baby, close your weary eyes
angels guard above you
singing prettily beneath the skies
pale blue moon is shining on the lily pond
time for pretty little…..(childs name) to go to sleep
time for little boys/girls to go to sleep.

I have loved this song since childhood, yet never heard anyone else sing it. I have sung it to my siblings, children and grandchildren. They loved it because their name is included in it.

It seems to have such meaning for people.

Doreen

40. On June 6, 2007 at 7:03 am Carolyn Mason wrote:

My grandmother, b. 1913 in New Zealand, whose grandparents were born in Aberdeen, South London, and Nottingham also sang me a version of this song. Her husband’s family was Welsh. I have no idea where she learnt it. I am afraid she was not much of a singer! I also don’t recall the sandman verse. My recollection of her version is:
Go to sleep my baby,
Close your pretty eyes,
Angels wings above you,
Look a dearie dearie in the sky,
Great big moon is shining,
Shining down on you,
Its time for little piccaninies,
To go to sleep.

The “dearie dearie” bit always bugged me, even as a child, because it has to be wrong and I am not sure whether what went wrong was her memory or my hearing! I do ‘recall’ (if you can recall such a thing) the song working and sending me to sleep though.

Is it really likely that the song originated with Lucine Finch, or is it likely that she found it somewhere else? It seems odd that the song would start in the US in that time period and spread as it has.

Carolyn

41. On June 6, 2007 at 10:47 am Mike Whitla wrote:

Thanks for stopping by!! Although it has some similarities I don’t think this is the same song. It is possible that it is a version that has been changed from the original by the folk process. As it goes from person to person the melody and words get adapted to suit the new singers.

42. On July 6, 2007 at 9:00 am Shelley wrote:

This song has been in my family forever too! The words a little different and we do not know where it comes from, but here are the words we grew up to…

Here comes the sandman
Stepping so lightly
Waltzing around on the tips of his toes
As he scatters the sand with his own little hand
In the eyes of sleepy children

Go to sleep my baby
Close your pretty eyes
The lady moon is watching
From out the darkened skies
Little stars are peeping to see if (babies name)’s sleeppjng
So go to sleep my baby go to sleep, goodnight

Thanks for sharing this!

43. On July 14, 2007 at 2:19 am Jan wrote:

I can remember a song we used to sing at school starting “The sandman comes at even….” but that’s all I recall. Does anyone know this version?

44. On August 16, 2007 at 9:25 am Jennifer wrote:

Hi there Mike,
I am practically the odd one out.
I hadn’t heard this song before I had a music seminar recently. During a session on singing and sharing music with your children, one woman sang this song, just as her mother had sung it to her.
I fell in love with this song, but didn’t have any idea of the exact lyrics, nor of it’s title.
Today, I found it. this is the one. I love this song, and am going to share it with my two beautiful babies tomorrow. Certainly, we will commence a tradition in our family, more than 100 years after the sheet music was first published.
Thanks so much for this opportunity.
Jennifer
Bendigo, Australia

45. On August 20, 2007 at 7:57 pm Norman Akervik wrote:

The University of MN-Duluth rents out student housing to senior citizens (I’m one)during the Summer. In early August, 2007, an after dinner discusssion turned to the subject of memory. I bragged that I could remember a song that I learned in kindergarten in 1927, at the Jackson Elementary School in Duluth, MN (since razed).

A couple of women insisted that I prove it by singing so I sang it and WOW! I got no respect for remembering but they thought the lullaby was fantastic.

The lyrics as I remember them are:

Here comes the sandman, skipping so lightly
Stealing along on the tips of his toes
And he scatters the sand with his old little hands
In the eyes of sleepy children
Go to sleep my children
Close your sleepy eyes
The lady moon is watching from out the darkening skies
The little stars are peeping
To see if you are sleeping
Go to sleep my children
Go to sleep
Good night

The melody is almost identical to what I heard sung by two male voices on your blog.

I’m glad I checked your blog.

Regards

46. On September 2, 2007 at 1:04 pm Jacqui R wrote:

Hi Mike,
I grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. This little lullaby was often sung to me as a child (in the early 1960’s) by my babysitter “Auntie Patty” - a dear English lady who is now deceased. My grandmother (who emigrated to Australia in about 1915) and my mother also knew the song and would sing it to me, although I think their words and tune differed a little from the version that I now sing to my children (the one that Auntie sang to me). My kids love this lullaby. I was always sure that I had some of the words wrong and the tune is slightly different to the one reproduced on your website. I guess that these tunes and lyrics get altered over successive generations.I had always assumed that this lullaby originated in England.

