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The Old Man At The Mill
The Dillards Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Same old man sitting at the mill
The mill turns around of its own free will
Hand in the hopper and the other in the sack
Ladies step forward and the gents fall back

Down sat an owl and he said all quiet
Lonesome day and a lonesome night
Thought I heard a pretty girl say
Court all night and you sleep next day

Well then, said the raven as she flew
If I was a young one I'd get two
One for to fetch and the other to sew
I'd have a string for my bow, bow, bow

My old man's in Kalamazoo
He don't give no "yes, I do"
First to the left and then to the right
This old mill grinds day and night

Overall Meaning

The Dillards's song Old Man At the Mill is a traditional American folk song that tells of an old man who sits at the mill, turning it with his hand. The mill is so old that it turns of its own free will. The man's hands are busy, one in the hopper and the other in the sack. As the song progresses, it describes a dancing event where ladies step forward and the gents fall back. The owl that sat down is quiet, indicating that it is a lonesome day and a lonesome night. Then, the raven that has flown in says that if she were a young one, she would get two and have a string for her bow. The final verse talks about the old man's partner, who is in Kalamazoo and doesn't give a "yes, I do." Despite this, the old mill works day and night, grinding grain.


The song presents a simple yet significant metaphor of life. The old man represents the cycle of life, where nothing stops, and life keeps moving forward. The mill, representing life, goes on and on, while the old man symbolizes the people who are there to turn its wheels. The verses of the song are just the facets of the miller's life, with his daily routine, the mundane tasks of grinding grain, and his loneliness.


In conclusion, Old Man At the Mill, with its metaphor and simple yet vivid lyrics, describes the unending cycle of life. The song exemplifies the significance of life's simple acts, how they keep the wheel of life turning.


Line by Line Meaning

Same old man sitting at the mill
There's an old man who sits at the mill and he's always there.


The mill turns around of its own free will
The mill rotates itself, it doesn't need someone to do it manually.


Hand in the hopper and the other in the sack
The old man has one hand in the hopper and the other hand in the sack to handle the flour.


Ladies step forward and the gents fall back
The women move ahead while the men step back.


Down sat an owl and he said all quiet
An owl sat down quietly.


Lonesome day and a lonesome night
It's a lonely day and night.


Thought I heard a pretty girl say
I think I heard a beautiful girl say something.


Court all night and you sleep next day
Spend the night courting someone and then sleep the next day.


Well then, said the raven as she flew
The raven said as it flew away.


If I was a young one I'd get two
If I were younger, I would get two.


One for to fetch and the other to sew
One to bring things and the other to sew.


I'd have a string for my bow, bow, bow
I would have a string for my bow.


My old man's in Kalamazoo
My husband is in Kalamazoo.


He don't give no "yes, I do"
He doesn't say "yes, I do".


First to the left and then to the right
First, move to the left, then to the right.


This old mill grinds day and night
This old mill works constantly, day and night.




Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DP, ANDY ROBERTS, DAVE RICHARDS, IAN MATTHEWS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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