Grocery Blues

Arlo Guthrie

I went down to the grocery store
To get in I had to pay a dime or more
I hadn't yet begun to start
When I had to pay the rent on the shopping cart

Deedle lee dumb, deedle lee dumb
Deedle lee dumb de dumb dumb

Well I let the kids loose on the floor
And they ran round for a while or more
Till the manager with the broken smile
Said it's a dollar down and a quarter an aisle

Deedle lee dumb, deedle lee dumb
Deedle lee dumb de dumb dumb

I was down in the freezer upon my knees
Somebody was yelling that the price got freezed
There was a rioting mob, a strangling hold
I received the bill for the escaping cold

Deedle lee dumb, deedle lee dumb
Deedle lee dumb de dumb dumb

It was about this time that I was goin' insane
I went and picked the kids up in the other lane
Put back the food and ran out of the store
I ain't goin' back to that place no more

Deedle lee dumb, deedle lee dumb
Deedle lee dumb de dumb dumb

Well I'm tellin the truth now, I don't fib
I don't mind no women's lib
But if my woman don't want to go down to the store
The family ain't gonna eat no more

Deedle lee dumb, deedle lee dumb
Deedle lee dumb de dumb dumb