The Little Vagabond
Greg Brown Lyrics


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(Music by Greg Brown / poem of William Blake)

Dear mother, dear mother, the Church is cold;
But the Alehouse is healthy, and pleasant, and warm.
Besides, I can tell where I am used well;
Such usage in heaven will never do well.

But, if at the Church they would give us some ale,
And a pleasant fire our souls to regale,
We'd sing and we'd pray all the livelong day,
Nor ever once wish from the Church to stray.

Then the Parson might preach, and drink, and sing,
And we'd be as happy as birds in the spring;
And modest Dame Lurch, who is always at church,
Would not have bandy children, nor fasting, nor birch.

And God, like a father, rejoicing to see
His children as pleasant and happy as He,




Would have no more quarrel with the Devil or the barrel,
But kiss him, and give him both drink and apparel

Overall Meaning

In The Little Vagabond, Greg Brown sings the poem by William Blake about a child who is dissatisfied with the church and longs for the warmth and comfort of the alehouse. The child sees that the church is cold and uninviting while the alehouse is warm and pleasant. The child believes that if they were given some ale and a fire, they could stay in the church all day, singing and praying, just as happily as they could in the alehouse.


The child imagines a world where the parson is not only preaching, but also drinking and singing, and where the churchgoers are as happy as birds in the springtime. In this world, even "modest Dame Lurch" would not have to endure harsh punishment and fasting. The child believes that if everyone were happy and pleasant like this, even God would be pleased and would no longer have a quarrel with the devil or the alehouse.


In this song, Greg Brown brings to life the longing for warmth and comfort that is often hidden within the discontent with organized religion. The child in the song desires a place of community where they can feel accepted and happy, and where they can experience the warmth and joy that comes from human connection.


Line by Line Meaning

Dear mother, dear mother, the Church is cold;
The Church is uninviting, lacking warmth or personality.


But the Alehouse is healthy, and pleasant, and warm.
The Alehouse is a safe haven, a place where people can find companionship and warmth.


Besides, I can tell where I am used well;
The singer feels welcome at the Alehouse, unlike at the Church.


Such usage in heaven will never do well.
The artist believes that those who are not accepted on Earth will not be accepted in heaven.


But, if at the Church they would give us some ale,
The artist suggests that the Church could improve by offering the comfort and companionship of the Alehouse.


And a pleasant fire our souls to regale,
The singer again suggests that the Church could make itself more inviting and comfortable by offering a warm fire.


We'd sing and we'd pray all the livelong day,
With increased comfort and companionship, the singer and others would stay in the Church all day.


Nor ever once wish from the Church to stray.
If the Church could provide what the Alehouse does, people would never want to leave.


Then the Parson might preach, and drink, and sing,
The artist imagines a world where the Parson could enjoy himself and be human like everyone else.


And we'd be as happy as birds in the spring;
With the addition of companionship and comfort, the artist and others would be extremely happy.


And modest Dame Lurch, who is always at church,
Modest Dame Lurch is a woman who always attends Church, but suffers because of it.


Would not have bandy children, nor fasting, nor birch.
The artist suggests that if the Church were more comfortable and accepting, Dame Lurch would not need to punish her children.


And God, like a father, rejoicing to see
God would be happy to see his children enjoying themselves as they should be.


His children as pleasant and happy as He,
God would want his children to be as happy and content as He is.


Would have no more quarrel with the Devil or the barrel,
The singer believes that people who are happy and comfortable are less likely to fight or engage in destructive behavior.


But kiss him, and give him both drink and apparel
No longer at odds with the Devil, people would offer him love, kindness, and perhaps even gifts.




Contributed by Henry D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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