Rocky Island
Ralph Stanley Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Way up on the Mountain, throw a little cane
See my candy darlin' pretty little Liza Jane
Going to Rocky Island hoh honey hoh
Seein' my candy darlin', you know I love her so

Wish I had a big fat horse gonna feed him `mone
Pretty little girl to stay at home feen him when I'm gone
Going to Rocky Island hoh honey hoh
Seein' my candy darlin', you know I love her so

Dark clouds risin' sure sign of rain
Put your new grey bonnet on sweet little Liza Jane




Going to Rocky Island hoh honey hoh
Seein' my candy darlin', you know I love her so

Overall Meaning

The song "Rocky Island" by Ralph Stanley is a beautiful bluegrass ballad that tells the story of a man's journey to Rocky Island to see his beloved Liza Jane. The song begins with the singer standing on top of a mountain and admiring the beauty of nature around him. He talks about his affection for Liza Jane and how he is going to visit her on Rocky Island. The chorus "Going to Rocky Island hoh honey hoh, Seein' my candy darlin', you know I love her so" is a beautiful expression of his love for Liza Jane.


The second verse of the song talks about the singer's desire to have a horse that he can feed and take care of. He wishes to have a pretty little girl who can stay at home to take care of the horse when he is away. Despite his desire for a woman to take care of his horse, Liza Jane is the one he truly loves and wants to be with. The final verse of the song talks about the dark clouds rising indicating that it may rain soon. He asks Liza Jane to put on her grey bonnet and prepares to journey with her to Rocky Island.


Overall, "Rocky Island" is a sweet and simple love song that captures the feelings of love and devotion that people have for their significant others.


Line by Line Meaning

Way up on the Mountain, throw a little cane
From high up on the mountain, I throw a little sugar cane as an offering to the spirits


See my candy darlin' pretty little Liza Jane
I see my beloved, beautiful Liza Jane who I call my “candy darlin’”


Going to Rocky Island hoh honey hoh
On my way to Rocky Island, I sing and hum this tune to myself


Seein' my candy darlin', you know I love her so
I can’t wait to reunite with my sweet Liza Jane as I love her dearly


Wish I had a big fat horse gonna feed him `mone
I wish I had a large horse that I could feed and take care of


Pretty little girl to stay at home feen him when I'm gone
I want a beautiful girl to stay at home and take care of my horse when I’m not there


Put your new grey bonnet on sweet little Liza Jane
The dark clouds in the sky indicate rain and I advise Liza Jane to wear her new grey bonnet to keep herself dry


Dark clouds risin' sure sign of rain
Seeing the dark clouds rising in the sky is a sure sign that rain is coming


Seein' my candy darlin', you know I love her so
Even though the weather is turning bad, the thought of seeing Liza Jane again fills me with love and happiness




Contributed by Aaliyah E. 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
Comments from YouTube:

Tex Willer

I'm 15, but I LOVE this song with all my heart.
I know music isn't like that these days ... but I LOVE it

youre what god lacks

Youre wise.

No One In Particular

In just under two minutes Dr Ralph made a song 100 times better than anything they play today

dixiegrass banjo

100 better 100%!!!

Dream chaser

Word!!

Net Void

What a powerful song <3 Thanks for uploading it!

youre what god lacks

Easily one of the best songs of All Time.

John Young

My 5 year old Granddaughter Loves this song.😃 She sings along with it. She does a good job.

Elkinsinboxinc Audiovisual

Sure will miss him. Thank God I got to meet him before he died. RIP Ralph Stanley.

Angela Allen

elkinsinboxinc I gotta see him perform at Lincoln theatre in Marion, va..on Nathans.birthday bash .august 2015.

More Comments

More Versions