Sam Cooke - Little Red Rooster Lyrics
Lyrics
I'm a little red rooster,
Too lazy to crow for day
I'm a little red rooster,
Too lazy to crow for day
Keep everything in the barnyard,
Upset in every way
Dogs begin to bark now,
And the hounds begin to howl
Dogs begin to bark now,
And the hounds begin to howl
Watch out stray cat,
The little red rooster's on the prowl
If you see the little red rooster
Won't you please drive him home
If you see the little red rooster
Won't you please drive him home
Been no peace in the barnyard
Since that little red rooster's been gone
I'm a little red rooster,
Too lazy to crow for day
I'm a little red rooster,
Too lazy to crow for day
Keep everything in the barnyard,
Upset in every way
Video
Little Red Rooster
Meaning & Inspiration
Sam Cooke's "Little Red Rooster," released in 2017, presents a fascinating narrative that, while not overtly Christian, resonates deeply with spiritual themes of order, disruption, and longing for restoration, much like the spiritual stirrings found within Scripture. The song paints a vivid picture of a barnyard thrown into chaos by the presence of a "little red rooster" who is "too lazy to crow for day." This rooster’s inactivity, its failure to perform its natural duty, is the source of the widespread disquiet. The dogs bark, the hounds howl, and even the stray cat is warned because this unusual rooster is "on the prowl." This imagery calls to mind passages like Ecclesiastes 3:1, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens," highlighting the disruption that occurs when natural rhythms and responsibilities are ignored. The rooster’s perversion of its role—failing to herald the dawn—creates a state of perpetual unrest, a perfect metaphor for how a lack of diligent leadership or a failure to fulfill one's God-given purpose can upset an entire community. The repeated plea, "If you see the little red rooster, won't you please drive him home," expresses a yearning for the return of normalcy, a desire for the natural order to be re-established. This mirrors the biblical longing for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth, as expressed in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:10). The absence of peace in the barnyard "since that little red rooster's been gone" further emphasizes how profoundly the lack of a functioning, contributing presence can impact the whole. It evokes a sense of loss, a void left by something essential that has departed, leaving behind only discord. In its essence, the song speaks to the universal desire for harmony and the consequences of its absence, a message that echoes the profound spiritual truths of divine order and the restoration of all things, a hope that is a cornerstone of our faith.