Grey Goose
Pete Seeger (Children's) Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, las' Monday mornin', Lawd, Lawd, Lawd
My daddy went a-huntin'
Well, he carried along his zulu1
Well, along come a grey goose
Well, he throwed it to his shoulder
an' he ram his hammer' way back
Well, he pulled on de trigger
Well, down he come a-windin'
He was six weeks a-fallin'
He was six weeks a-findin'
An' he put him on de wagon,
An'he taken him to de white house
He was six weeks a-pickin'
Lordy, your wife an'my wife
Oh, they give a feather pickin'
An' they put him on to parboil2
He was six months a-parboil'
An' they put him on de table
Now, de fork couldn' stick him
An' de knife couldn't cut him
An' they throwed him in de hog-pen
An' he broke de ol'sow's jawbone
An' they taken him to de sawmill
An' he broke de saw's teeth out
An' de las' time I seed him
Well, he's flyin' across de ocean
Wid a long string o' goslin's
An' they all goin': quank quink-quank
The song "Grey Goose" is a traditional American folk song, typically considered a children's song due to its playful melody and simple lyrics. However, the lyrics hold a deeper meaning than what is initially perceived. The song starts with the recounting of a father's hunting expedition on a Monday morning. He carries his "zulu," a popular 19th-century percussion instrument, and a grey goose falls, shot by his rifle. The song goes on to detail the various processes of cooking and preparing the bird, including parboiling and roasting. The last verse of the song takes a whimsical turn as the grey goose is described as flying across the ocean with a string of goslings behind it, all making the sound "quank quink-quank."
The lyrics of the song hold great cultural significance as they symbolize the inherent value of nature and the importance of respecting and honoring our environment. The song portrays the hunting and cooking process as a form of ritual, where every aspect of the bird's journey is considered and respected. This is a valuable lesson for children and adults alike, who often take for granted the resources and beauty of nature that surround us.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, las' Monday mornin', Lawd, Lawd, Lawd
The singer starts the story by recalling the events of last Monday morning.
My daddy went a-huntin'
The singer's father went hunting.
Well, he carried along his zulu
He took his rifle with him.
Well, along come a grey goose
He came across a grey goose.
Well, he throwed it to his shoulder
He placed the rifle on his shoulder.
an' he ram his hammer' way back
He pulled back the rifle's hammer.
Well, he pulled on de trigger
He pulled the trigger.
Well, down he come a-windin'
The goose fell to the ground.
He was six weeks a-fallin'
The artist exaggerates the time it took for the goose to fall to the ground.
He was six weeks a-findin'
The artist exaggerates the time it took for them to find the goose.
An' he put him on de wagon,
He placed the goose on a wagon.
An'he taken him to de white house
He took the goose to a white house, likely for preparation or cooking.
He was six weeks a-pickin'
The singer exaggerates the time it took to pluck the goose.
Lordy, your wife an'my wife
They are referring to each other's wives.
Oh, they give a feather pickin'
The wives help to pluck the feathers from the goose.
An' they put him on to parboil
They boiled the goose, likely for further preparation.
He was six months a-parboil'
The artist exaggerates the time it took to parboil the goose.
An' they put him on de table
They placed the goose on the table, likely for a meal.
Now, de fork couldn' stick him
The goose was too tough to be stabbed by a fork.
An' de knife couldn't cut him
The goose was too tough to be cut by a knife.
An' they throwed him in de hog-pen
The goose was no good for eating, so they threw it in with the pigs.
An' he broke de ol'sow's jawbone
The goose was able to break the jaw of an old sow (female pig).
An' they taken him to de sawmill
They took the goose to a sawmill, likely for fun or amusement.
An' he broke de saw's teeth out
The goose was able to break the teeth of the saw used on him.
An' de las' time I seed him
The last time the singer saw the goose.
Well, he's flyin' across de ocean
The goose is now flying across the ocean.
Wid a long string o' goslin's
The goose is accompanied by a large number of its offspring.
An' they all goin': quank quink-quank
The geese are all making a quacking noise.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind