Spike Jones was a popular musician and comedian during the 1940s and 1950s.… Read Full Bio ↴Spike Jones was a popular musician and comedian during the 1940s and 1950s. He and his backing band "The City Slickers" employed a wide variety of zany vocals, household implements and shotguns to produce their wacky, yet musically intriguing tracks.

Reputed to have the most talented and highly-paid musicians of the day, Spike Jones and his musicians were considerably more than simply novelty performers. Much of their performances even included theatrics and musical athletics. Spike Jones was subtley avant-garde in that he deftly combined elements and master performers of pop, dance, early jazz, blues, country and folk music with genes as distant as opera and classical.

Old MacDonald Had A Farm
Spike Jones Lyrics

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Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
And on this farm he had a dog, ee-i-ee-i-o
With a (bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there
Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)
Old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
And on this farm he had a cow, ee-i-ee-i-o
With a (clung-clung) here (clung-clung) there

Here (clung) there (clung) everywhere (clung-clung)
(bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there
Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)
Old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o

Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
And on this farm he had a pig, ee-i-ee-i-o
With a (oink-oink) here (oink-oink) there
Here (oink) there (oink) everywhere (oink-oink)
(clung-clung) here (clung-clung) there
Here (clung) there (clung) everywhere (clung-clung)
(bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there
Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)
Old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o

Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
And on this farm he had a horse, ee-i-ee-i-o
With a (neigh) here (neigh) there
Here (clatter) there (clatter) everywhere (neigh)
(oink-oink) here (oink-oink) there
Here (oink) there (oink) everywhere (oink-oink)
(clung-clung) here (clung-clung) there
Here (clung) there (clung) everywhere (clung-clung)
(bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there
Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)
Old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
And on this farm he had a parrot, ee-i-ee-i-o
With a (Pretty Polly) here (Hello) there
Here (raaa) there (raaa) everywhere (Pretty Polly)
(neigh) here (neigh) there
Here (clatter) there (clatter) everywhere (neigh)
(oink-oink) here (oink-oink) there
Here (oink) there (oink) everywhere (oink-oink)
(clung-clung) here (clung-clung) there
Here (clung) there (clung) everywhere (clung-clung)
(bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there
Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)
Old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
And on this farm he had a car, ee-i-ee-i-o
With a (honk-honk) here (bang-bang) there
Here (honk) there (bang) everywhere (bang honk)
(Pretty Polly) here (Hello) there
Here (raaa) there (raaa) everywhere (Pretty Polly)
(neigh) here (neigh) there
Here (clatter) there (clatter) everywhere (neigh)
(oink-oink) here (oink-oink) there
Here (oink) there (oink) everywhere (oink-oink)
(clung-clung) here (clung-clung) there
Here (clung) there (clung) everywhere (clung-clung)
(bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there
Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)

Hallo Mr. MacDonald, aren't we crazy

Overall Meaning

The song "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" first originated as a children's song in 1917. The classic version of the song as we know it today was recorded by Spike Jones and his City Slickers in 1947. The lyrics of the song depict the various animals found on a typical farm, such as a dog, cow, pig, horse, and parrot. The chorus of the song has a series of animal sounds, with each verse adding more animal sounds to the mix.

The song "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" is simple in nature, but has a lot of depth and meaning as it is often used to teach children the basics of animal sounds, counting, and the different variations in pitch and tones. The song has become a staple in children's television shows, games, and toys. Though the original version of the song had only a few animals, with each verse added to the mix, more animals were eventually added to describe a typical farm.

The song's catchy tune and repetitive lyrics have made it a popular tune that has been used to entertain and educate for generations, making it a classic and a household favorite.

Line by Line Meaning

Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
Let me tell you a story about a man named MacDonald and his farm

And on this farm he had a dog, ee-i-ee-i-o
MacDonald owned a dog

With a (bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)
The dog would bark and move around the farm

Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
Let me remind you, MacDonald had a farm

And on this farm he had a cow, ee-i-ee-i-o
In addition to the dog, MacDonald also owned a cow

With a (clung-clung) here (clung-clung) there Here (clung) there (clung) everywhere (clung-clung) (bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)
The cow would moo and walk around the farm alongside the dog

Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
Just a friendly reminder, MacDonald still had a farm

And on this farm he had a pig, ee-i-ee-i-o
MacDonald expanded his animal collection to include a pig

With a (oink-oink) here (oink-oink) there Here (oink) there (oink) everywhere (oink-oink) (clung-clung) here (clung-clung) there Here (clung) there (clung) everywhere (clung-clung) (bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)
The pig was also an active participant on the farm, making oinking sounds and interacting with the other animals

Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
I don't know if I mentioned it before, but MacDonald is still in possession of a farm

And on this farm he had a horse, ee-i-ee-i-o
MacDonald added a horse to his assortment of animals

With a (neigh) here (neigh) there Here (clatter) there (clatter) everywhere (neigh) (oink-oink) here (oink-oink) there Here (oink) there (oink) everywhere (oink-oink) (clung-clung) here (clung-clung) there Here (clung) there (clung) everywhere (clung-clung) (bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)
The horse made its presence known on the farm through its neighing and clattering

Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
It bears repeating, MacDonald still owns a farm

And on this farm he had a parrot, ee-i-ee-i-o
MacDonald got himself a parrot, too

With a (Pretty Polly) here (Hello) there Here (raaa) there (raaa) everywhere (Pretty Polly) (neigh) here (neigh) there Here (clatter) there (clatter) everywhere (neigh) (oink-oink) here (oink-oink) there Here (oink) there (oink) everywhere (oink-oink) (clung-clung) here (clung-clung) there Here (clung) there (clung) everywhere (clung-clung) (bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)
The parrot joined the other animals in making noise and moving around the farm

Now, old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o
In case you've forgotten, MacDonald still has ownership of a farm

And on this farm he had a car, ee-i-ee-i-o
MacDonald now has a vehicle on the farm

With a (honk-honk) here (bang-bang) there Here (honk) there (bang) everywhere (bang honk) (Pretty Polly) here (Hello) there Here (raaa) there (raaa) everywhere (Pretty Polly) (neigh) here (neigh) there Here (clatter) there (clatter) everywhere (neigh) (oink-oink) here (oink-oink) there Here (oink) there (oink) everywhere (oink-oink) (clung-clung) here (clung-clung) there Here (clung) there (clung) everywhere (clung-clung) (bow-wow) here (bow-wow) there Here (wow) there (wow) everywhere (bow-wow)
The car's honking and engine noises added to the other animals' commotion on MacDonald's farm

Hallo Mr. MacDonald, aren't we crazy
All of these animals and noises on the farm seem pretty wild, don't they Mr. MacDonald?

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Arr: JONES, SPIKE, Arr: PORTER, DELMAR S, TRAD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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