Hushabye Mountain Lyrics – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Song Overview

Sleeping children and cinematic dreamers alike have leaned on “Hushabye Mountain” ever since it first sailed out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), crooned by Dick Van Dyke’s inventive patriarch Caractacus Potts. Written by the Sherman Brothers in their post-Mary Poppins hot streak, the song appears twice in the film—first as a bedtime spell, then reprised when kidnapped youngsters long for rescue.

Though never a chart smash in 1968, the tune sprouted dozens of covers: Tony Bennett actually released his single weeks before the movie opened; Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour turned it into a moody guitar reverie in 2002; Rufus Wainwright revived it on CBS’s 98 Years of Magic special for Van Dyke in 2023.
Hush-a-Bye Mountain was released by singer Emily Watts, produced by Brian Foote.

Song Credits

• Featured: —
• Producer: Albert R. Broccoli (film soundtrack supervision)
• Composer & Lyricists: Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman
• Conductor / Arranger: Irwin Kostal
• Release Date: December 17 1968
• Genre: Lullaby / Show-tune ballad
• Instruments: Solo tenor, celeste, harp glissandi, muted strings, woodwinds
• Label: United Artists Records
• Mood: Tranquil, dreamy
• Length: 1 min 51 s
• Track #: 4 on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang — Original Cast Soundtrack
• Language: English
• Music style: 3/4 cradle-song with modulating bridge
• Poetic meter: Gentle iambic lilt
• Copyright ©: 1968 EMI Unart Catalog Inc.; renewal 1996

Song Meaning and Annotations

An almost weightless 3/4 sway carries the melody, as though the whole scene rocks in a phantom cradle. Sherman Brothers scholar Richard M. Sherman once called it “our Husky-voice answer to Feed the Birds,” and you can hear that shared hush—the way a single chord change (“It isn’t far …”) opens a secret door to dreaming.

Imagery of boats, bays, and night winds isn’t random: Ian Fleming’s original 1964 children’s novel ends with the Pott family picnicking by a river. The Shermans expand that watery comfort into a full-blown metaphor—every child’s worry is a paper boat, tenderly pushed out to sea.

Verse 1

A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain
Softly blows o’er Lullaby Bay

The alliteration (“breeze”/“blows,” “Lullaby Bay”) acts like verbal rocking, each b thump a pulse against the pillow.

Verse 2

The winds of night so softly are sighing
Soon they will fly your troubles to sea

Night isn’t frightening here; it’s an ally that flies fears away—tiny inversion of typical bedtime dread.

Closing Verse

Wave goodbye to cares of the day

The rhyme scheme tightens (A-A-B-A) as the child nods off; structure itself grows simpler, mirroring slowing breath.

Similar Songs

1. “Feed the Birds” – Julie Andrews (1964)
   Both lull the listener atop gentle 3/4 motion and minor-major flickers. Walt Disney deemed “Feed the Birds” his favorite Sherman ballad; “Hushabye Mountain” echoes its compassionate hush, trading London rooftops for imaginary bays.
2. “Baby Mine” – Betty Noyes (1941)
   Disney’s Dumbo lullaby wraps mother-child love in slow waltz time and swelling strings; both songs soothe by sending troubles “to sea,” though “Baby Mine” stays earthbound while “Hushabye” climbs a mythic peak.
3. “Moon River” – Audrey Hepburn (1961)
   Henry Mancini’s river is Capote’s city cousin to Lullaby Bay: liquid imagery, quest for somewhere better, and a melodic leap that feels like the very first step of a journey.

Questions and Answers

Was it ever issued as a standalone single?

Yes—United Artists paired “Hushabye Mountain” with “You Two” on a 1968 7-inch, chiefly for radio promotion.

Did any version reach the charts?

Jazz chanteuse Stacey Kent nudged a download-only cover to No. 7 on the UK Independent Singles Breakers list in April 2011.

Which TV drama used the song to eerie effect?

Criminal Minds (Season 11, Episode 13 – “The Bond,” 2016) closed with Maggie Szabo’s spectral cover, flipping the lullaby into a serial-killer coda.

What’s the most unexpected live cover?

Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour performed it at London’s Royal Festival Hall (2001), sliding dream-chords through bluesy bends.

Did a modern vocalist revive it on primetime TV?

Rufus Wainwright sang it during CBS’s Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic special in December 2023, introducing the lullaby to a Gen-Z crowd.

Awards and Chart Positions

• UK Independent Singles Breakers (Stacey Kent cover): #7, April 2011.
• Stage musical revivals: Featured centerpiece in West End (2002) and Broadway (2005) adaptations of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
• Television spotlight: Performed on CBS’s 98 Years of Magic (2023).

Fan and Media Reactions

“Every time Van Dyke hits the word Hushabye my five-year-old’s eyelids surrender—pure paternal sorcery.” – Parenting blogger @NapQuest

“Gilmour’s version swaps sugar for starlight; suddenly it feels like Pink Floyd wrote a lullaby.” – YouTube user @Echoes79

“I shivered when Criminal Minds used it. Proof a lullaby can be terrifying if you tilt the light.” – TV critic Dana U.

“Sherman Bros. understood that kids fear bedtime too; this song is a verbal night-light.” – Music historian L. Torres

“Hearing Rufus belt it beside Van Dyke on CBS felt like two eras hugging goodnight.” – Twitter user @BroadwayNerd