I’m working on a mix for my daughter. (You didn’t think this was going to continue to be a political column forever, did you?) The CD in creation is intended for lullaby time and is made up of songs from artists I consider respectable contributors to the art of popular music.

Believe it or not, the options for commercially produced lullaby CDs are not all that bad and I don’t have to lower my expectations at all to enjoy some of what’s out there. I was prepared for a lot of “Barney for Sleepyheads” and “Teletubbies Say Nigh-Night.” If you’re into hardcore you still might have issues, but if you can stomach any level of folk, classical or jazz, there is some worthwhile, real music to be found in the lullaby aisle.

I have to give credit (grudgingly) to the baby boomers on this one. There is an active industry surrounding musical archives. “Music for moods” was dismissed as a yuppie trend when it started, but at some point the music geeks took over and made the play lists respectable. It’s no longer about cheesy “Beethoven for Breakfast” issues from the Pawtucket (R.I.) Symphony, but finding a situationally appropriate groove and riding it for 72 minutes. Starbucks and Pottery Barn brand music via compilation CDs now, and I’ve even lingered over a few thinking they weren’t too bad. Boomers love for music, market power and (let’s call it) dedication to principle led to the appearance of good collections of tunes for tired tots.

So why am I staking out my own addition to the lullaby mix world? It’s a labor of love, or more specifically, three loves: my wife (who asked me if I would), my child (who will develop unassailable taste one day and to whom I would have to explain the Raffi-fest hiding in the attic should I go that route) and the music. Barney and the Teletubbies may still have their day, but not this day. Not while I can still choose the songs without inducing a tantrum.

In the process of putting this CD together, I am struck by how many great rock bands have nothing for me. I honestly tried to include artists that get radio play on rock stations, for example, but there seems to be a boundary not to be crossed for rock bands. Sing about your kids, but don’t sing for kids. Write a quiet, pretty song, but make it about your desire to have sex with someone, preferably someone out of your league or someone who used to have sex with you but now won’t.

I’d love to be proven wrong (try it here) but I’m not sure the right blend of sweet, quiet sonic beauty and child-conscious subject matter exists in a rock context. I had to loosen the boundaries at the end of the CD to get in a couple sweet songs that might not put a baby to sleep, but won’t wake them up once they got there.

It could be that the mode has already been taken by folk and jazz. I look at the list of musicians I’ve settled on and I see that they’ve covered the ground pretty well. Plus, even in an age of regular double-CD 45-song releases, there might not be room for a lullaby or two in a rock musician’s output. Lenny Kravitz can sing “Sweet Baby James” in the privacy of his own home and I’m sure there is a gently acoustic version of “Beautiful Boy” Liz Phair plays for her son.

There’s even precedent. The Beatles, from which 98% of all pop precedent derives, had a bunch of sweet songs that work on a lullaby level. They never got tagged folkies or jazz wanks, but for some reason all that follow have to choose between Revolution and Blackbird. I can see how it’s a scary step to take. One false step turns a sweet song into something far more Fat Elvis than late Beatles. Maybe that’s another merit badge for the fab four, as if they needed it.

I can’t blame a rock star for wanting to be a rock star. It’s noble enough and the promise of rock is that musicians can play their own songs about their own struggles. It’s almost antithetical for rock stars to play songs that they might find pretty, but are only meaningful when they want their children to give up the fight and call it bedtime. It’s a shame though. A real rock and roll lullaby can be a beautiful thing. Who hates Blackbird?

Here’s what I’ve got so far, and I’d love to hear your feedback if you have any, especially if you know of something I missed. Maybe I stretched a little on demanding credible artists, but I think I’m on solid ground with my current list. Is it hard to defend Norah Jones as an important artist? That depends on who you are attempting to sway, but I think there a case to be made that she’s a semi-important pop voice and no less influential or innovative in terms of style and genre juxtaposition than most. You can’t blame her for her audience. Anyway, she’s definitely a lullaby-ready artist and makes the credibility cut.

Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (song that was used for the kids.com ads, back when there was a kids.com and they had ads on TV)
I was Born – Natalie Merchant (from Mermaid Avenue 2 with Billy Bragg and Wilco)
Lazybones – Leon Redbone
Candy Man – Mississippi John Hurt
Dear Someone – Gillian Welch
Forever Young – Bob Dylan
Blackbird – The Beatles
Kate Rose – Richard Buckner
Pink Moon – Nick Drake
I am Weary, Let Me Rest – The Cox Family
The Wind – Cat Stevens
Moon On My Shoulder – Lyle Lovett
Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling – Robert Sean Leonard
Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby – Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris
Birds and Ships – Natalie Merchant (from Mermaid Avenue 1 with same cast as above)
Love is a Rose – Neil Young
The Long Day Is Over – Norah Jones
Punky’s Dilemma – Simon & Garfunkel
Paper Moon – Whiskeytown
Two of Us – the Beatles
We Know the Night – The Replacements
Pecan Pie – Golden Smog
Not Yet Three – Jonathan Richman
We’re Going to Be Friends – the White Stripes
Why, Look at the Moon – the Waterboys

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