Old Pondby Allen Ginsberg
The old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk! Hard road! I walked till both feet stunk— Ma!Ma! Whatcha doing on that bed? Pa!Pa! what hole you hide your head?
 Sold coke, got busted looking gay Day dream, I acted like a clunk Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
Got hitched, I bought a frying pan Fried eggs, my wife eats like a man Won’t cook, her oatmeal tastes like funk Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
Eat shit exactly what she said Drink wine, it goes right down my head Fucked up, they all yelled I was drunk Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
Saw God at six o’ clock tonight Flop house, I think I’ll start a fight Head ache like both my eyeballs shrunk Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
Hot dog! I love my mustard hot Hey Rube! I think I just got shot Drop dead She said you want some junk? Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
Oh ho your dirty needle stinks No no I don’t shoot up with finks Speed greed I stood there with the punk Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
Yeh yeh gimme a breath of fresh air Guess who I am well you don’t care No name call up the mocking monk Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
No echo, make a lot of noise Come home you owe it to the boys Can’t hear you scream your fish’s sunk Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
Just folks, we bought a motor car No gas I guess we crossed the bar I swear we started for Podunk Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
I got his banjo on my knee I played it like an old Sweetie I sang plunk-a plunka-a-plunk plunk plunk plunk Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
One hand I gave myself the clap Unborn, but I still took the rap Big deal, I fell out of my bunk Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
Hey hey! I ride down the blue sky Sit down with worms until I die Fare well! Hum Hum Hum Hum Hum! Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
Red barn rise wet in morning dew Cockadoo dle do oink oink moo moo Buzz buzz—flyswatter in the kitchen, thwunk! Th’old pond—a frog jumps in, kerplunk!
August 22, 1978
From Allen Ginsberg’s
First Blues record, released by John
Hammond in 1983, and rereleased on CD in
2006 by Water Records (the song is track ten on disc two). You can also listen to
recordings of Ginsberg singing these lyrics here, here, and here. The lyrics also appear in
Allen Ginsberg’s Collected Poems 1947–1997
(New York: HarperCollins, 2006), pages 714–716. |