Lazy Bones
Carmichael Lyrics


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Lazybones, sleepin' in the sun....how you spect to get your day's work done?
You can't get your day's work done......sleepin' in the noon day sun

Lazybones, layin' in the shade....how you gonna get your cornmeal made?
You can't get no cornmeal made....sleepin' in that evening shade

When taters need sprayin', I bet you keep prayin'
The bugs'll fall off of the vine
And when you go fishin' I bet you keep wishin'
Them fish don't grab your line





Lazybones, loafin' all the day.....how you spect to make a dime that way?
You won't make no dime that way.....loafin' in the shade all day

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Carmichael's song emphasize the theme of laziness that results in unfinished work, wasted time and missed opportunities. The opening lines "Lazybones, sleepin' in the sun..." portrays a lazy person lounging lazily under the sun instead of utilizing the time to do any meaningful work. The subsequent verse "Lazybones, layin' in the shade...how you gonna get your cornmeal made?" similarly addresses the consequences of laziness, which leads to the inability to complete necessary tasks like making food.


The chorus of the song carries on this theme by asking rhetorical questions, asserting that a lazy person cannot complete their work and won't be able to accomplish anything by just sitting around. The verses describe how even when there is a need to do work, a lazy person is often distracted and fails to accomplish anything at all. For example, "When taters need sprayin', I bet you keep prayin'
The bugs'll fall off of the vine" suggests that when one has to attend to their crops, a lazy person would rather hope that the problems will resolve themselves rather than actively taking the steps to resolve it.


In summary, Carmichael's song "Lazy Bones" uses its lyrics to depict and criticize the culture of laziness, pointing out the consequences of avoiding work and opportunities presented along the way.



Line by Line Meaning

Lazybones, sleepin' in the sun....how you spect to get your day's work done?
It's impossible to get your day's work done while sleeping in the noon day sun


Lazybones, layin' in the shade....how you gonna get your cornmeal made?
You can't make any cornmeal while you're dozing off in the evening shade


When taters need sprayin', I bet you keep prayin' The bugs'll fall off of the vine
You're probably praying that the bugs will come off the vine when you have to spray potatoes


And when you go fishin' I bet you keep wishin' Them fish don't grab your line
When fishing, you're probably wishing that the fish don't bite your line


Lazybones, loafin' all the day.....how you spect to make a dime that way?
You won't earn any money while you're lazing around in the shade all day




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, JOHNNY MERCER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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