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Crooked Little House
Jimmie Rodgers Lyrics


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There was a crooked man and he had a crooked smile
He had a crooked sixpence he walked a crooked mile
He had a crooked cat and he had a crooked mouse
They all lived together in a crooked little house

Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown

Well this very crooked man who had a crooked smile
He took his crooked sixpence and walked a crooked mile
He bought some crooked nails and he bought a crooked bat
He tried to fix his roof with a rat-a-tat-a-tat

Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown

Well this crooked little man with his crooked cat and mouse
They all lived together in a crooked little house
It had a crooked door and it has a crooked latch
It has a crooked little roof with a little crooked patch

Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown

Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown

Overall Meaning

The crooked little house in Jimmie Rodgers's song is not just a physical structure, but also serves as a metaphor for the crookedness of life. The lyrics depict a man, whose life and possessions are all crooked, living in a crooked little house with his crooked cat and mouse. The man is trying to fix the roof of his crooked house with crooked nails and a crooked bat, but is in danger of drowning because of the hole in the roof. This implies that despite his efforts to fix things, things remain broken and he is struggling to keep everything together. One can also see this as a commentary on life - how no matter what one does to make things right, everything ultimately remains imperfect and broken in some way.


The repetition of the refrain "Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down" adds to the sense of impending doom and highlights the urgency of the situation. It is as if the man is pleading with the universe to spare him from the rain, which represents the challenges and hardships that life throws at us. The use of the crooked imagery throughout the song creates a sense of unease and instability, further emphasizing the idea that things are not quite right in the crooked little house.


Line by Line Meaning

There was a crooked man and he had a crooked smile
A man who was not straight in his ways had a smile that was not straight either


He had a crooked sixpence he walked a crooked mile
This man had a bent coin and took a meandering journey


He had a crooked cat and he had a crooked mouse
The man owned a cat and a mouse that were not straight


They all lived together in a crooked little house
The man and his pets resided in a small dwelling that was crooked


Uh huh oh no don't let the rain come down
The singer pleads for the rain not to fall


My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown
The man's roof is damaged and he fears for his safety if it rains


Well this very crooked man who had a crooked smile
The man who wasn't straight continued to be described


He took his crooked sixpence and walked a crooked mile
He set out again with his bent coin, still not taking a direct route


He bought some crooked nails and he bought a crooked bat
The man procured tools for the repair job, but they too were not straight


He tried to fix his roof with a rat-a-tat-a-tat
He attempted to repair his roof with a banging sound


Well this crooked little man with his crooked cat and mouse
The crooked man was described again with his pets


It had a crooked door and it has a crooked latch
The man's house had an entrance and lock that were also not straight


It has a crooked little roof with a little crooked patch
The roof had a small bent section that was attempted to be fixed




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERSEL HICKEY, ED E MILLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

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ify

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Brent Vettel

My aunt loves this song

Peggy Childers

I love this!

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