Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own radio show, The Wayfaring Stranger, which popularized traditional folk songs. In 1942, he appeared in Irving Berlin's This Is the Army and became a major star of CBS Radio. In the 1960s, he successfully crossed over into country music, recording hits such as "A Little Bitty Tear" and "Funny Way of Laughin'". Ives was also a popular film actor through the late 1940s and '50s. His film roles included parts in So Dear to My Heart (1948) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), as well as the role of Rufus Hannassey in The Big Country (1958), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Ives is often associated with the Christmas season. He did voice-over work as Sam the Snowman, narrator of the classic 1964 Christmas television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Ives also worked on the special's soundtrack, including the songs "A Holly Jolly Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", both of which continue to chart annually on the Billboard holiday charts into the 2020s.
Buckeye Jim
Burl Ives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A bluebird lived in a jaybird's eye
Buckeye Jim, you can't go
Go weave and spin, you can't go
Buckeye Jim
Way up yonder above the moon
Buckeye Jim, you can't go
Go weave and spin, you can't go
Buckeye Jim
Way down yonder in a wooden trough
An old woman died of the whoopin' cough
Buckeye Jim, you can't go
Go weave and spin, you can't go
Buckeye Jim
Way down yonder in a hollow log
A red bird danced with the green bullfrog
Buckeye Jim, you can't go
Go weave and spin, you can't go
Buckeye Jim
Burl Ives's song "Buckeye Jim" is a traditional tune that dates back to the 19th century. The lyrics are a mix of nonsensical and surreal imagery, making the song difficult to interpret. Nonetheless, there are some key themes that emerge from the lyrics.
The opening lines, "Way up yonder above the sky / A bluebird lived in a jaybird's eye," suggest that the song exists in a world of impossible, fantastical situations. The subsequent verses reinforce this idea, as they describe a blue jay nest in a silver spoon and a red bird dancing with a green bullfrog. These images are whimsical and playful, but they also suggest an underlying sense of chaos or disorder.
The final verse, "Way down yonder in a hollow log / An old woman died of the whoopin' cough," introduces a more somber note. The image of death is jarring in the context of the lighthearted song, but it also adds depth and complexity to the lyrics. It is unclear how this verse relates to the rest of the song, but it suggests that there may be more going on beneath the surface of the fanciful images.
Overall, "Buckeye Jim" is a fun and playful tune, but its strange and surreal lyrics suggest that there may be something more to the song than meets the eye.
Line by Line Meaning
Way up yonder above the sky
In a place far beyond our reach, high above the endless sky.
A bluebird lived in a jaybird's eye
A tiny bluebird has made a home within the eye of a larger jaybird.
Buckeye Jim, you can't go
Buckeye Jim, you must not leave this place.
Go weave and spin, you can't go
You have work to do, such as weaving and spinning, and must stay here to complete it.
Way up yonder above the moon
Even farther away than the sky, beyond the glowing light of the moon.
A blue jay nest in a silver spoon
A blue jay has built its nest within a shiny silver spoon.
Way down yonder in a wooden trough
Far below where we stand, inside a container made of wood.
An old woman died of the whoopin' cough
Sadly, an elderly woman has passed away from the severe illness known as whooping cough.
Way down yonder in a hollow log
Deep within the earth, buried inside a log with a hollow center.
A red bird danced with the green bullfrog
A playful red bird danced alongside a green bullfrog.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BURL IVES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind