Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens
Joe Loss Lyrics
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Locked up the barnyard with the greatest of care
Down in the hen house, somethin' stirred
When he shouted, "Who's there?"
This is what he heard
"There ain't nobody here but us chickens
There ain't nobody here at all
So calm yourself and stop that fuss
We chickens tryin' to sleep and you butt in
And hobble, hobble hobble hobble with your chin"
"There ain't nobody here but us chickens
There ain't nobody here at all
You're stompin' around and shakin' the ground
You're kickin' up an awful dust
We chicken's tryin' to sleep and you butt in
And hobble, hobble hobble hobble, it's a sin"
"Tomorrow is a busy day
We got things to do, We got eggs to lay
We got ground to dig and worms to scratch
It takes a lot of settin', gettin' chicks to hatch"
"Ohh, there ain't nobody here but us chickens
There ain't nobody here at all
So quiet yourself and stop that fuss
There ain't nobody here but us
Kindly point that gun the other way
And hobble, hobble hobble of and hit the hay"
"Tomorrow is a busy day
We got things to do, we got eggs to lay
We got ground to dig and worms to scratch
It takes a lot of settin', gettin' chicks to hatch"
"There ain't nobody here but us chickens
There ain't nobody here at all
So quiet yourself and stop that fuss
There ain't nobody here but us
And kindly point that gun the other way
And hobble, hobble hobble of and hit the hay"
"Hey, hey, boss man, what do ya say?
It's easy pickings
Ain't nobody here but us chickens"
Joe Loss's song "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" opens with Farmer Brown securing the barnyard and asking "Who's there?" through the door of the henhouse. However, only a bunch of chickens seem to be inside. They reply to Farmer Brown's question by singing the repetitive phrase "There ain't nobody here but us chickens," insisting that there is no one else inside. The noisy farmer needs to let the chickens be since they need to rest because they have plenty of work to do the next day, which involves laying eggs and scratching worms. The farmer is urged to go to sleep by the chickens, lest he turn his gun on them unintentionally. The song is a humorous take on the idea of rural isolation since the chickens actually answer when called and are the only ones around to do so.
The song has been included in several animated cartoons, including A Corny Concerto and Yankee Doodle Daffy, and has been covered dozens of times over the years. The lyrics use a metaphor to criticize humanity's penchant for creating its problems, despite all evidence to the contrary. People, like the non-existent intruder, make up things, but in this case, the things are members of the animal kingdom. Brown's intrusion into the henhouse has disturbed the peace of the chickens, who are only interested in laying eggs and scratching the earth, simple pursuits that do not require much effort or bother. The song becomes a fable about the strength of expectations, as Brown finds himself at odds with an empty henhouse while the chickens snooze off to bed.
Line by Line Meaning
One night farmer Brown was takin' the airs
One night, farmer Brown was taking a walk or enjoying a breath of fresh air outside.
Locked up the barnyard with the greatest of care
Farmer Brown carefully locked up the entire barnyard to keep all the animals inside.
Down in the hen house, somethin' stirred
Something started moving or making noise in the hen house.
When he shouted, "Who's there?"
Farmer Brown asked who or what was making the noise in the hen house.
This is what he heard
After asking who was in the hen house, Farmer Brown listened for a response.
"There ain't nobody here but us chickens
The only creatures in the hen house were the chickens, and they said this in response to Farmer Brown's question.
There ain't nobody here at all
The chickens wanted to let Farmer Brown know that there were no other animals or people in the hen house, just them.
So calm yourself and stop that fuss
The chickens asked Farmer Brown to relax and not get agitated over finding them in the hen house.
We chickens tryin' to sleep and you butt in
The chickens were trying to sleep, and Farmer Brown's intrusion was disturbing them.
And hobble, hobble hobble hobble with your chin"
The chickens mocked Farmer Brown's walk, suggesting he was hobbling around like a clumsy person.
"You're stompin' around and shakin' the ground
Farmer Brown's movements were causing tremors or shaking the ground where the chickens were trying to sleep.
You're kickin' up an awful dust
Farmer Brown's movements were also creating a lot of dust, which was unpleasant for the chickens.
We chicken's tryin' to sleep and you butt in
The chickens reiterated that they were trying to sleep and asked Farmer Brown to leave them alone.
And hobble, hobble hobble hobble, it's a sin"
The chickens continued to mock Farmer Brown's gait or walk and suggested it was sinful or wrong for him to disturb their sleep.
"Tomorrow is a busy day
The chickens told Farmer Brown that they had a lot to do the next day.
We got things to do, We got eggs to lay
The chickens had to lay eggs, which was one of their primary tasks the next day.
We got ground to dig and worms to scratch
The chickens also had to scratch the ground to find worms and insects to eat.
It takes a lot of settin', gettin' chicks to hatch"
The chickens had to spend a lot of time sitting on their eggs to keep them warm and help them hatch.
"Ohh, there ain't nobody here but us chickens
The chickens repeated that they were the only ones in the hen house.
So quiet yourself and stop that fuss
The chickens asked Farmer Brown to calm down and stop making a scene about them being in the hen house.
And kindly point that gun the other way
The chickens pointed out that Farmer Brown had a gun, and they wanted him to stop pointing it at them.
And hobble, hobble hobble of and hit the hay"
The chickens suggested that Farmer Brown go to bed and leave them alone.
"Hey, hey, boss man, what do ya say?
The chickens addressed Farmer Brown as the boss and asked him what he wanted.
It's easy pickings
The chickens were easy to catch or prey upon.
Ain't nobody here but us chickens"
The chickens repeated that there were no other animals or people in the hen house besides themselves.
Writer(s): Joan Whitney, Alex C. Kramer
Contributed by Mason N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.