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.
There's a Hole in My Bucket
Burl Ives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There′s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza
There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole
Then mend it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Then mend it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, then mend it
With what shall I mend it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I mend it, dear Liza, with what?
With some straw, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, some straw
The straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza
The straw is too long, dear Liza, too long
Then cut it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Then cut it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, then cut it
With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, with what?
With a knife, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
With a knife, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, with a knife
The knife is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza
The knife is too dull, dear Liza, too dull
Then sharpen it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Then sharpen it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, sharpen it
With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, with what?
With a stone, dear Goofy, dear goofy, dear Goofy
With a stone, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, with a stone
The stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza
The stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry
Then wet it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Then wet it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, then wet it
With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, with what?
With water, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
With water, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, with water
In what shall I get it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
In what shall I get it, dear Liza, in what?
In a bucket dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
In a bucket dear Goofy, dear Goofy, in a bucket
There′s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza
There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole
The song "There's a Hole in My Bucket" is a comedic dialogue between two characters, Liza and Goofy. Liza informs Goofy that there's a hole in her bucket, and Goofy suggests different solutions to fix the problem. However, each solution presents a new issue that needs to be solved, creating a cycle that eventually comes back to the original problem - the hole in the bucket.
The song can be interpreted in various ways, but one common interpretation is that it represents the cycle of problems that we face in our lives. As we try to solve one problem, we encounter new problems that need to be addressed, and the cycle repeats.
Another possible interpretation is that the song satirizes the idea that problems can be easily solved by offering simple solutions that ultimately do not work. The fact that the song ends with the same problem that it began with could be seen as a commentary on the futility of simplistic thinking.
Overall, "There's a Hole in My Bucket" is a whimsical and humorous song that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza
I have a hole in my bucket, my sweet Liza, my sweet Liza
Then mend it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Please fix it, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy
With what shall I mend it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
What should I use to fix it, my sweet Liza, my sweet Liza?
With some straw, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Use some straw, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy
The straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza
The straw is too long, my sweet Liza, my sweet Liza
Then cut it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Then please cut it, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy
With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
What shall I use to cut it, my sweet Liza, my sweet Liza?
With a knife, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Use a knife, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy
The knife is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza
The knife is too blunt, my sweet Liza, my sweet Liza
Then sharpen it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Then please sharpen it, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy
With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
What should I use to sharpen it, my sweet Liza, my sweet Liza?
With a stone, dear Goofy, dear goofy, dear Goofy
Use a stone, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy
The stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza
The stone is too dry, my sweet Liza, my sweet Liza
Then wet it, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Then please wet it, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy
With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
What should I use to wet it, my sweet Liza, my sweet Liza?
With water, dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Use water, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy
In what shall I get it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
What should I use to get water, my sweet Liza, my sweet Liza?
In a bucket dear Goofy, dear Goofy, dear Goofy
Use a bucket, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy, my dear Goofy
There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza
I have a hole in my bucket, my sweet Liza, my sweet Liza
Writer(s): Traditional, Artie Trezise
Contributed by Anna L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.