Breedloves's Folk Songs

HOLE IN THE BUCKET

  • There’s a Hole in My Bucket” (or “…in the Bucket”) is a children’s song, along the same
    lines as Found a Peanut“. A popular version of the song was recorded by Harry
    Belafonte and Odetta.
    The song incorporates an infiniteloop motif. In order to fix the leaky bucket, one needs
    straw. To cut straw, one needs an axe. To sharpen the axe, one needs a stone. In order to
    wet the stone, one needs water. But when asked how one would get the water, the answer
    is “in a bucket” (implied to mean the only one available – the leaky bucket which, if it
    could carry water, wouldn’t be in need of repair in the first place).
    There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza dear Liza
    There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza a hole
    Go fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
    Go fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, fix it.
    With what shall I fix it, dear Liza dear Liza
    With what shall I fix it, dear Liza with what
    With a straw dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
    With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, with a straw
    But the straw is too long, dear Liza dear Liza
    The straw is too long, dear Liza too long
    Cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
    Cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, cut it
    With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza
    With what shall I cut it, dear Liza with what
    With an axe, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
    With an axe, dear Henry, dear Henry, with an axe
    The axe is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza
    The axe is too dull, dear Liza too dull
    Sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
    Sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, hone it
    On what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza dear Liza
    On what shall I hone it, dear Liza on what

    On a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry

  • On a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, with a stone
    But the stone is too dry, dear Liza dear Liza
    The stone is too dry, dear Liza too dry
    Well wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
    Well wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, wet it
    With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza
    With what shall I wet it, dear Liza with what
    Try water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
    Try water, dear Henry, dear Henry, use water
    In what shall I fetch it, dear Liza, dear Liza
    In what shall I fetch it, dear Liza in what
    In a bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
    In a bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, in a bucket
    There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza
    There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza a hole

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