Ground Hog
Pete Seeger Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Whet up your axe and whistle up your dog, (repeat)
We're off to the woods to hunt groundhog, groundhog!

Old Joe Digger, Sam and Dave, (repeat)
Went a hog-huntin as hard as they could stay, groundhog!

Too many rocks and too many logs, (repeat)
Too many rocks to hunt groundhog, groundhog!

He's in here boys, the hole's wore slick, (repeat)
Run here Sam with your fork and stick, groundhog!

Stand back, boys, and let's be wise, (repeat)
I think I see his beaded eyes, groundhog!

Yonder comes Sam with a ten foot pole, (repeat)
To roust that groundhog outta his hole, groundhog!

Grab him by the tail and pull him out, (repeat)
Great God almighty ain't a groundhog stout, groundhog!

Here he comes all in a whirl, (repeat)
He's the biggest groundhog in this world, groundhog!

Work, boys, work as hard as you can tear, (repeat)
The meat'll do to eat and the hide'll do to wear, groundhog!

Skin him out and tan his hide, (repeat)
Best dern shoestrings ever I tried, groundhog!

The children scream, the children cry, (repeat)
They love that groundhog cooked and fried, groundhog!

I love my groundhog stewed and fried, (repeat)
Little piece of cornbread by the side, groundhog!

Up steps Sal with a snigger and a grin, (repeat)
Groundhog grease all over her chin, groundhog!

Hello, mama, make Sam quit, (repeat)
He's eatin' all the hog and don't leave me a bit, groundhog!

Hello, boys, ain't it a sin! (repeat)
Watch that gravy run down Sam's chin, groundhog!





Watch him boys, he's about to fall, (repeat)
He's et till his pants won't button at all, groundhog!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pete Seeger's "Ground Hog" tell the story of a group of friends who go hunting for groundhogs in the woods. They begin by "whistling up" their dogs and sharpening their axes, excited for the hunt ahead. The narrative follows their journey as they encounter obstacles such as rocks and logs, before finally locating a groundhog in its hole. They pull it out and skin it, with the aim of using the meat to eat and the hide to wear. The lyrics are drenched in the language of hunting and masculinity, with references to "work[ing] as hard as you can tear" and the "biggest groundhog in this world." At the same time, there is a suggestion of the anarchic celebration of the hunt, with lines such as "the children scream, the children cry, they love that groundhog cooked and fried."


Overall, the song could be seen as an example of the kind of traditional folk songs that explore masculine bonding and rural living. At the same time, there are deeper themes hinted at by the lyrics, such as the contrast between the primal hunt and the domestication of the animal for food and clothing. The song also has a playful and joyful tone, despite the potentially violent subject matter.


Interesting facts:


Line by Line Meaning

Whet up your axe and whistle up your dog, (repeat)
Sharpen your axe and call your dog, because we're going into the woods to hunt groundhog.


Old Joe Digger, Sam and Dave, (repeat)
Joe Digger, Sam, and Dave are all going on this groundhog hunt.


Too many rocks and too many logs, (repeat)
There are too many rocks and logs to easily hunt groundhog.


He's in here boys, the hole's wore slick, (repeat)
He's inside this hole, and it's a well worn hole, so be careful.


Stand back, boys, and let's be wise, (repeat)
Back off a little and let's think this through.


Yonder comes Sam with a ten foot pole, (repeat)
Sam has brought a long pole to try and coax the groundhog out of its hole.


Grab him by the tail and pull him out, (repeat)
Grab the groundhog's tail and pull him out of his hole.


Here he comes all in a whirl, (repeat)
The groundhog is coming out quickly.


Work, boys, work as hard as you can tear, (repeat)
Work hard to get as much meat and hide from the groundhog as possible.


Skin him out and tan his hide, (repeat)
Strip the hide off the groundhog and then treat it to preserve it.


The children scream, the children cry, (repeat)
The kids are excited because they love groundhog meat.


I love my groundhog stewed and fried, (repeat)
I personally like groundhog meat, whether it's stewed or fried.


Up steps Sal with a snigger and a grin, (repeat)
Sal comes in with a smirk and a grin.


Hello, mama, make Sam quit, (repeat)
Mom, tell Sam to stop eating all the hog meat and save some for everyone else.


Hello, boys, ain't it a sin! (repeat)
Hey boys, it's a shame that Sam is eating so much hog meat.


Watch him boys, he's about to fall, (repeat)
Watch Sam, he's eaten so much he might fall over.




Contributed by Declan K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions