OLD JOE CLARK
Musical Odyssey with Old Joe Clark's Whimsical Tales
Lyrics
Old Joe Clark he had a house
Old Joe Clark owned a house.
It was sixteen stories high
The house was tall, with sixteen stories.
Every story in that house was filled with Ice cream pie
Each floor of the house was filled with ice cream pie.
Around and around it was Old Joe Clark
The description of Old Joe Clark's house, suggesting a circular motion.
Around and around I say
Reiteration of the circular motion and rhythm.
Follow me ten thousand miles to hear the fiddle play
Invitation to follow for a long distance to hear the fiddle play.
Old Joe Clark he had a mule his name was Morgan Brown
Old Joe Clark had a mule named Morgan Brown.
Every time that mule came round the sun was going down
The sun setting when Morgan Brown came around.
Around and around it was Old Joe Clark
Reiteration of the circular motion and rhythm.
Around and around I say
Reiteration of the invitation to follow for a long distance to hear the fiddle play.
Follow me ten thousand miles to hear the fiddle play
Continuation of the invitation to hear the fiddle play.
Old Joe Clark he had a yellow cat
Old Joe Clark had a yellow cat.
She would neither sing nor bray
The cat wouldn't sing or bray.
She stuck her head in a buttermilk jar
The cat immersed its head in a buttermilk jar to cleanse its sins.
And washed her sin away
Humorous depiction of the cat's behavior.
Around and around it was Old Joe Clark
Reiteration of the circular motion and rhythm.
Around and around I say
Reiteration of the invitation to follow for a long distance to hear the accordion play.
Follow me ten thousand miles to hear my accordion play
Continuation of the invitation to hear the accordion play.
Now Old Joe Clark is a fine old fella
Praising Old Joe Clark as a fine old fellow.
I'll tell you the reason why
Giving a reason for Joe's fine character - keeping good liquor in the house.
He keeps good liquor around the house
Specifically mentioning "rockin' rye" as the type of liquor.
That good ol' rockin' rye
Reiteration of the circular motion and rhythm.
Around and around it was Old Joe Clark
Reiteration of the invitation to follow for a long distance to hear the banjo play.
Around and around I say
Continuation of the invitation to hear the banjo play.
Follow me ten thousand miles to hear the banjo play
Reiteration of the circular motion and rhythm.
Goin' up to the mountaintop,
The narrator expressing a desire to go up to the mountaintop.
I'm goin' up so high
Expressing going to a great height.
You'll find me on the mountaintop
Imagery of the narrator on the mountaintop, fiddling until death.
Fiddling till I die, fiddling till I die
Repetition of the idea of fiddling until death.
Fare thee well Old Joe ClarkFare thee well I say
Bidding farewell to Old Joe Clark.
Fare thee well Old Joe Clark
Reiteration of the farewell.
For I'm a going away
Stating the departure of the narrator.
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