Jog Along Bess
Vashti Bunyan Lyrics

Jog along Bess hop along May
Bess and May are hopping cheerfully along the road.

Squeak along Blue it's a walk along day
Blue is excitedly squeaking as they walk on this beautiful day.

It's a long road and weary are we
The journey is long and tiring, and Vashti and her friends are feeling weary.

Bubble on kettle and make us all some tea
They stop to boil water and make some tea to take a break and regain their energy.

Once there was a gypsy man
There was a man who lived freely like a gypsy.

Selling flowers from a baker's van
He sold flowers from the back of a van that was once used by a baker.

Bess she pulled him round the town
Bess helped him pull the van around the town to sell his flowers.

Pulled her wagon all old and brown
Bess also pulled her own old and brown wagon.

Till one day we took her away
One day, Vashti and her friends rescued Bess from her previous lifestyle of constantly wandering around.

Painted her wagon bright and gay
They painted Bess's wagon with bright and happy colors to reflect her new life.

Now she finds she's traveling
Bess enjoys traveling and exploring new places.

North No more wandering back and forth
Bess is now heading north and doesn't have to wander aimlessly anymore.

Once there was an Afghan hound
There was an Afghan hound who had a difficult life.

Loved by no one and pushed around
No one loved or cared for this dog, and they were often treated poorly.

Tied up in a stable yard
They were often tied up in a stable and not allowed to roam free.

Tangled and timid and howling hard
They were often tangled and scared, howling in distress.

Called her Magog shortened to May
Vashti and her friends gave the dog a new name, Magog, and shortened it to May.

She hurt a paw made it sore
May injured one of her paws and it became sore.

Now she runs on three legs instead of four
As a result of her injury, May runs on three legs instead of four.

There lived a dog in London Town
There was a dog who lived in London town.

With one ear up and the other ear down
This dog had a unique characteristic where one ear was up and the other was down.

The neighbors said he mustn't bark
The neighbors complained that the dog barked too much.

The only grass he knew was in Hyde Park
This dog rarely got to experience grass, except for in Hyde Park.

Now Blue bounces through fields of hay
After being rescued, Blue now happily bounces through fields of hay.

But he sits and squeals like a squeaky wheel
Blue makes a high-pitched squealing sound when he's excited.

When the wheels are rolling that's how he feels
He gets particularly excited when the wheels on the wagon are rolling.

Little green wagon in a deep blue sky
The group sees a little green wagon against a beautiful blue sky.

Wheels like dandelions passing by
The wheels of the wagon look like dandelions as they pass by.

With a picture by Sam a painting by John
There are pictures on the wagon painted by Sam and John.

And a bonnie black hoss to lead you along
There's also a black horse leading the wagon along.

Lucky green wagon you were raggedy brown
The wagon was once raggedy and brown, but now it's been transformed and painted green.

Now there is red at the hem of your gown
They added a touch of red to the bottom of the wagon to give it even more character.

We brought you a pumpkin brought you a mouse
They brought gifts for the wagon, a pumpkin and a mouse as a token of appreciation.

We wished very hard and you gave us a house
They wished for a new home, and the wagon somehow fulfilled this wish.

Jog along Bess hop along May
Bess and May are still happily jogging and hopping along the road.

Squeak along Blue it's a walk along day
Blue is still squeaking with excitement on this beautiful walk.

It's a long road and weary are we
They still have a long journey ahead, and they're starting to feel tired.

Bubble on kettle and make us all some tea
To take another break and recharge, they stop to boil some water and make tea.