Ol' MacDonald
The Rat Pack Lyrics


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Ol' Mac Donald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on this farm there was a chick, the prettiest chick I know
With a little curve here and a little curve there
This chick, she had curves everywhere

Ol' Mac Donald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And oh, this chick she had to walk, E-I-E-I-O
And how this walk would drive 'em wild, swinging to and 'fro
With a little wiggle here and a little wiggle there
Man this chick had wiggles to spare

Ol' Mac Donald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
When she went walking into town, E-I-E-I-O
The local gentry popped their eyes, tarnation what a show
With a goldang here and a goshdarn there
Heavens to Betsy, I do declare

Ol' Mac Donald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
There was a barn dance Saturday night, E-I-E-I-O
And the fellows came from miles around just to see her dosey-do
With a promenade here and a promenade there
At a square dance, boy, this chick was no square

Ol' MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
I used to be a traveling man, E-I-O
Until I hit MacDonald's place, things were mighty slow
With a little chick here and a little chick there
I didn't have a real chick anywhere

Ol' MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
This farmer's daughter knocked me out, E-I-E-I-O, aha
I asked MacDonald for her hand and pop, he hollered "Go"
With a little curve here and a little wiggle there
A goldang here and a goshdarn there

A dosey-do here and a promenade there




Got my own private county fair
Cause ol' MacDonald had a farm, E-I-O-I-O

Overall Meaning

The Rat Pack's Ol' MacDonald song is a humorous take on the traditional children's song. It tells the story of a farmer named Ol' MacDonald and his beautiful daughter who has curves and wiggles that attract the attention of the men in the town. The song emphasizes the girl's attractive features and how she shows them off in her walk, causing the townspeople to pop their eyes and stare wherever she goes.


The lyrics describe a farmer's daughter with a unique sense of fashion that attracts the attention of everyone. The song creates a strong emphasis on the girl's physical appeal to the point that she becomes the central focus of the town. The singer of the song first comes to Ol' MacDonald's farm as a travelling man but ends up staying on the farm because he is completely captivated by the girl's beauty.


Interestingly, the song is a cover of a children's song called “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” which has been around since the early 1900s. The Rat Pack added a new dimension to it by adapting it into a joke song filled with connotations and suggestions.


Line by Line Meaning

Ol' Mac Donald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
The story begins by stating that there was a farmer named Mac Donald who owned a large farm.


And on this farm there was a chick, the prettiest chick I know
On this farm, there was a beautiful young lady that was admired by everyone who knew her.


With a little curve here and a little curve there
The young lady's body had curves in all the right places.


This chick, she had curves everywhere
The woman was extremely curvy, making her very appealing to the opposite sex.


And oh, this chick she had to walk, E-I-E-I-O
This lady walked with a sway in her hips that was very attractive to anyone who saw her.


And how this walk would drive 'em wild, swinging to and 'fro
Her walking style was so captivating that it drove people wild when they saw her moving with that perfect swing.


Man this chick had wiggles to spare
The woman had so many wiggles in her walk that she was never short of admirers.


When she went walking into town, E-I-E-I-O
Whenever this young lady walked into town, she became the center of attention because of her beauty and charm.


The local gentry popped their eyes, tarnation what a show
The people from the town were amazed by her beauty and could not take their eyes off her.


With a goldang here and a goshdarn there, Heavens to Betsy, I do declare
People were so impressed with her looks that they would exclaim in amazement with phrases like 'goldang' or 'goshdarn,' saying things like 'Heavens to Betsy, I do declare!'


And the fellows came from miles around just to see her dosey-do
Men would come from far and wide just to get a chance to dance with her and see her moves up close.


With a promenade here and a promenade there
The way she danced was so smooth and graceful that it was a joy to watch her walk and dance.


At a square dance, boy, this chick was no square
Even at a square dance, the woman stood out because of her incredible curves and style, and she was not an ordinary person by any measure.


I used to be a traveling man, E-I-O
The storyteller used to travel often, and he was accustomed to seeing many beautiful women on his journeys.


Until I hit MacDonald's place, things were mighty slow
His travels became uneventful until he reached MacDonald's place, where he saw the beautiful young lady and became captivated by her instantly.


With a little chick here and a little chick there, I didn't have a real chick anywhere
Before he met the woman at MacDonald's farm, the storyteller was dating around, but had not found a real love interest.


This farmer's daughter knocked me out, E-I-E-I-O, aha
When the storyteller saw the woman at MacDonald's farm, he was immediately smitten by her and fell deeply in love with her.


I asked MacDonald for her hand and pop, he hollered "Go"
The storyteller asked for the woman's hand in marriage, and MacDonald approved of the union immediately without any hesitation.


A dosey-do here and a promenade there, Got my own private county fair
The storyteller and his new love danced together beautifully, feeling as if they had their own private party, with everyone watching them in amazement.


Cause ol' MacDonald had a farm, E-I-O-I-O
In the end, everything became possible for the storyteller because MacDonald had a farm and a lovely daughter who became his wife and lifetime partner.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Alan Bergman, Lew Spence, Marilyn Bergman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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