Mule Skinner Blues
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well good morning captain
Good morning to you sir hey hey yeah
Do you need another mule skinner
Down on your new mud run hey hey yeah

Yodel-a-ee-he-he
He-he-he-he-he-he
Well I'm a lady mule skinner
From down old Tennessee way, hey, hey
I come from Tennessee
And I can make any mule listen
Or I won't accept your pay hey hey
I won't take your pay

Yodel-a-ee-he-he
He-he-he-he-he-he

Well hey hey little water boy
Won't you bring your water 'round hey hey
If you don't like your job
Well you can throw your bucket down
Throw it down boy throw it down

Yodel-a-ee-he-he
He-he-he-he-he-he

Well I've been working down in Georgia
At a Greezy Spoon Cafe hey
Been workin' in Georgia
Just to let a no good man
Call every cent of my pay hey hey
And I'm sick of it, I want to be a mule skinner

Yodel-a-ee-he-he
He-he-he-he-he-he

Yodel-a-ee-he-he
He-he-he-he-he-he





Mule skinner blues

Overall Meaning

The song "Mule Skinner Blues" is about someone who wants to become a mule skinner working on a mud run, which is a construction site. The singer of the song is a lady mule skinner from Tennessee who is pretending to be a man in order to get a job. She boasts that she can make any mule listen or she won't accept pay. She sings about the water boy who brings water to the workers and tells him he can throw down his bucket if he doesn't like his job. She then says she has been working at a greasy spoon cafe in Georgia and is tired of a no-good man taking all her pay. She wants to be a mule skinner instead.


The song is a traditional American folk song that has been covered by many different artists, including Hank Williams Jr. The lyrics reflect the struggle for basic survival during the Great Depression when jobs were hard to come by. The lyrics also reflect the changing roles of women in the workforce during World War II. Women were encouraged to work to replace the men who were fighting in the war. The song has become a classic because of its catchy tune and the universal theme of wanting to find a better job and a better life.


Line by Line Meaning

Well good morning captain
Greetings, captain.


Good morning to you sir hey hey yeah
I wish you a good morning, sir.


Do you need another mule skinner
Are you in need of another person to handle the mules?


Down on your new mud run hey hey yeah
At your new location where mules are needed.


Yodel-a-ee-he-he
Expression of joy or enthusiasm.


Well I'm a lady mule skinner
I am a female professional who handles mules.


From down old Tennessee way, hey, hey
Hailing from Tennessee.


I come from Tennessee
I am from the state of Tennessee.


And I can make any mule listen
I possess the ability to get any mule's attention.


Or I won't accept your pay hey hey
I demand that I am properly compensated for my work.


I won't take your pay
I refuse your payment if I am not respected for my skills.


Well hey hey little water boy
Hello there, young man carrying water.


Won't you bring your water 'round hey hey
May I kindly ask you to bring the water to us.


If you don't like your job
If you feel unhappy about your current work.


Well you can throw your bucket down
You are free to quit and never come back.


Throw it down boy throw it down
Do not hesitate, go ahead and quit if you do not want to do the job.


Well I've been working down in Georgia
Recently, I have been employed in the state of Georgia.


At a Greezy Spoon Cafe hey
Specifically, I have cooked in a low-grade restaurant.


Just to let a no good man
Only to have an unpleasant person


Call every cent of my pay hey hey
Take all of the money I work hard to earn.


And I'm sick of it, I want to be a mule skinner
I am tired of being cheated and want to become a professional mule handler instead.


Mule skinner blues
Feeling the desire to become a mule skinner.




Contributed by Sarah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Tony Harden

Please keep these coming I love Hank Jr's MGM stuff so much!

Hazel Conn

Amazing

🥰 warm heart; not a pacifist tho`

Ooooh SNAP! I'm lovin this one Hank Jr.!!!

Gary whitmer Whitmer

Dam that’s badass!!

Rosella Cestarioli

Questa canzone l ha suonavo sempre ma in un altra versione ( il blues del mandriano) cercavo di imitare

🥰 warm heart; not a pacifist tho`

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!!!!!
- Robin Williams

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