Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein (25th September 1930 – 10th May 1999) was a… Read Full Bio ↴Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein (25th September 1930 – 10th May 1999) was an American poet, songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books.

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.

You're Always Welcome At Our House
Shel Silverstein Lyrics

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Well, a man came to our house
Our house
Our house
A man came to our our house
To sell some brooms
So we asked him to come in
And we hit him with a hammer
And we hid him in the closet

In my father's room

But you're always welcome at our house
Any time of the day
Yes
You're always welcome at our house
And we hope you will stay

Then a lady came to our house
Our house
Our house
A lady came to find out why I wasn't in school
So we asked her to come in
And we gave her some poisoned lemonade
And hid her in the freezer where it's nice and cool

But you're always welcome in our house
Any time of the day
Yes
You're always welcome at our house
And we hope you will stay

Then a kid came into our yard
Our yard
Our yard
A kid came into our yard to get his ball
We asked him to come in
And we took in the basement
And we sealed him up inside the basement wall

But you're always welcome in our house
Any time of the day
Yes
You're always welcome at our house
And we hope you will stay

So when you come to our house
Our house
Our house
When you come to our house
We'll have some fun
We'll ask you to come in
And we'll take you in the kitchen
And we'll put you in the oven until you're done

But you're always welcome in our house
Any time of the day
Yes
You're always welcome at our house
And we hope you will stay

And we know you will stay

Overall Meaning

At first glance, the lyrics of Shel Silverstein's "You're Always Welcome at Our House" may seem disturbing and gruesome. The song tells the story of a family who invites various people into their home, only to attack and kill them. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the song is actually a darkly humorous commentary on the perils of being too hospitable.

The first verse describes a man who comes to sell brooms. Instead of simply turning him away, the family invites him inside, only to attack him and hide his body. The next two verses follow a similar pattern, with a lady and a kid falling victim to the family's twisted hospitality. The final verse is perhaps the most disturbing, with the family inviting the listener into their home and implying that they too will be subjected to violent treatment.

Despite the twisted subject matter, the song is undeniably catchy and memorable. Silverstein's whimsical, childlike delivery adds to the unsettling nature of the lyrics, making for a truly unique listening experience.

In terms of interpretation, the song can be seen as a critique of societal expectations of hospitality. The family is willing to go to extreme lengths to make their guests feel welcome, even if it means resorting to violence. By taking this to such an absurd extreme, Silverstein highlights the danger of placing too much importance on appearances and social niceties.

Overall, "You're Always Welcome at Our House" is a darkly humorous, thought-provoking song that showcases Shel Silverstein's unique perspective on the world.

Line by Line Meaning

Well, a man came to our house
A man came over to our house to sell some brooms.

So we asked him to come in
We invited him into our house.

And we hit him with a hammer
We violently attacked him.

And we hid him in the closet
We concealed him in our closet.

But you're always welcome at our house
Despite our violent tendencies, we always welcome guests.

Any time of the day
You can come over whenever you want.

Then a lady came to our house
A lady came over to check why I wasn't in school.

And we gave her some poisoned lemonade
We drugged her to make her feel sick or pass out.

And hid her in the freezer where it's nice and cool
We concealed her in our freezer to prevent the evidence of our crime from getting spoilt.

Then a kid came into our yard
A child entered our yard to retrieve his ball.

We took in the basement
We took him downstairs to our basement.