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.
Green Green Grass of Home
Burl Ives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I step down from the train
And there to meet me is my mama and papa
Down the road I look and there runs Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
Yes, they'll all be there to meet me
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
The old house is still standing,
Though the paint is cracked and dry
And there's an old oak tree that I used to play on
Down the lane I'll walk with my sweet Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
Then I awake and look around me
Cold gray walls surround me
And I realize that I was only dreamin'
There's a guard and there's a sad old padre
Arm and arm we'll walk at daybreak
Again I'll touch the green, green grass of home
Yes, they'll all be there to meet me
In the shadow of that old oak tree
As they lay me beneath the green, green grass of home
The song "Green Green Grass of Home" by Burl Ives may seem like a simple song about returning home to see loved ones, but upon closer examination, the lyrics reveal a deeper meaning. The singer is returning home after a long absence and the initial joy and familiarity of seeing his hometown and loved ones quickly turns into a sad realization that he is actually in prison and this was all just a dream.
The detail given about the old home town looking the same and meeting his parents and Mary with hair of gold and lips like cherries are all illusions to his happy past. He also mentions the old oak tree and walking down the lane with Mary, which shows that he longs for his happy memories. Then, the lyrics take a turn as he awakes to the realization that his exile has continued and he is still in prison. This realization is all the more painful against the backdrop of his lovely memories.
The ultimate message of the song is poignant as it highlights the wishful thinking many people who are far away from home can suffer. Despite the harshness of reality, the singer chooses to focus instead on the happy memories of home, even if these memories only exist within his mind.
Line by Line Meaning
The old home town looks the same
I see that my hometown looks the same as it did before
As I step down from the train
As I get off the train
And there to meet me is my mama and papa
My mother and father are there to greet me
Down the road I look and there runs Mary
I look down the road and I see Mary running towards me
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
She has golden hair and beautiful cherry-red lips
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
I am happy to feel the familiar green grass of my hometown under my feet
Yes, they'll all be there to meet me
Everyone in my hometown will be there to greet me
All creatures smiling sweetly
All the animals in the town are happy to see me
The old house is still standing,
My old house is still there
Though the paint is cracked and dry
Even though the paint on the house is old and damaged
And there's an old oak tree that I used to play on
There is an old oak tree where I used to play when I was younger
Down the lane I'll walk with my sweet Mary
I will walk down the lane with Mary beside me
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
Mary has beautiful golden hair and cherry-red lips
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
I am glad to feel the familiar green grass of my hometown under my feet
Then I awake and look around me
I wake up and look around me
Cold gray walls surround me
I see that I am in a prison cell with gray walls all around me
And I realize that I was only dreamin'
I understand that everything before was just a dream
There's a guard and there's a sad old padre
I see that there is a guard and an old priest who appear to be sad
Arm and arm we'll walk at daybreak
The priest and I will walk together at dawn
Again I'll touch the green, green grass of home
I hope to experience the feeling of the familiar green grass in my hometown one more time
Yes, they'll all be there to meet me
Everyone in my hometown will be there to greet me
In the shadow of that old oak tree
I will be laid to rest in the shade of the old oak tree
As they lay me beneath the green, green grass of home
When I am buried, I will be under the green grass of my hometown once again
Lyrics © Divo TV Private Limited, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Curly Putman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind