Skip To My Lou
Pete Seeger (Family) Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lost my partner, what’ll I do
Lost my partner, what’ll I do
Lost my partner, what’ll I do
Skip to my Lou my darling

Gone again, skip to my Lou
Skip to my Lou my darling
I'll get another one, prettier ‘n new
Skip to my Lou my darling

Little red wagon painted blue
Skip to my Lou my darling

Flies in the buttermilk, two by two
Skip to my Lou my darling

Flies in the sugar bowl, shou shou shou
Skip to my Lou my darling





Lots more verses but there’s a lotta do
Skip to my Lou my darling

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Skip to My Lou" appear to have multiple interpretations. On one hand, it could be a simple children's song about skipping and having fun. However, there are darker interpretations that suggest the lyrics refer to a partner being taken away or lost. The repeated line, "Lost my partner, what’ll I do," is haunting and evokes a sense of loss and despair.


Additionally, the line "I'll get another one, prettier 'n new," could either suggest a lighthearted game of finding a new partner or objectifying women. The verses about "flies in the buttermilk" and "flies in the sugar bowl" have been interpreted as a reference to sexually transmitted diseases, which were prevalent during the time the song was originally popular.


Overall, the lyrics to "Skip to My Lou" are deceptively simple and can be read in different ways depending on the context and interpretation.


Line by Line Meaning

Lost my partner, what’ll I do
I have lost my dance partner, what am I supposed to do now?


Skip to my Lou my darling
Let's dance together joyfully


Gone again, skip to my Lou
My partner left, let's dance together again


I'll get another one, prettier ‘n new
I will find a new partner who is even more beautiful than the last


Little red wagon painted blue
Let's dance around this painted toy wagon


Flies in the buttermilk, two by two
There are flies in the buttermilk, let's laugh and dance anyway


Flies in the sugar bowl, shou shou shou
There are even flies in the sugar bowl, but that won't stop us from skipping and dancing


Lots more verses but there’s a lotta do
There are many more verses to this song, but let's keep dancing and having fun




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RALPH BLANE, HUGH MARTIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@alexpiva9672

Simply amazing; love Pete Seeger, he was a genius, a poet and a great human being; love from Italy.

@christophersmith5738

A beautiful song, a beautiful man, and a beautiful message at the end... we'll miss ya, Pete

@dylanmilo4456

you probably dont give a damn but does any of you know of a way to get back into an instagram account..?
I somehow lost the login password. I would appreciate any help you can give me!

@immanuelbrysen5962

@Dylan Milo instablaster :)

@dylanmilo4456

@Immanuel Brysen i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and Im trying it out atm.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

@dylanmilo4456

@Immanuel Brysen it worked and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thanks so much, you saved my account !

@immanuelbrysen5962

@Dylan Milo No problem :)

@dianthis

One of my mom’s favorite singers/musicians. Would listen to him in the car all the time. She saw him live here and there. I was the bearer of the unfortunate news that he had passed. Miss him. Miss my mom every day. 💕

@lissamarilopez6599

My daughter is named Lou n I sing this to her my husband had never heard it. I will finally be able show him!

@JC-xq2ec

From Wikipedia: Poet and Abraham Lincoln biographer Carl Sandburg writes that "Skip-to-my-Lou" was a popular party game in US President Abraham Lincoln's youth in southern Indiana, with verses such as "Hurry up slow poke, do oh do", "I'll get her back in spite of you", "Gone again, what shall I do", and "I'll get another girl sweeter than you".

More Comments

More Versions