In 1969, Ray Benson and Lucky Oceans (Reuben Gosfield) co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and soon after they found themselves opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, DC.[1] A year later, they moved to East Oakland, California at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. After being mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Van Morrison, they landed a record deal with United Artists. In 1973, their debut album, Comin' Right At Ya was released by United Artists. At the request of Willie Nelson, they left Oakland for Austin in 1974.
Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been presented numerous awards throughout their career. Most recently, the 16th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Award for the making of "A Ride With Bob", recognition by Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas, and the Darrel K. Royal Music Patron Award by The Texas Heritage Songwriters' Association. In 2007, The Austin Chronicle recognized Asleep at the Wheel for Band of the Year, Best Country Band, and into their Hall of Fame. Benson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2002, was given The Texas Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and recognized as an Outstanding Producer by the National Academy of Recording Arts in 1988. He has also been given numerous Citations of Achievement by Broadcast Music, Inc. for his work in the country music field. Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been one of the strongest names in Country Music for the last forty years.
Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens
Asleep at the Wheel Lyrics
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Locked up the barnyard with the greatest of care
And to the hen house something stirred
And he hollered, "who's there?"
This is what he heard
There ain't nobody here but us chickens
Ain't nobody here at all
There ain't nobody here but us
He kindly point that gun the other way
And hobble, hobble, hobble off and hit the hay
There ain't nobody here but us chickens
Ain't nobody here at all
You's stompin' around and shakin' the ground
You're kicking up an awful dust
We chickens tryin' to sleep and you butt in
And hobble, hobble, hobble, hobble, whiggle chin
'Cause tomorrow is a busy day
We got things to do, we got eggs to lay
'Round the dig and worms to scratch
It takes a lot of settin', gettin' chicks to hatch
There ain't nobody here but us chickens
Nobody at all
So quiet yourself stop all that fuss
There ain't nobody here but us
He kindly point that gun the other way
And hobble, hobble, hobble off and hit the hay
Well tomorrow is a busy day
We got things to do, we got eggs to lay
'Round the dig and worms to scratch
Its a lot of set gettin' chicks to hatch
Takes a lot of settin', gettin' chicks to hatch
And ain't nobody here but us roosters
Ain't nobody at all
So quiet yourself and stop all that fuss
There ain't nobody here but us
And kindly point that gun the other way
And hobble, hobble, hobble til the break of day
Hey boss man now what you say
Its easy pickin's ain't nobody here but us chickens oh yeah
Yeah
The song "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" by Asleep at the Wheel depicts a farmer named Farmer Brown who locks up the hen house and hears strange things stirring so he kindly asks who is there. The mysterious voice responds that there's nobody there but them chickens, and this phrase is repeated throughout the song. The chickens are trying to sleep, and they ask the farmer to quiet himself and stop all the commotion. The lyrics talk about how the chickens have a busy day ahead, laying eggs, scratching for worms, and trying to hatch chicks. The song also features a successive verse, where the roosters tell Farmer Brown to point the gun the other way, as there is nobody there but them roosters.
The song is a lighthearted tune, and it reflects the upbeat Western swing style of Asleep at the Wheel. The lyrics are humorous and convey the easygoing mood of the song. It is a song that brings joy and nostalgia to listeners, as it celebrates rural life and the carefree simplicity that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
One night farmer brown was takin' the air
While enjoying the night breeze, Farmer Brown made his way around his farm.
Locked up the barnyard with the greatest of care
Before calling it a night, Farmer Brown locked up his barnyard to keep his animals safe.
And to the hen house something stirred
Suddenly, there was movement in the hen house.
And he hollered, "who's there?"
Farmer Brown shouted to see who was in the hen house.
There ain't nobody here but us chickens
The chickens, who were the only ones in the hen house, responded to Farmer Brown's call.
Ain't nobody here at all
Aside from the chickens, there was no other living creature in the hen house.
So quiet yourself, stop all that fuss
Farmer Brown was told to calm down and stop making noise.
He kindly point that gun the other way
The chickens asked Farmer Brown to aim his gun elsewhere and not at them.
And hobble, hobble, hobble off and hit the hay
Farmer Brown was asked to leave and go to bed.
You's stompin' around and shakin' the ground
The chickens complained about Farmer Brown's loud footsteps which were causing vibrations in the hen house.
You're kicking up an awful dust
Farmer Brown was also making a lot of dust while moving around.
We chickens tryin' to sleep and you butt in
The chickens were upset that Farmer Brown was disturbing their sleep.
And hobble, hobble, hobble, hobble, whiggle chin
The chickens thought it would be best for Farmer Brown to leave and go about his business.
'Cause tomorrow is a busy day
The next day was going to be a busy one for the chickens.
We got things to do, we got eggs to lay
The chickens had a lot of things to take care of including laying eggs.
'Round the dig and worms to scratch
The chickens were going to be digging for worms.
It takes a lot of settin', gettin' chicks to hatch
The chickens were also trying to hatch new chicks which required a lot of effort.
And ain't nobody here but us roosters
The only other living creatures in the hen house were the roosters.
So quiet yourself and stop all that fuss
The roosters didn't want any more noise and asked Farmer Brown to be quiet.
And kindly point that gun the other way
The roosters also wanted Farmer Brown to keep his gun away from them.
And hobble, hobble, hobble til the break of day
The roosters asked Farmer Brown to leave and wait until morning before coming back.
Hey boss man now what you say
The chickens and roosters asked Farmer Brown for his response.
Its easy pickin's ain't nobody here but us chickens oh yeah
The chickens and roosters were trying to convince Farmer Brown that it would be easy to catch them, but there was actually no one there but them.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALEX C. KRAMER, JOAN WHITNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
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Ben - Moderator
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Eddie
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