Man in the Sky
Connie Converse Lyrics


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There once was a girl in the olden days
grew weary of men with a roving gaze -
'Farewell, fickle lovers; goodbye, goodbye,
for I'm falling in love with the man in the sky.'

The man in the sky, he walks in haste
with three bright buckles around his waist
and a great dog near and a little dog nigh
and a steady gleam in his golden eye.

The girl went out on a windy hill
and cried when the night was dark and still -
'Come down! come down! you man in the sky,
or else I am likely to pine and die.'

The man in the sky didn't stop to talk;
he went right on with his evening walk
and the great dog howled and the little dog whined
and the girl grew cold in the rising wynd.

She took to her bed from the light of the sun,
but when the sun his course had run
she went to her window so high, so high,
and waited and watched Orion go by.

The man in the sky, he walked in haste
with three bright buckles around his waist
and a great dog near and a little dog nigh
and a gleam for her in his golden eye.

One night she stood on her windowsill
and stepped right out on the highest hill
and climbed to the place where the planets are
and jumped from there to the nearest star.

She rocked in Cassiopeia's chair
and waked the dragon and roused the bear
and the great dog howled and the little dog whined
and the girl grew cold in the rising wynd.

She found Orion at last, and then
she found he was just like other men.
When on his shoulder her head she'd lay
his eye was a million miles away.

The great dog howled and the little dog whined
and the girl grew cold in the rising wynd
and the dragon snarled and the lion roared
and the stars flew by in a golden horde.

This tale has a moral brief to tell;
and I won't go on, for you know it well.
Remember the girl in the days gone by
who fell in love with the man in the sky.

She rocked in Cassiopeia's chair
and waked the dragon and roused the bear;




and where they buried her I forget,
but the man in the sky isn't married yet.

Overall Meaning

The song "Man in the Sky" by Connie Converse tells a story of a young woman who becomes disillusioned with earthly love and falls in love with the man in the sky. She describes him as a figure with three buckles around his waist, accompanied by a great dog and a little dog, and a steady gleam in his golden eye. Despite her desperate pleas for him to come down to her, he continues his walk in the sky, ignoring her cries. The woman takes to her bed and eventually climbs to the highest hill to jump to the nearest star. She discovers that even the man in the sky cannot provide her with the love she seeks, and returns to earth, ultimately dying and being buried in an unknown location. The song delivers a moral message about the danger of unrealistic, idealized love and the importance of living in the present.


The lyrics of "Man in the Sky" are rich with symbolism, offering various interpretations. The man in the sky may represent an unreachable ideal or perhaps a religious figure, while the dogs and the woman's journey through the constellations could be seen as metaphors for companionship and the search for meaning. However, the ultimate message of the song remains clear: the pursuit of idealized love can lead to disappointment and disillusionment. Connie Converse's unique storytelling and poetic lyrics make "Man in the Sky" a haunting and thought-provoking work that continues to resonate with audiences today.


Line by Line Meaning

There once was a girl in the olden days
Once upon a time, there was a girl in the past


grew weary of men with a roving gaze -
The girl became tired of men who couldn't stay committed


'Farewell, fickle lovers; goodbye, goodbye,
The girl said goodbye to unfaithful lovers


for I'm falling in love with the man in the sky.'
She claimed that she was falling for the man in the sky


The man in the sky, he walks in haste
The man in the sky walks with speed


with three bright buckles around his waist
He wore three shiny buckles around his waist


and a great dog near and a little dog nigh
He had a big dog near him and a small one near


and a steady gleam in his golden eye.
His golden eyes shone consistently


The girl went out on a windy hill
The girl went to a hill where the wind was strong


and cried when the night was dark and still -
She wept in the darkness of a silent night


'Come down! come down! you man in the sky,
She called for the man in the sky to come down


or else I am likely to pine and die.'
She said she would suffer and die if he didn't come down


The man in the sky didn't stop to talk;
The man in the sky didn't stop to converse


he went right on with his evening walk
He went on with his evening stroll


and the great dog howled and the little dog whined
The big dog let out a howl while the small dog whined


and the girl grew cold in the rising wynd.
The girl grew cold as the wind rose


She took to her bed from the light of the sun,
She went to bed when the sun shone bright


but when the sun his course had run
But when the sun had set


she went to her window so high, so high,
She walked up to her high window


and waited and watched Orion go by.
She waited and watched as Orion passed by


One night she stood on her windowsill
One night, she stood on her windowsill


and stepped right out on the highest hill
And walked out to the highest hill


and climbed to the place where the planets are
She climbed to the place where planets exist


and jumped from there to the nearest star.
She jumped from there onto the nearest star


She rocked in Cassiopeia's chair
She sat in Cassiopeia's chair


and waked the dragon and roused the bear
She disturbed the dragon and the bear


and the great dog howled and the little dog whined
The big dog howled while the small one whined


and the girl grew cold in the rising wynd.
The rising wind made her grow cold


She found Orion at last, and then
Eventually, she found Orion


she found he was just like other men.
She learned that he was similar to other men


When on his shoulder her head she'd lay
When she rested her head on his shoulder


his eye was a million miles away.
His gaze was distant, a million miles away


and the dragon snarled and the lion roared
The dragon snarled and the lion let out a roar


and the stars flew by in a golden horde.
The stars whizzed by en masse, golden in color


This tale has a moral brief to tell;
This tale has a short moral message to convey


and I won't go on, for you know it well.
I won't continue, you already know it


Remember the girl in the days gone by
Remember the girl from the bygone era


who fell in love with the man in the sky.
Who fell in love with a man who flew high


and where they buried her I forget,
I don't remember where she was buried


but the man in the sky isn't married yet.
But the man in the sky is still not married




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