Go West Young Man
Groucho Marx & The Ken Lane Singers Lyrics


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Mr Horace Greeley was no fool
I'm sure that you agree with me that Greeley was no fool
What he is getting at is that Mr Greeley was no fool
Boy The wisdom of the man can be denied by none
For he's the one that said

Before you go to Buffalo to Baltimore or Borneo
To Eastern Pennsylvania or Japan
Go West! Young Man

If you go to that land, sonny
You will have a lot of money
If you bring the money with you when you come
To the lone prairie, yippi-yi, yippi-yi
Yippi-yi-yi-yi!
Yippi-yi, yippi-yi, yippi-yi

Before you read a travel ad
And scamper off to Trinidad
Too often in New York and Yucatan
Go West! Young Man
In the East they live on doughnuts
In the West the natives grow up
And I guarantee you go nuts if you come
To the lone prairie, yippi-yay, yippi-yay
Yippi-yay-yay-yay!
Yippi-yi, yippi-yi, yippi-yi

A cowboy's gal is a real true pal
She will stick to him right or wrong
Right or wrong
She don't say nothing
And she don't do nothing
And she don't know nothing
And she don't want nothing but a horse
And a cowboy, for she's just keeps rolling along

Go West! Young Man
Go where the airport's tearing the chest, young man
You can ride a bucking bronco or a pony
You can cut a calf in half and make baloney
Go West! Young Man
Go right up there and give 'em the very best you can
Don't go east, don't go south, don't go north, have a care
Don't go up, don't go down, don't go here, don't go there
If it's true what they say about Dixie
Go West! Young Man

Go out and till the soil there
Dig for gold and you'll find oil there
Where the crow flies, where the snow flies, go, there's no "no"!
If you are fond of hunting there's no place that can compare
You may not bag a lion or a tiger or a bear
But if you want a jack-ass there are plenty of them there
Go West! Young Man

The judges there are very fair, they always are of course!
A cowboy and his Mrs went to court for a divorce
The cowboy got the children and the Mrs got the horse




All Go West! Young Man
Yi-hi!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Groucho Marx & The Ken Lane Singers' song "Go West Young Man" is a humorous commentary on the famous quote by Mr Horace Greeley, who encouraged young men to move westwards in search of better opportunities. Groucho Marx starts the song by acknowledging that Mr Greeley was no fool and then proceeds to explain what he meant. He advises his listeners to go westwards for better prospects instead of heading to places like Buffalo or Baltimore. The lyrics are filled with sarcastic jabs at the East and its people, implying that they only survive on doughnuts, while the West has proud and hardworking people working on the open plains.


The song is essentially a tribute to the spirit of the Western land, where one can ride a bucking bronco or cut calf in half for baloney. The song also celebrates the cowboy's loyal companion, the horse. The chorus encourages the listener to pack their bags and head westwards to make the best of the opportunities available there. The song concludes with a funny anecdote about a cowboy and his Mrs who went to court for divorce, wherein the cowboy got the children, and the Mrs got the horse!


Line by Line Meaning

Mr Horace Greeley was no fool
I'm sure that you agree with me that Greeley was no fool


The wisdom of the man can be denied by none
What he is getting at is that Mr Greeley was no fool


Before you go to Buffalo to Baltimore or Borneo
Before you hastily travel to various places


To Eastern Pennsylvania or Japan
Such as Eastern Pennsylvania or Japan


Go West! Young Man
Travel towards the west


If you go to that land, sonny
If you head in that direction, young man


You will have a lot of money
You can earn a substantial amount of money


If you bring the money with you when you come
Provided you bring the earned money back with you


To the lone prairie, yippi-yi, yippi-yi
To the secluded grasslands


Before you read a travel ad
Before you are swayed by advertisements encouraging you to travel


And scamper off to Trinidad
And hurry away to Trinidad


Too often in New York and Yucatan
As many people often do from New York and Yucatan


In the East they live on doughnuts
People in the East have an affinity for donuts


In the West the natives grow up
The locals in the West have a different, more independent upbringing


And I guarantee you go nuts if you come
And I ensure that you will be elated if you visit


A cowboy's gal is a real true pal
A cowboy's woman companion is a reliable friend


She will stick to him right or wrong
She will remain by his side through thick and thin


She don't say nothing
She does not speak much


And she don't do nothing
She does not do much


And she don't know nothing
She does not know much


And she don't want nothing but a horse
Her only desire is to have a horse


And a cowboy, for she's just keeps rolling along
And to have a companion as a cowboy, as she just keeps moving forward


Go where the airport's tearing the chest, young man
Travel to where it is lively and full of opportunities, young man


You can ride a bucking bronco or a pony
You can ride either an untamed horse or a smaller one


You can cut a calf in half and make baloney
You can make a type of sausage by cutting a calf's meat


Go right up there and give 'em the very best you can
Do your best when you arrive to your destination


Don't go east, don't go south, don't go north, have a care
Do not travel to the other directions, be cautious


Don't go up, don't go down, don't go here, don't go there
Do not travel in other ways, just travel west


If it's true what they say about Dixie
If the claims about Dixie are correct


Go out and till the soil there
Travel towards Dixie and cultivate the soil there


Dig for gold and you'll find oil there
If you dig in Dixie, you can find gold and oil


Where the crow flies, where the snow flies, go, there's no "no"!
Travel fearlessly and go wherever you can, regardless of barriers


If you are fond of hunting there's no place that can compare
If you like hunting, there's no better place than the West


You may not bag a lion or a tiger or a bear
You may not catch all the animals you come across


But if you want a jack-ass there are plenty of them there
However, if you're in need of a donkey, there are plenty available


The judges there are very fair, they always are of course!
The judges in the West are always fair


A cowboy and his Mrs went to court for a divorce
A cowboy and his wife attended court seeking separation


The cowboy got the children and the Mrs got the horse
The man gained custody of the children, while the woman kept the horse


All Go West! Young Man
Travel towards the West, young man


Yi-hi!
An enthusiastic exclamation




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERT KALMAR, HARRY RUBY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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