Rub-A-Dub-Dub
Hank Thompson And His Brazos Valley Boys Lyrics
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LIKE YOU AND ME, THEY COULDN'T AGREE, AND UPON THE WAVES THEY TOSSED,
I'LL SING THEIR TUNE, CAUSE THEY GOT MAROONED,WITH A LOVE I CAN'T FORGET,
NOW THE THREE LITTLE MEN JUST TOOK ME IN, ON AN OCEAN OF REGRET
WITH A RUB-A-DUB-DUB, THREE MEN IN THE TUB, LOST ON THE OCEAN BLUE,
I ROW LIKE A HUB, SANG RUB-A-DUB-DUB,CAUSE YOU BROKE MY HEART IN
TWO.
LEAD
WELL, I CAN'T REACH SHORE, AND MY HEART IS SORE, AND I'M DRIFTIN FAR AWAY,
FROM THE LOVE I HAD, AND I'M FEELIN' MIGHTY BAD, AND I CAN'T GO ON THIS WAY,
WON'T YOU THROW OUT THE LINE, AND SAY YOU'RE MINE, AND TAKE ME BACK AGAIN,
CAUSE MY RUDDER'S BROKE, AND IT AIN'T NO JOKE, WON'T YOU REACH AND PULL ME
IN?.
(CHORUS)
WELL, I KNEW RIGHT AWAY, THERE'D NEVER COME A DAY, WHEN I'D REACH LAND
AGAIN,
THE ONE I ADORE, ON THE DISTANCE SHORE, IS NOW AT THE RAINBOW'S END,
TO THE THREE LITTLE GUYS, I TURNED MY EYES, WON'T YOU TELL YOUR NAMES TO ME,
WELL ONE SAID FATE, ONE SAID HATE, AND THE OTHER SAID JEALOUSY.
(CHORUS)
The opening lines of Hank Thompson's “Rub a Dub Dub” reveal a nursery rhyme of three little men who become lost at sea, unable to get along with one another. Thompson sings of love that has been marooned alongside these three men, as they take him in on an ocean of regret. The lyrics describe the heartbreak of lost love and its impact on a person who is left adrift at sea. The chorus, sung to the tune of “Rub a Dub Dub, Three Men in a Tub,” speaks of heartbreak and the struggle to move forward, as the singer pleads for someone to “throw out the line” and bring him back to shore. The names of the three little men, Fate, Hate, and Jealousy, serve as a reminder of the negative emotions that can accompany lost love.
The lyrics to “Rub a Dub Dub” reflect the country music tradition of storytelling and exploring the human condition through song. The three little men lost at sea are a metaphor for the difficulty of navigating relationships and the resulting heartbreak. The nursery rhyme melody of the chorus provides a contrast to the melancholy of the lyrics, emphasizing the playful nature of human emotions and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
ONCE UPON A TIME , IN A NURSERY RHYME, THREE LITTLE MEN GOT LOST,
There was a tale in a nursery rhyme where three little men got lost
LIKE YOU AND ME, THEY COULDN'T AGREE, AND UPON THE WAVES THEY TOSSED,
Just like you and me, they couldn't agree and were lost in the waves
I'LL SING THEIR TUNE, CAUSE THEY GOT MAROONED,WITH A LOVE I CAN'T FORGET,
I'll sing their tune because they were stranded, just like my unforgettable love
NOW THE THREE LITTLE MEN JUST TOOK ME IN, ON AN OCEAN OF REGRET
Now the three little men accepted me into their world of regret
WITH A RUB-A-DUB-DUB, THREE MEN IN THE TUB, LOST ON THE OCEAN BLUE,
Three men were lost in the ocean blue, all crammed in a tub, singing rub-a-dub-dub
I ROW LIKE A HUB, SANG RUB-A-DUB-DUB,CAUSE YOU BROKE MY HEART IN TWO.
I rowed like a hub and sang rub-a-dub-dub because you broke my heart in two
WELL, I CAN'T REACH SHORE, AND MY HEART IS SORE, AND I'M DRIFTIN FAR AWAY,
I can't reach the shore, my heart is sore, and I'm adrift farther and farther away
FROM THE LOVE I HAD, AND I'M FEELIN' MIGHTY BAD, AND I CAN'T GO ON THIS WAY,
I'm feeling terrible without the love I once had, and I can't go on like this
WON'T YOU THROW OUT THE LINE, AND SAY YOU'RE MINE, AND TAKE ME BACK AGAIN,
Can't you throw me a line, tell me you're mine, and take me back again?
CAUSE MY RUDDER'S BROKE, AND IT AIN'T NO JOKE, WON'T YOU REACH AND PULL ME IN?
My rudder's broken, and it's not a joke; won't you reach out and pull me in?
WELL, I KNEW RIGHT AWAY, THERE'D NEVER COME A DAY, WHEN I'D REACH LAND AGAIN,
I knew there wouldn't be a day when I'd reach land again, right from the start
THE ONE I ADORE, ON THE DISTANCE SHORE, IS NOW AT THE RAINBOW'S END,
The one I adore, who's on the distant shore, is now at the rainbow's end
TO THE THREE LITTLE GUYS, I TURNED MY EYES, WON'T YOU TELL YOUR NAMES TO ME,
I turned to the three little guys and asked them to tell me their names
WELL ONE SAID FATE, ONE SAID HATE, AND THE OTHER SAID JEALOUSY.
One said Fate, another said Hate, and the third said Jealousy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GORDON
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