Dat Dere
Jones Rickie Lee Lyrics

Hey mama, what's that there?
The child is curious and wants to know what something is.

And what's that doing there?
The child is surprised to see something out of place and wants to know why it's there.

Hey mama, up here!
The child wants to get their mother's attention to show her something.

Mama, hey look at that over there!
The child is showing their mother something that caught their eye.

And where're they going there?
The child is curious about where someone or something is headed.

And mummy can I have that big elephant over there?
The child is asking their mother for a toy elephant they see.

Who's that in my chair?
The child is surprised to see someone sitting in their chair and wants to know who it is.

And what's he doing there?
The child is curious about what the person in their chair is doing.

Mummy, can I go over there?
The child wants to move to another location.

Hey mummy, what is square?
The child is asking their mother about the shape of a square.

And where do we get air?
The child is curious about where air comes from.

Quit talking!
Someone is telling the child to be quiet.

There's no more anything here!
The person is telling the child that there is nothing else to see or do in that location.

Forever to manage to know who and why and where!
The child wants to know the details about something and is trying to figure them out.

Quit that, child!
Someone is scolding the child for their behavior.

Sometimes the questions get filed!
There are times when questions cannot be answered.

Don't want to comb my hair
The child doesn't want to comb their hair.

And where's my teddy bear?
The child is looking for their teddy bear.

Look at the cowboy coming there!
The child is excited to see a cowboy.

And can I have a pair of boots like that to wear?
The child wants a pair of boots like the ones the cowboy is wearing.

Time will march
Time will continue to move forward.

Days will go
The days will pass by.

And little baby's going to grow
The child is going to grow up.

I gotta tell her what she needs to know
The person is responsible for teaching the child important things.

I'll help her along
The person will assist the child in their life journey.

And she'll be strong
The person hopes that the child will be resilient and strong.

And she'll know right from wrong
The person hopes that the child will have a good moral compass.

As life's parade goes marching by
As time moves forward, life will continue to evolve.

She's gonna need to know some reasons why
As the child grows up, they will need explanations for things.

I don't have all the answers
The person doesn't have all the answers to the child's questions.

But I'll try the best as I can
The person will do their best to help the child understand.

I'll make him a man, that's right
The person is responsible for helping the child grow up to be a man.

'Cause you give the kid your best
The person wants to do their best for the child.

And hope she passes the test
The person hopes that the child will be successful.

And I find it so hard I taught him well ***
The person is proud of the child but is also finding it difficult to see them grow up.

Somewhere though she's going I betting I never will forget ***
The person will always remember the child even as they grow and change.

Hey why they do that there?
The child is questioning someone's actions.

And how you put that there?
The child is curious about how something was done or put in a certain place.

Hey mummy, what that say up there?
The child is asking their mother to read something to them.

Hey mummy, what is fair?
The child is asking their mother to explain what is fair.

How come I have to share?
The child is questioning why they have to share something with someone else.

And mummy can I have that big elephant over there? (3x)
The child is asking their mother for a toy elephant they see.