Song History
This song evolved from Anglo-American play-party traditions and African-American blues. Workers building levees to prevent the flooding of the Mississippi River in the South may have been among the first to sing it.
Lyrics
chorus:
You get a line, I'll get a pole, honey
You get a line, I'll get a pole, babe
You get a line, I'll get a pole
We'll go down to the crawdad hole
Honey, baby, mine
verses:
Hurry up, babe, you slept too late, honey
Hurry up, babe, you slept too late, babe
Hurry up, baby, you slept too late
The crawdad man went past your gate
Honey, baby, mine
Yonder come a man with a sack on his back, honey
Yonder come a man with a sack on his back, babe
Yonder come a man with a sack on his back
He’s totin’ all the crawdads he can pack
Honey, baby, mine
Whatcha gonna do when the lake runs dry, honey
Whatcha gonna do when the lake runs dry, babe
Whatcha gonna do when the lake runs dry
Sit on the bank, watch the crawdads die
Honey, baby, mine
What did the hen duck say to the drake, honey
What did the hen duck say to the drake, babe
What did the hen duck say to the drake
Ain't no crawdads in that lake
Honey, baby, mine