Silverstein's passion for music was clear early on as he studied for a while at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. As a songwriter, Silverstein kept a low profile but cast a long shadow. He tended to shun publicity and even photographers. Nonetheless, his musical output included many songs which were hits for other artists. Most notably, he wrote the music and lyrics for "A Boy Named Sue" that was performed by Johnny Cash (for which he won a Grammy in 1970); "One's on the Way" (which was a hit for Loretta Lynn), and "The Unicorn Song" which, despite having nothing to do with Ireland nor Irish culture, became the signature piece for The Irish Rovers in 1968 and is popular in pubs all over the world to this day. He wrote the lyrics and music for most of the Dr. Hook songs, including "Cover of the Rolling Stone", "Freakin' at the Freakers' Ball", "Sylvia's Mother", and the cautionary song about VD, "Don't Give a Dose to the One You Love Most". He also wrote many of the songs performed by Bobby Bare, including "Marie Laveau", "Rosalie's Good Eats Cafe", "The Mermaid", "The Winner", and "Tequila Sheila". The song "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan",] recorded in 1979 by Marianne Faithfull and later featured in the films Montenegro and Thelma & Louise, was also by Silverstein.
The Yipiyuk
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the weeds and mud glumps grow
A yipiyuk bit on my toe
Exactly why I do not know
I kicked, I cried, I hollered "Oh"
The yipiyuk would not let go
I whispered to him soft and low
I shouted "Stop", "Desist" and "Whoa"
The yipiyuk would not let go
And that was sixteen years ago
The yipiyuk still won't let go
The snow may fall, the winds may blow
The yipiyuk will not let go
The snow may melt, the grass may grow
The yipiyuk will not let go
I drag him 'round each place I go
This yipiyuk that won't let go
And now, my child, at last I know
Exactly why I walk so slow
The Yipiyuk is a humorous and absurd song by Shel Silverstein that tells the story of a character who was bitten by a creature called yipiyuk in the swamplands many years ago. The singer doesn't know why the yipiyuk bit his toe, but he has been dragging the creature around with him ever since, as it won't let go. The repetition of the line "the yipiyuk would not let go" reinforces the absurdity and humor of the situation. It's interesting to note that the singer tries various strategies throughout the song to get rid of the yipiyuk, including kicking, crying, whispering, shouting, and even waiting for sixteen years, but none of them work.
The chorus of the song, "the snow may fall, the winds may blow, the yipiyuk will not let go," suggests that the burden of this creature has become a permanent part of the singer's life. However, in the final verse, he reveals to his child that he has finally figured out why he walks so slowly - it's because of the weight of the yipiyuk that he's been dragging around.
Overall, The Yipiyuk can be interpreted as a light-hearted commentary on the absurdities of life and the strange burdens that we carry with us. The song is infused with humor and whimsy, but also conveys a deeper message about the ways in which we all deal with the challenging and inexplicable aspects of our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
In the swamplands long ago
This story takes place in a swamp a long time ago
Where the weeds and mud glumps grow
It's describing the area as full of thick weeds and muddy landmasses
A yipiyuk bit on my toe
A yipiyuk creature bit the singer on their toe
Exactly why I do not know
The reason for the attack is unknown
I kicked, I cried, I hollered "Oh"
The artist's reaction was to kick and painfully cry out
The yipiyuk would not let go
The creature refused to release its hold
I whispered to him soft and low
The singer whispered soothing words to the yipiyuk
The yipiyuk would not let go
Despite the prodding of the artist, the creature wouldn't release its bite
I shouted "Stop", "Desist" and "Whoa"
The artist tried shouting for the yipiyuk to stop and let go
The yipiyuk would not let go
Despite the increasingly violent verbal demands, the yipiyuk held on
And that was sixteen years ago
It's been exactly sixteen years since this happened
The yipiyuk still won't let go
Even after sixteen years, the creature still hasn't released its bite
The snow may fall, the winds may blow
No matter what kind of weather comes and goes, it won't change anything
The yipiyuk will not let go
The creature is still stubbornly holding on
The snow may melt, the grass may grow
Even as the seasons change, the outcome remains the same
The yipiyuk will not let go
The yipiyuk has no intention of letting go
I drag him 'round each place I go
The artist drags the creature around wherever they go
This yipiyuk that won't let go
The creature is specifically being referred to as one that won't let go
And now, my child, at last I know
The singer is addressing their child and beginning to understand something after all these years
Exactly why I walk so slow
The reason for the artist's slow walking is due to the yipiyuk they constantly carry around
Contributed by Samuel P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.