Here are the lyrics I know:

“Here comes the sandman
stepping so lightly
stealing along on the tips of his toes
And he scatters the sand
with his own little hand
in the eyes of the sleepy children

go to sleep my darlings
close your sleepy eyes
the angels here are watching
from out of Northern skies”

instead of the last verse we then go on to another lullaby almost immediately

“Little man you’re tired
I know why you’re blue
someone stole your kiddy car away
you better go to sleep now
little man you’ve had a busy day
you’ve been playing soldiers
the enemy is out of sight
the enemy has gone away
you better go to sleep now
little man you’ve had a busy day.”
This is apparently recorded by Paul Robeson with quite different lyrics too!

We shall continue to sing our version as it is the one we know and love.Thanks for the website,
Jacqui

47. On September 17, 2007 at 11:18 pm Jami wrote:

I really enjoyed reading all the versions of this, my favorite lyllabye, my mother sang to me growing up. But as mine is a little different, I thought you would like to see it.
Here comes the sandman
Stepping so softly
As he sprinkles the sand
With his own little hands
In the eyes of sleeping children

Go to sleep my children
Close your drowsy eyes
(something about the moon, which has grown fuzzy)
Go to sleep my children
Close those drowsy eyes
Mornings light is peeping
To see if you are sleeping
Go to sleep my children
Go to sleep, goodnight.

48. On October 22, 2007 at 12:38 pm Lucy Speller wrote:

This is really interesting. My granny used to sing a song like this to me, but I’ve since researched it and she sang the tune of the Wyoming lullaby. There was no mention of a sandman although the words and waltz time are similar. My partner was also sung this song so we are now singing it to our daughter.

Go to sleep my baby
Close your pretty eyes
Angels up above you
Peeping at my honey from the skies

Great big moon is shining
Stars begin to peep
Time for little (piccalilly? or baby’s name)
To go to sleep.

49. On October 22, 2007 at 1:01 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Wow So many more stories left

Lucy I don’t think your song is the same as the one most of us. But it does seem yours is the same as Lucy Carolyn’s post #40.

And Yes Jacqui I also thought that this song came from England. How about that written by and American of (at least some) French descent.
I would love to hear Paul Robeson sing sing this song. Thanks for your stories everybody!!

50. On November 18, 2007 at 3:51 pm Janice wrote:

My mother sang it to us and I sang it to my children. I wonder if they remember. I’m waiting for grandchildren to sing it to!
The version I remember

Here comes the sandman
stepping so lightly
tripping along on the tips of his toes
as he sprinkles the sand
with his own little hand
on the eyes of the sleeping children

Go to sleep my baby
close your little eyes
the little stars are twinkling
up in the dark blue skies
the mother moon is peeping
to see if you are sleeping
go to sleep my baby
close your eyes, good night

How great is the internet!

51. On November 18, 2007 at 4:10 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

The internet is great and so is your family’s memory!!

You guys have the closest lyrics to the original lyrics of any of us. I think only two words have been changed in your version.

Thanks for sharing Janice!

52. On December 10, 2007 at 10:05 pm Brenda wrote:

My grandmother, in Montgomery, Alabama, who was born in the 1920s, used to sing my sister and I to sleep with “Here Comes the Sandman”- in the 70s when we would visit her. And she used to sing it to my mother as a child. Now I sing it to my son, who chimes in regularly, ever since he was two. Thank you for your site. I’m glad to learn the origin and how the song has traveled! Here are my Nanee’s lyrics:

Here comes the Sandman
Stepping so lightly
Stealing along on the tips of his toes
And he scatters the sand
With his own little hand
In the eyes of the sleepy children

Go to sleep my (name of child)
Close your sleepy eyes
The lady moon will watch you
Throughout the dark’ning skies
All the stars are peeping
To see if you are sleeping
Go to sleep my (name of child)
Go to sleep, Goodnight

53. On January 1, 2008 at 3:27 pm sarah Haycock wrote:

My Grandmother used to sing this lullaby to my sister,brother and i when we were little.Her mother also sang it to her .She was from Edinburgh,Scotland.I now sing it to my children who know the word off by heart.My version is slightly different to yours.
HERE COMES THE SANDMAN,STEPPING SO LIGHTLY,STEALING ALONG ON HIS OWN TINY TOES,AS HE SCATTERS THE SAND,WITH HIS OWN TINY HANDS,IN THE EYES OF THE SLEEPING CHILDREN.
GO TO SLEEP MY BABY,GO TO SLEEP GOODNIGHT,THE LADY MOON IS WATCHING FROM OUT THE DEEP BLUE NIGHT.THE LITTLE STARS ARE PEEPING,TO SEE IF YOU ARE SLEEPING,GO TO SLEEP MY BABY GO TO SLEEP ,GOODNIGHT.BUM BUM!

54. On January 2, 2008 at 6:59 am Michael wrote:

Hi there!

The other day, completely out the blue after about 17 years, the melody of a lullaby arose in my mind as I was settling down to bed. It became gradually clearer and one or two of the words presented themselves to me…..And, after typing them into Google the next day, I was delighted to find this forum and the name of lullaby, which the memory of which my skin and dreams had somehow retained for these many years and ‘randomly’ resurfaced the other night!
I have been trying to find an mp3 of the tune and was wondering if anyone had any idea where I could listen to it or download it - I’ve had a look at the lullaby compilation CDs mentioned above but, seen as it is only this one song I am interested in and the CDs are only available in the US anyway (I’m in the UK (Preston)), I’d hoped to just find the individial song online…..Any ideas?! Does anyone have it on their computer who would be willing to email it to me.
All the best and thanks for the help you have already provided me with,
Michael
(Michaelmolyneux@hotmail.com)

55. On January 2, 2008 at 3:30 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Michael

I have a really nice version of the song on my cd “Elephants have wrinkles”. As this is how I make my living I can’t send you an mp3 of the file.
If you are interested in getting the cd you can order it here:
http://shop.rainbowsongs.com/mike-whitla-elephants-have-wrinkles-p-30.html

We do ship to the UK!!

Mike

56. On January 2, 2008 at 4:48 pm Michael wrote:

Hi Mike,
Thanks for posting a reply so quickly!
I understand that you can’t send the mp3 but, regrettably, I can’t bring myself to spend that much for one song! Plus, and this is nothing personal, just my own taste, I would prefer to hear the song sung by a women…
Any other advice as to where I can hear/buy the song by itself/cheaply?
Many Thanks,
Michael

57. On January 2, 2008 at 4:58 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

I don’t know anywhere else to get the song. The version on my cd is sung by a Lyric tenor named Alan Gasser and boy is it sweet.
You can hear him singing on this post:
http://www.rainbowsongs.com/mikeblog/2006/12/24/ave-maria-for-christmas/

58. On January 18, 2008 at 1:53 am Joan Snively wrote:

This blog was such a fun find! This song has generational history for our family as it does for so many other families. We are at least into the fourth generation as I now sing it to our grandchildren. I have two brothers and a sister who also continue to sing The Sandman Song. I listened to your sound byte, Mike. Your tune is the same as the one we use but many of our lyrics are uniquely different…

Here comes the Sandman
Tripping so lightly
Tripping along on the tips of his toes
As he sprinkles the sand
With his wee little hand
In the eyes of the sleepy children
Go to sleep my baby (or child’s name)
Close your dreamy eyes
The Sandman comes to greet you
From out the starry skies
The little birds are peeking
To see if you are sleeping
Go to sleep my baby (or child’s name)
Close your eyes… Goodnight.

I just tonight read bedtime stories and sang Sandman over the phone to a local 6 year old grandson! Mine seems to be the only version that includes “peeking birds!” Not sure where they came from. My family is midwest (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois). Great grandparents came from France and Wales. Thanks again for your blog - very entertaining, very nostalgic. What an amazing global history the Sandman has “sprinkled” on the world! Joan Snively

59. On February 16, 2008 at 10:47 pm Ronda F. wrote:

I did a Google search on the words to the song as my mom sang it to me when I was a kid. That is how I found this site. I am in my 50s now. I never knew anything about the song except that she learned it from her dad.

I will post it as she sang it to me. This is me singing.

http://www.netreach.net/~myronda/lullaby_mom_sang.wav

60. On February 17, 2008 at 12:31 pm Mike Whitla wrote:

Ronda

Thanks so much for stopping by and posting your recording. Indeed that is the same song we all know here.
Wonderful to have you singing!!

61. On February 18, 2008 at 12:49 pm Sara wrote:

Mike,
Like so many others, I am very excited to find the history of this song. Indeed I sang it to my children when they were young, my mother sang it to me and my grandmother sang it to all of us. Noone knew where it came from - I suspected like others that it was only known in my family as noone else seemed to have ever heard it. My grandmother was Scotch Irish and came from Antrim County Ireland in to early 1900s.
Today I was talking with a friend and said Let’s just Google it! and here you are. What a wonder. Our words are some mixture of all that you have written -
Here comes the sandman, stepping so lightly,
Stealing along on the tips of his toes.
And he scatters the sand, with his own little hands,
In the eyes of the sleepy children.

Go to sleep my baby, close your sleepy eyes.
The lady moon is watching throughout the darkening skies.
The little stars are peeping, to see if you are sleeping.
Go to sleep my baby. Close your sleepy eyes.
Close your sleepy eyes.
Close your sleepy eyes.

I would love to hear the tunes that people are singing. The recording in comment 59 is obviously related but not the same as ours. I am sure that we have all embellished the tune. So… interesting…… Thanks for the info.
Sara

62. On March 7, 2008 at 7:48 am Dianne McNiven wrote:

Last week had the oppotunity to baby sit for a friend with no grandchildren yet of my own [I am 55]
my 33 year old daughter called in to see my little person Paige 8 months
When it was time for her bottle and sleep this song just automaticly came out with my daughter saying thats what Nan used to sing to us !
These are the words my nan who would be 114 this June born England 1894 sang to me then my Mum to my children and so on
I needed to know the origin as well so googled and found this sight as my daughter wanted to write it in a book for a babys gift
so thankyou all little bits have helped.
Di

************************************************************
Here comes the sandman verse is the same but the next verse went like this

**************************************************
Go to sleep my baby
Close your eyes goodnight
the mother Moon is watching
From out the starry skies
Baby stars are peeping, to see if you are sleeping,
Go to sleep my baby, close your eyes goodnight.

63. On May 1, 2008 at 1:04 pm David wrote:

I was pleased to find this thread on this old lullaby. My mother sang it to me when I was a baby in the early 60’s. Of course the lyrics took their own turn and the version I remember is somewhat different and much shorter from the others on this thread. When my first child was born in 2002 I began singing it to him (as best a I could recall) every night and have made it part of the nightly routine ever since. I feel it is a nice gift to pass on to my next generation. My son also likes to sing it to his younger sister when he helps me put her to bed as well. When I ask him why I like the song so much he always responds, “because your Mom sang it to you every night when you were a baby.” Here is my version:

Here comes the sandman
Stepping so lightly
Stealing along on the tips of his toes
As he scatters the sand
Through his own little hands
To the eyes of sleeping children

Go to sleep my baby
Go to sleep goodnight
While little birds are peeping
My little (insert name) is sleeping
Go to sleep my baby
Go to sleep goodnight.

64. On May 3, 2008 at 8:52 am JOAN RICHARDSON wrote:

At the age of 68 now, I remember by mother singing Here Comes the Sandman, and now sing it to my grand kids. I remember little different way of words, “Here comes the sandman, steppin so softly, stealing along on the tips of his toes. He scatters the sand with his own little hand, in the eyes of the sleepy children.Go to sleep my little baby, close your sleepy little eyes, the sandman is comin, your mammy (I sing your Grammy) is hummin’ a lullaby” I wondered for years about this song, I so glad to know something about it, and it wasn’t something my mother made up.

65. On May 12, 2008 at 1:28 pm Ann Rueve wrote:

I was born in 1946. My nickname was “Babesie”. My mother used to sing this lullaby to me and add my name in the song, so it went “….he scatters the sand in the eyes of my sleepy Babesie, Go to sleep my Babesie, close your sleepy eyes…..”. I just loved the song and sang it to my kids and grandkids too.

66. On May 12, 2008 at 5:16 pm Mateus Bastos wrote:

Thank you very much for all the information!!!

I just made a film based on a simplified version of this song. I was afraid it was copyrighted (Belive me! People have been registering folk songs for Centuries!) and your testimonials just show how long people has been singing it for!

More than ever, we must keep singing to our children!

Thank you all again!

P.S> If you want to see the film, it´s called:
Sandman`s Lullaby
and you can find it on http://www.dibaexpressonline.com

67. On May 13, 2008 at 10:24 pm Edyth Bassett wrote:

In reply to the wonderful stories about this song, I would like to add mine. I am 87 years old. I was born in 1920 and in December 1923 my mother died. I lived with my maternal grandparents. My 3 month old baby sister lived with my father’s cousin and my 2 year old brother lived with another of Father’s cousins. My 5 year old brother lived with my father and his parents.
When I was 7 years old, Father died and when I was 9 my grandfather died after a prolonged illness. It was 1929, the depression hit, and people were suddenly poor. I stayed with my aunt and uncle in their one room apartment and slept on the floor and sometimes in the large baby bed. There was no one to sing the Sandman song to me. They both worked, my aunt only 4 hours a day, while I looked after the 9 month old baby.
Grandmother said I would be better off in the Girls Parental Home where I would be able to go to school and perhaps get help to go to college. I arrived at a lovely home on a farm with about a hundred girls.
Shortly thereafter one of the supervisors decided we should put on a play “Hansel and Gretal”. She added a sandman to sing Hansel and Gretal to sleep outside the witch’s house. I was the sandman and I danced around and sang:
Here comes the Sandman
Stepping so lightly
Stealing along on the tips of his toes
And he scatters the sand
With his own little hand
In the eyes of the sleepy children.

Oh hear the Sandman
Singing so softly
Singing the children to sleep everywhere
See them close their bright eyes
See them nod their tired heads
And hear the Sandman singing.

Go to sleep my children
Close your sleepy eyes
The Lady Moon will watch you
From out the darkening skies
The little stars are peeping
To see if you are sleeping
Go to sleep my children
Go to sleep. Good night.

I think I should add that I had four children and sang the Sandman song to each of them

68. On May 14, 2008 at 8:21 am Mike Whitla wrote:

Mateus

Thanks for your story about this song. But this song is not a folk song as we do know who wrote it.

69. On May 14, 2008 at 8:22 am Mike Whitla wrote:

Edyth

Thanks for your touching story about this amazing song.

I’m so glad you stopped by to share it.

70. On May 15, 2008 at 4:04 pm jules wrote:

I am so glad that you have this website! My mom used to sing this to us when we were little and i’ve always thought about this song, thinking about the lyrics….my memory is a little fuzzy and i’m not sure my mom sung it exactly like others (i really should ask her!) i know she added in ‘close your big blue eyes’ and added our names instead of darling.
USA

71. On June 29, 2008 at 1:58 pm Linda Lamb wrote:

The Sandman is a song that my mother sang to me, that I have sung to all 4 of my children, and am still asked to sing it to my 7 year old. I have read through the many versions on the site and although very similar I can’t see an exact copy of the that I sing.

Here comes the Sandman
Stepping so lightly
Stealing along on the tips of his toes
As he scatters the sand
With his own little hand
In the eyes of the sleepy children

Go to sleep my baby
Close your sleepy eyes
Angles up above you
Are watching you from the skies
My darling baby
Stars begin to peep
Time for little boys like you
To go to sleep.

It’s good to know that sandman is being sung to children, whatever the version and very interesting to read everyone’s stories

72. On July 12, 2008 at 6:42 pm Don Beck wrote:

This was the song my dad sang to me; I sang to my kids and grandkids; and they in turn sing to their kids.

Here is our version:

Here comes the sandman
stepping so lightly
stealing along on the tips of his toes
As he scatters the sand
with his own little hands
in the eyes of the night, night, children

Go to sleep my babies,
close your night, night eyes.
The sandman will watch you
throughout the darkening skies.

And the little moon is peeping
just to see if you are sleeping.
Go to sleep my babies
go to sleep goodnight.

I’m tired now and sleepy too
Come put me in my little bedsy wedsy wed.

Thank you everybody for listening in
and God bless you!

73. On August 30, 2008 at 4:58 pm Peggy wrote:

It’s interesting to see how songs can change a little, by just passing them down from one generation to the next.
My grandfather was Danish and sang this song to my mother and she sang it to “us”. I sang it to my children and now would like to pass it to my daughter to sing to her little girls.

My mother would change it up a little… she would add the color of “our” eyes to the song to make it a little personal.

“Go to sleep my baby
Close your pretty blue eyes” …or green or brown

I was very Happy to have found your site Mike…Thank you!

How wonderful to have such wonderful things to keep “our” familes tied together!

74. On September 2, 2008 at 8:36 pm michele weinbaum wrote:

I can not believe I found this site my grand mother who just recently passed away always sang this to my sisters and I. I have four children of my own and wanted to male sure that someone in our family continued to sing this song, So in honor of my grandmother and because I always loved it I sing it to my children. Here is her version. She grew up in Warsaw Poland.

Here comes the sandman
stepping so lightly
stepping along on the tips of his toes
and he scatters the sand with his own little hand
in the eyes of the sleepy children

Go to sleep my children
close your sleepy eyes
the lady moon will watch you beneath the darkened skies

75. On September 2, 2008 at 8:43 pm michele weinbaum wrote:

Sorry did not finish my daughter hit the button any way the rest is

The little stars are peeping
to see if you are sleeping
Go to sleep my children
Go to sleep good night

I am so glad other people sing this adorable song I always loved it and will continue to sing it for many years to come.

76. On September 3, 2008 at 9:29 am Mike Whitla wrote:

michelle

Thanks for your story. You are the first person who has a story from a non-English speaking country. Wow this song got around!!

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