Lavender Blue
Bobby Vee Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lavender blue, dilly, dilly
Lavender green
If I were king, dilly, dilly
I'd need a queen

Who told me so, dilly, dilly
Who told me so?
I told myself, dilly, dilly
I told me so

If your dilly, dilly heart
Feels a dilly, dilly way
And if you'll answer "yes"
In a pretty little church
On a dilly, dilly day
You'll be wed in a dilly, dilly dress of

Lavender blue, dilly, dilly
Lavender green




Then I'll be king, dilly, dilly
And you'll be my queen

Overall Meaning

The song firstly expresses a fanciful desire for a queen by the hypothetical king. The use of "dilly, dilly" is a playful refrain, adding an extra layer of whimsy to the lyrics. There's a childlike quality to the song, and the desire for a queen feels more like an innocent dream. However, the lyrics also suggest that the singer is not waiting for someone else to tell him what he wants, but instead he's empowered to make his own decisions. The refrain "Who told me so" that follows "If I were king, dilly, dilly, I'd need a queen" indicates that the singer is confident and assertive in his desires.


The song ultimately is a love song, encouraging the listener to embrace their feelings and pursue their beloved. The imagery of a "pretty little church" and a "dilly, dilly day" adds a romantic and idyllic quality to the whole affair. The lavender blue color mentioned multiple times throughout the song adds to the romanticism and whimsy. Overall, Lavender Blue is a lighthearted and joyful song about love and the power of following your heart.


Line by Line Meaning

Lavender blue, dilly, dilly
The singer is admiring the color lavender, using a childish nonsense phrase to add rhythm to the song.


Lavender green
The singer expresses his admiration for the color lavender again, except this time, he's referring to its greenish tint.


If I were king, dilly, dilly
The singer is expressing a hypothetical thought, wondering what he would do if he were king.


I'd need a queen
The singer acknowledges the inherent duty of a king to have a queen by his side.


Who told me so, dilly, dilly
The singer is asking who gave him the authority to think that he needs to have a queen as a king.


Who told me so?
The singer is questioning the traditional royal expectations of having a queen to be by the king's side.


I told myself, dilly, dilly
The singer realizes that no one has the authority to tell him how to feel, and that he is the only one who can decide who he wants as his queen.


I told me so
The singer is proud of himself for recognizing this fact.


If your dilly, dilly heart
The singer is addressing someone whose heart is feeling a certain way but is hesitant to express it.


Feels a dilly, dilly way
The singer is recognizing the importance of feeling a certain way, regardless of what others might say.


And if you'll answer "yes"
The singer is acknowledging the importance of following one's heart and being honest about one's feelings.


In a pretty little church
The singer is signaling that this hypothetical situation involves a traditional wedding ceremony.


On a dilly, dilly day
The singer is once again adding a playful and nonsensical phrase to express the joyfulness of the occasion.


You'll be wed in a dilly, dilly dress of
The singer is acknowledging the importance of dressing up for this special occasion, again using a playful phrase.


Lavender blue, dilly, dilly
The singer's choice of dress color further emphasizes his admiration for the color lavender.


Lavender green
The same idea as before - the singer loves lavender and all its variations.


Then I'll be king, dilly, dilly
The singer is expressing his excitement for this hypothetical situation - he will feel like a king with his queen by his side.


And you'll be my queen
The singer is acknowledging that the person addressed earlier will be the one he chooses to be his queen, once more emphasizing the power of following one's heart.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Eliot Daniel, Larry Morey

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

barrygioportmorien1

I don't think I ever heard Bobby's version before. Great version.RIP Bobby.

frankie3919

My dad and I have always danced to Lavender Blue since before I could even walk. I'm now 30 and we still dance to it if we're at his house and it comes on my daughter's CDs. We even danced to it at my wedding. Love you Daddy!

John Morris

"Lavender's Blue" (known today as "Lavender Blue") is a 17th century English folk song and nursery rhyme that was modernized by composer Eliot Daniel and lyricist Larry Morey for the 1949 Disney movie “So Dear to My Heart.” Sammy Turner’s version was released in 1959. Eliot Daniel wrote—among many other famous pieces—the theme for the TV program “I Love Lucy.”  Larry Morey wrote the lyrics to some of the most successful songs in Disney films of the 1930s and 1940s, which included the 1937 Disney film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” which included "Heigh-Ho," "Some Day My Prince Will Come,” an "Whistle While You Work,” as well as for adapting Felix Salten's book “Bambi, A Life in the Woods” into the 1942 Disney animated film "Bambi."

raincoatriver

I'm a Bobby Vee fan, but Sammy Turner owns this song.

VealParmigiana

Good version of this song. My favorite is Dinah Shore's version and my second favorite is Burl Ives' version.

Peter

this is cool :) i use to play this to my eldest when i was pregnant with him, he likes the song now apparently :) they dont make it like this anymore.

Nancy Pasquale

such a tender sound..he was such a super nice guy, glad I got to meet and hang out with him and his sons

Leandro Leoderio

Linda!!!

dboyfff

I by far like this 50's version...

bob linka

very good covers made bobby Vee of the rockin classics

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