The Hole In The Bucket
I first heard Pete Seeger and Odetta sing this classic song of male ineptitude back in the 1960s. As his questions got dumber and dumber,
she got more and more impatient, until finally she was shouting at him. But he had the last word.
“There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,
There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, my dear.”
“Then mend it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then mend it, dear Henry, dear Henry my dear.”
“With what shall I mend it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I mend it, dear Liza, my dear?”
“With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry.
With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, my dear.”
“But the straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The straw is too long, dead Liza, my dear.”
“Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, my dear.”
“With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, my dear?”
“With an axe, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry.
With an axe, dear Henry, dear Henry, my dear.”
“But the axe is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The axe is too dull, dear Liza, my dear.”
“Then hone it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry.
Hone it, dear Henry, dear Henry, my dear.”
“With what should I hone it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what should I hone it, dear Liza, my dear?
“With the whetstone, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With the whetstone, dear Henry, dear Henry, my dear.”
“But the stone is too dry, dear Liza, dead Liza,
The stone is too dry, dear Liza, my dear.”
“Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry.
Wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, my dear.”
“With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, my dear?”
“With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry.
With water , dear Henry, dear Henry, my dear.”
“But where is the water, dear Liza, dear Liza?
Where is the water, dear Liza, my dear?”
“In the well, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
In the well, dear Henry, dear Henry, my dear.”
“But how shall I fetch it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
How shall I fetch it, dear Liza, my dear?
“In the bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry.
In the bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, my dear.”
“But there’s a hole in the bucket!