Walking The Dog

Lyrics: Rufus Thomas
Music: Rufus Thomas

Played by the Grateful Dead in 1966 and then a couple of times in 1970; revived briefly in 1984/5. These are the lyrics from the performance on 21 March 1970 (thanks to Norbert Jung for the tape).

Baby's back, all dressed in black
Silver buttons up and down her back
High, low, tipsy toe
She broke the needle now she can't sew

Chorus
Walking the dog
Just a-walking the dog
If you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog

Mary, Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row

[chorus]

Asked her mother for fifteen cents (note 1)
See the elephant, he jumped the fence (note 2)
Jumped so high, he touched the sky
Never got back until the fourth of July

[chorus]

Mary, Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row

[chorus]

Baby's back, all dressed in black
Silver buttons all down her back
High, low, tipsy toe
She broke the needle now she can't sew

[chorus]

Baby's back, all dressed in black
Silver buttons all down her back
High, low, tipsy toe
She broke the needle now she can't sew

[chorus]

Just a-walking
Yeah, yeah, just a-walking
Yeah, just a-walking
Yeah, yeah, just a-walking
If you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog