Possibly inappropriate lullabies

So, I have always sung to my children and I still do.  But lately I've been wondering if our choice of lullabies, obviously as presented by me... don't always carry the best messages upon which to ponder before falling asleep!

When Coen was a baby, his two favorites were The Circle Game and Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell. Lucy also loved those two in her early days...also before she had the power of speech to pick and choose her songs.  Both those Joni songs are lovely, melodic sounds to fall asleep to, but when you really listen to the lyrics

depressing!

Coen cheered up both these numbers in his twos and threes when he suddenly requested to have his stuffed animals sing his songs instead of me.  Being a first-time parent and a working one at that, I was, perhaps, a bit too indulgent.  Back then, Coen's bedtime was stretched out over a period of an hour and a half (we timed it once) and the lullaby hour was a veritable variety show of Uncle Froggy, the Cat in the Hat, and Floppy-armed Piggy, taking turns on verses, in their varied silly voices.  Let me tell you, it was exhausting and after we realized the kinds of charade our son had somehow roped us into as his night time procedure, we felt rather sheepish and cut it all back to two stories and one song, the singer requiring to be an actual human being and not a stuffed creature (as voiced by a human being)

Also, both children love the song Frog on my Toe by Tori Amos...  Sung not only at bedtime but on long car trips and lazy afternoons too.  That has been a fan favorite all my eight years of motherhood.  However, here is a sampling of the lyrics

Papa I'm sure the worms have eaten you now

And Jethro's been on some Frenchie's plate long ago..

Now, Jethro is said frog in the song and Lucy's recently been asking why it is that Jethro's on someone's plate--never mind what a Frenchie is.  Also, she wrinkles her nose at that part and says incredulously "the worms have eaten who?"  

Okay, maybe its time for a new number. 

 So then one time in the car, I sang them a family song that my mom used to sing to me

Eddie Kutchie Katchie Kama Tosa Neera Tosa Nova Sama Kama Wacky Brown
Fell into the well, fell into the well, fell into the deep dark well.

Here is a link to a cute recording of kids singing
  Eddie Kutchie Katcha Kama Tosa Neera Tosa Nova Sama Kama Wacky Brown

Of course the end of this number leads one to dark thoughts as the last line is
....Sama Kama Wacky Brown
Drown.

Tonight before I left Lucy, she was talking about how she's just going to stay away from any well she sees so she won't fall in.  I told her not to worry; there aren't really any wells around here anyway.

Maybe I better start looking for some new lullabies.