The Countdown Kids sound like a group of Canadian kids singing well-(and not-so-well-)known children's folk songs of the United Kingdom and its descendants.
There is a different group of kids called Countdown Kids released by the Suite 102 music label.
Billy Boy
The Countdown Kids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh, where have you been
Charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife
She's the joy of my life
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother
Did she ask you to come in
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she ask you to come in
Charming Billy?
Yes, she asked me to come in
There's a dimple in her chin
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother
Can she make a cherry pie
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a cherry pie
Charming Billy?
She can make a cherry pie
Quick as a cat can wink an eye
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother
How old is she
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
How old is she
Charming Billy?
Three times six and four times seven
Twenty-eight and eleven
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother
The song Billy Boy is a traditional American folk song that tells the story of a young man named Billy Boy who has gone to seek a wife. The song is structured as a conversation between two people, with one asking Billy Boy questions about his travels and his new love interest. Billy Boy responds by explaining that he has found a young woman who he intends to marry, but she cannot leave her mother.
The conversation continues as the person asks Billy Boy if his love interest invited him in and if she can make cherry pies. Billy Boy confirms that she did invite him in and that she is capable of making a cherry pie quickly. The final question is about the age of his love interest. Billy Boy responds by explaining that she is 28 years old (three times six and four times seven) but still considered a young thing who cannot leave her mother.
The lyrics of Billy Boy seem to emphasize the innocence and immaturity of both Billy Boy and his love interest. This is highlighted by the fact that she is referred to as a "young thing" multiple times throughout the song. Additionally, her inability to leave her mother suggests that she is not yet ready to fully embrace adulthood and independence.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, where have you been Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Asking where Billy Boy, a young man, went and what he has been doing.
I have been to seek a wife
Billy Boy went to look for a wife.
She's the joy of my life
He found his joy in the woman he chose to be with.
She's a young thing
The woman he chose is young and inexperienced.
And cannot leave her mother
She still lives with her mother and is not yet independent.
Did she ask you to come in Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Asking if the woman invited Billy Boy into her home.
Yes, she asked me to come in
Billy Boy was invited into the woman's home.
There's a dimple in her chin
He noticed a charming feature on her chin.
Can she make a cherry pie Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Asking if the woman can bake a cherry pie.
She can make a cherry pie
Confirming that the woman is able to bake a cherry pie.
Quick as a cat can wink an eye
She can make the pie very quickly.
How old is she Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Asking Billy Boy the age of the woman he seeks to marry.
Three times six and four times seven Twenty-eight and eleven
The woman is 28 years and 11 months old.
She's a young thing
Reiterating that the woman is still young and not yet independent.
And cannot leave her mother
The woman still lives with her mother and has not yet set out on her own.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RUSS MINEO, RALPH MONTELLO, BILLY DAWN SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind