# Baby-O

## Classification

- Queue shelf: light
- Current website category: public-domain
- Research category: public-domain / traditional
- Rights status: traditional-variant-awaiting-review
- Confidence: working-variant-review

## Writer / Source

Traditional American folk song; Scrips source follows the Kossoy Sisters title/lineage, also known as What'll We Do with the Baby-O?

## Earliest Located Evidence

The strongest quick match is the traditional song family indexed by VWML as Roud 826, with Seeger's *American Folk Songs for Children* listing in 1948 and Kossoy Sisters recording lineage in 1956. SecondHandSongs lists the Kossoy Sisters performance as written by Traditional and first recorded in August 1956.

## Context

Brad identified the Scrips title as often called “What do we do with the baby?” and associated with the Kossoy Sisters. That matches the inspected Scrips source text and cleaned ChordPro file. The song appears under related titles including “What'll We Do with the Baby-O?”, “What Will We Do with the Baby O,” and “What'll I Do with This Baby-O?”

## Rights Assessment

Older song or tune family. The source of this particular working version and its arrangement is still being reviewed. These working notes do not establish clearance of the exact lyric, tune variant, or arrangement. Historical references below are research leads unless a specific comparison is documented.

## Source Links

- https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/1063307/all
- https://secondhandsongs.com/work/224439/all
- https://archives.vwml.org/search/all%3Asingle%5Bfolksong-broadside%5D/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr%3A826
- https://archive.org/details/americanfolksong0000seeg_h3l4
- https://www.bethsnotesplus.com/2015/02/whatll-we-do-with-the-baby-o.html
- https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-duration.html

## Local Scrips Evidence

- Current source text: src/_content/song-text/baby-o.txt
- Cleaned Scrips ChordPro source: Baby-O.chopro
- Existing site status: cover, listed in master repertoire
- Existing site notes: lyric/chord sheet present; listed in master list; appears in setlist

## Scrips Arrangement Notes

The included text/chords follow The Scrips working ChordPro chart. The wording should be described publicly as The Scrips' traditional arrangement, not as a direct publication of the Kossoy Sisters recording text.

## Chords / Key / Tuning

- Key: C
- Capo: 0
- Tuning/comment: Banjo - Double C (gCGCD)
- Time: 4/4
- Tempo: 98

## Alternate Titles / Indexes

- Alternate titles: What'll We Do with the Baby-O?, What Will We Do with the Baby O, What'll I Do with This Baby-O?, Baby-O
- Roud number: 826

## Open Questions

- Approve the comic verses and identify the exact source used. The Kossoy Sisters association is a lead, not clearance of a particular recorded arrangement.
- Identify the exact text/tune variant and arrangement used by the band before treating this working sheet as publication-cleared.

## Website review — 2026-08-30

Lyrics and chord cues supplied; variant and band approval needed. The text and chord export were inspected for usable content; file existence is not a completed-song-sheet check. Final performance accuracy remains for the band to approve.