Little Red Rooster
Chester Burnett Lyrics


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I have a little red rooster,
too lazy to crow for day
I have a little red rooster,
too lazy to crow for day
Keep everything in the barnyard,
upset in every way

Oh the dogs begin to bark,
and the hound begin to howl
Oh the dogs begin to bark,
hound begin to howl
Ooh watch out strange kind people,
cause little red rooster is on the prowl

If you see my little red rooster,
please drag him home
If you see my little red rooster,
please drag him home
There ain't no peace in the barnyard,
since the little red rooster been gone

I have a little red rooster,
too lazy to crow for day
I have a little red rooster,
too lazy to crow for day




Keep everything in the barnyard,
upset in every way

Overall Meaning

The song Little Red Rooster by Chester Burnett is about a rooster who is too lazy to crow for day, causing havoc in the barnyard. The lyrics describe how the rooster's laziness has affected the other animals, as everything is upset and there is no peace in the barnyard. The dogs begin to bark and howl, warning people to watch out because the little red rooster is on the prowl. The singer of the song is asking for help in finding the rooster and bringing him home so that the barnyard can return to its peaceful state.


The song is a classic example of the blues genre, with its slow, melancholic style and lyrics that reflect feelings of sadness and despair. It was originally recorded by Howlin' Wolf (Chester Burnett) in 1961 and has been covered by many other artists, including The Rolling Stones and Sam Cooke. The song is also considered to be one of the most famous blues songs of all time.


Line by Line Meaning

I have a little red rooster,
The singer owns a rooster


too lazy to crow for day
The rooster does not crow during the day due to laziness


Keep everything in the barnyard,
The rooster is responsible for keeping order in the barnyard


upset in every way
The barnyard is chaotic and disturbed in the absence of the rooster's efforts


Oh the dogs begin to bark,
The presence of the rooster instigates a reaction in the dogs


and the hound begin to howl
The hound also becomes vocal in response to the rooster


Ooh watch out strange kind people,
The singer warns unfamiliar people to be careful


cause little red rooster is on the prowl
The rooster is actively searching and acting aggressively


If you see my little red rooster,
The artist requests assistance in locating the rooster


please drag him home
The artist desires for the rooster to be forcefully taken back home


There ain't no peace in the barnyard,
The barnyard is in a state of disarray


since the little red rooster been gone
The barnyard has been in turmoil since the rooster's departure




Contributed by Kylie L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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