Norman Joel Greenbaum (born November 20, 1942) is an American singer-songwr… Read Full Bio ↴Norman Joel Greenbaum (born November 20, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known for writing and performing the 1969 song “Spirit in the Sky”.

Greenbaum was born in Malden, Massachusetts. He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household and attended Hebrew school at Congregation Beth Israel. His initial interest in music was sparked by southern blues music and the folk music that was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He performed with various bands in high school and studied music at Boston University for two years. In college he performed at local coffeehouses but eventually dropped out and moved to Los Angeles in 1965.

Greenbaum is best known for his song "Spirit in the Sky". The song, with its combination of 'heavy' guitar, hand-clapping, and spiritual lyrics, was released by Reprise Records in 1969. It sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970, and received a gold disc from the R.I.A.A. It has subsequently been used in many films, advertisements, and television shows.

Although "Spirit in the Sky" has a clear Christian theme, Greenbaum was and remains an observant Jew. Greenbaum says he was inspired to write the song after watching country singers singing a song on television. In an interview Greenbaum stated that western movies were the real inspiration for "Spirit in the Sky".

Though Greenbaum is generally regarded as a one-hit wonder, several of his records placed prominently in the charts, including "Canned Ham" in 1970, which reached number 46 on the Billboard pop chart. In 1966, under the name Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band, he recorded the novelty hit "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago". In the 1960s Greenbaum also performed under the name Bruno Wolf with the Jim Kweskin Jug Band.

Greenbaum has been a long-time resident of Santa Rosa, California. He was critically injured when the car in which he was a passenger made a left turn in the path of a motorcycle on Occidental Road on March 28, 2015, killing the motorcyclist and also injuring the motorcycle passenger. Greenbaum has since gone back to performing.

Milk Cow
Norman Greenbaum Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jethro got himself a milk cow
And he called her Bess
Jethro got himself a milk cow
And he called her Bess

Milk cow in the mornin′
Milk cow, oh, any time at all

He can tell the early of the mornin'
By the rooster call
He can tell the early of the mornin′
By the rooster call

Milk cow in the mornin'
Milk cow, oh, any time at all
Any time, any time at all
Any time

Give you a lifetime of pleasure
All she needs is love
Give you a lifetime of pleasure
And all she needs is love

Milk cow in the mornin'
Milk cow, oh, any time at all
Any time at all
Any time, any time
Any time at all
Any time

Jethro got himself a milk cow

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Norman Greenbaum's song 'Milk Cow' tell the story of a man named Jethro who has acquired a milk cow that he has named Bess. The song emphasizes how important the milk cow is to Jethro, highlighting that he can distinguish the time of day by the sound of the rooster crowing. The repeated chorus "Milk cow in the mornin', milk cow, oh any time at all" really emphasizes the centrality of the cow to Jethro's life. The lyrics suggest that owning a milk cow is simple, yet brings a lifetime of pleasure, as long as it is treated with love.

The interpretation of this song is open to several different interpretations. The most obvious interpretation is that the song celebrates the simplicity of rural life where people owned and relied on livestock, but could also find pleasure in their daily routine. The song could also be interpreted as a critique of modern society, where it feels as if we've lost sight of what really matters and have become disconnected from nature. In the same way that Jethro relies on his cow for sustenance, we too can find pleasure in simplicity if we treat our relationships and possessions with love.

Line by Line Meaning

Jethro got himself a milk cow
Jethro acquired a bovine animal that produces milk

And he called her Bess
He gave the milk cow the name 'Bess'

Milk cow in the mornin'
The milk cow can be milked in the morning

Milk cow, oh, any time at all
The milk cow can be milked at any time of day

He can tell the early of the mornin'
Jethro can determine the early morning based on the crowing of a rooster

By the rooster call
The sound of a rooster's crow helps Jethro determine the time of day

Give you a lifetime of pleasure
Owning a milk cow can provide a lifetime of satisfaction

All she needs is love
The milk cow requires only affection to thrive and provide milk

Any time, any time at all
The milk cow can be milked at any time of day

Any time
The milk cow can be milked whenever needed

Writer(s): Norman Greenbaum

Contributed by Isaiah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.