Expert: Mel Priddle - 7/2/2008

Question
Need lyrics for Who shot the lock off the hen house door. Also for  Tator Pie. Thank you.

Answer
Hello Sherry,

"Who Broke The Lock (On The Henhouse Door)?" is an old traditional song that seems to be sung with many different verses, depending on who's singing it. So, what I've done below is to put together all the verses that I could find, although they probably have never all been sung together in this way or this verse order.


WHO BROKE THE LOCK (ON THE HENHOUSE DOOR)?

Well, a hen and a rooster from way out West
Said the hen to the rooster, "I love you the best"
The rooster said, "You're a pop-eyed liar,
I seen you flirting with the big Shanghai"

Who broke the lock? I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
Well, I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

Down in the henhouse on my kness
I thought I heard a chicken sneeze
It was only rooster saying his prayers
And thanking the Lord for the hens upstairs

Who broke the lock? I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
Well, I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

Now, my old hen's a good old hen
But she ain't laid a egg since I don't know when
Old hen cackle, cackling a lot
Next time she cackle, gonna cackle in the pot

Who broke the lock? I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
Well, I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

Now, there was an old rooster 'bout forty years old
He'd done lots of things that'd never been told
His toes curled up, he could not scratch
But the young hens say his eggs still hatch

Who broke the lock? I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
Well, I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

Now, the old rooster he said to the hen
"You know I love you, so let me in"
The hen said, "No! Just go away"
I'm sitting with my egg that I did lay

Who broke the lock? I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
Well, I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

Said the big red rooster to the little red hen
"You ain't laid an egg in the Lord knows when"
Said the little red hen to the big red rooster
"You ain't been around quite as often as you used to"

Who broke the lock? I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
Well, I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

Then the old fox said to the hen
"Open up the door or I'll break it in"
The hen said, "No!" and began to squawk
Ordered the rooster to secure the lock

Who broke the lock? I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
Well, I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

Down by the farmer's barnyard gate
Blowed my horn, both soon and late
Farmer's dog couldn't bark nor bite
But the son of a gun, he could read and write

Who broke the lock? I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
Well, I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

Now, Deacon Johnson and Missus Jones
Used to fool around when Jones weren't home
Come home one morning 'bout a quarter to four
Who went out that back door

Who broke the lock? I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
Well, I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door



And here are the lyrics for "'Tater Pie"......

'TATER PIE

Ever since I've been so high
I've been a fool for 'tater pie
It makes no difference how I stuff
I never seem to get enough

Pie, pie, 'tater pie, P-I-E, E-I-P, pie
E-per, i-per, pass a piece a pie
Fer I just love that 'tater pie
I love 'tater pie, P-I-E, E-I-P, pie
E-per, i-per, pass a piece a pie
Fer I just love that 'tater pie

I'm lookin' for a gal that cooks
I don't care much the way she looks
I'll be hers until I die
If she can make a 'tater pie

Pie, pie, 'tater pie, P-I-E, E-I-P, pie
E-per, i-per, pass a piece a pie
Fer I just love that 'tater pie
I love 'tater pie, P-I-E, E-I-P, pie,
Chocolate, cherry, boysenberry
Nothin's good as 'tater pie

Now after we have made the match
We'll raise a great big 'tater patch
And we'll just let the world go by
And live on love and 'tater pie

Pie, pie, 'tater pie, P-I-E, E-I-P, pie
E-per, i-per, pass me the pie
Fer I just love that 'tater pie
I love 'tater pie, P-I-E, E-I-P, pie
Hold your 'tater, stay a little later
We'll all have some 'tater pie

Pie, pie, 'tater pie, P-I-E, E-I-P, pie
E-per, i-per, pass me the pie
Fer I just love that 'tater pie


Glad to be of help. Cheers.......Mel.