Ives, Burl - The Grey Goose Lyrics






One Sunday morning, Lord, Lord, Lord
The preacher went a hunting, Lord, Lord, Lord
And he carried along a shotgun, Lord, Lord, Lord
And along came a grey goose, Lord, Lord, Lord
Well he shot down a grey goose, Lord, Lord, Lord
And the gun went a-boom-boom, Lord, Lord, Lord
And down come the grey goose, Lord, Lord, Lord
Took six weeks of falling, Lord, Lord, Lord
And six weeks calling, Lord, Lord, Lord
And they put him on the table, Lord, Lord, Lord
And your wife and my wife, Lord, Lord, Lord
There's time for feather pickin', Lord, Lord, Lord
But the fork wouldn't stick it, Lord, Lord, Lord
And the knife wouldn't cut it, Lord, Lord, Lord
And they put him in the oven, Lord, Lord, Lord
But the oven wouldn't burn him, Lord, Lord, Lord
And they him in the hog pen, Lord, Lord, Lord
But the hog couldn't eat it, Lord, Lord, Lord
And he broke the hogs teeth out, Lord, Lord, Lord
So they threw him in the sawmill, Lord, Lord, Lord
And the sawmill wouldn't cut him, Lord, Lord, Lord
And he broke the saws teeth off, Lord, Lord, Lord
And the last time I seen him, Lord, Lord, Lord
She was flyin' cross the ocean, Lord, Lord, Lord
With a long string o' goslings, Lord, Lord, Lord
And they're all goin' quing, quack, Lord, Lord, Lord





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Ives, Burl The Grey Goose Comments
  1. J.... B....

    My parents got me a Burl Ives album when I was  kid and this was one of the songs on it.

  2. C.... ....

    I loved this song as a kid

  3. L.... ....

    Lord lord lord should have known from the knife.

  4. J.... G....

    dynamic banter

    J.... G....

    im mad they never made it to queen quack.. i have so many questions

  5. C.... R....

    Imagine singing a song about sawing up a goose to kids in today's 'offended by everything' mentality. They'd be running for their safe rooms crying for their counselors!

    C.... R....

    Their parents and teachers would be crying.  The kids would be singing.  Besides, the Gray Goose didn't die in the end; it reproduced goslings, as I recall.

  6. L.... M....

    I listened to this as a child.  In the eighties I saw Mr. Ives in concert at NC State U.  He sang this song, which amused my husband, who had never heard it.

    The song may have originated among African-American chain gangs, as a song of defiance and encouragement.

    L.... M....

    @Alex Ives You're quite welcome.  My parents had at least a couple of his albums, plus the children's album of animal songs.  About half of the songs from that album are on YouTube.

    One of my favorite songs from my parents' albums is "Shanghaied."

    L.... M....

    @Alex Ives Have you written any of these stories down? 

    L.... M....

    Are you talking about my neighbors or my  in-laws?

    L.... M....

    Fit in to what, and where?  The country for which my family fought the American Revolution?  The country they have defended and supported for nearly two and a half centuries?

  7. B.... T....

    Brings back so many memories. 

  8. A.... ....

    Brings back my childhood.  Love it.

  9. M.... L....

    That's one tough bird...

  10. M.... ....

    When I was very young, my parents bought our very first record player. My grandfather bought us the Burl Ives children's songs record, our first record. We played that poor record almost til it melted.
    The choice was understandable: my grandfather was personally acquainted with Mr Ives.

  11. T.... B....

    I played Burl Ives for my kids when they were young and my son said in all his songs some thing dies, but i know they loved him he has this voice and that guitar or banjo that is soo darn good it dont matter it gets you going. we love him all the same.

  12. T.... ....

    Does anybody remember in one of the movie versions of The Red Badge of Courage, a Civil War soldier sings this song while dancing on a soap box?

  13. S.... F....

    Invincible goose!

  14. a.... ....

    my daddy use to sing this to mee all the time when i was lil xD good times

  15. c.... t....

    great childhood memoriers, used to sing it a Thanksgiving dinner
    .

  16. c.... t....

    great childhood memoriers, used to sing it a Thanksgiving dinner

  17. c.... ....

    MAkes you want to have Christmas Goose huh?

    c.... ....

    I don't much care for goose . . I prefer Turkey.

  18. D.... P....

    Childhood memories ... Lord lord lord. :))

  19. J.... W....

    Also have a listen to LeadBelly's version!
    Both . . . excellent

  20. l.... ....

    The lyrics are horrific and inspiring.

  21. S.... ....

    I love this one!!