Yertle The Turtle
by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Album: Freaky Styley (1985)
Play Video
  • Look at that turtle go, bro!

    On a far away island of Salamasond
    I said, Yertle the turtle
    Was king of the pond
    A nice little pond
    It was clean, it was neat
    The water was warm
    There was plenty to eat
    Until one day
    The king of them all
    Decided the kingdom
    He ruled was too small
    "I'm a ruler of all that I see
    But I don't see enough
    And that's the trouble with me"

    With this stone for a throne
    I am too low down
    I cannot look down
    Upon the places beyond
    So Yertle the turtle king
    Lifted his hand
    And Yertle the turtle king
    Gave a command
    He ordered all the turtles
    Onto one another's back
    He piled them high
    Into a ten turtle stack
    Oh, Yertle the turtle
    "The things I now rule
    I'm king of a cow
    I'm king of a mule"

    Look at the turtle go, bro!

    Then down from below
    In the great turtle stack
    Came a burp from a plain
    Little turtle named Mack
    Just part of the throne
    This burpin' little turtle
    Looked up and said, "I beg
    Your pardon king Yertle
    I've pains in my back
    My shoulders and my knees
    How long must we stand
    Here your majesty?"
    "Silence!" the king of the
    Turtles barked back
    To the bad burpin'
    Little turtle named Mack
    I'm Yertle the turtle
    Oh marvelous me for
    I am ruler of all that I see

    Yertle, Yertle the turtle
    Yertle, Yertle the turtle

    Yertle, Yertle the turtle
    Yertle, Yertle the turtle

    Yertle, Yertle the turtle
    Yertle, Yertle the turtle

    Yertle, Yertle the turtle (wow)
    Yertle, Yertle the turtle (look at that turtle go)

    Yertle, Yertle the turtle (bro)
    Yertle, Yertle the turtle

    Yertle, Yertle the turtle
    Yertle, Yertle the turtle

    Yertle, Yertle the turtle
    Yertle, Yertle the turtle

    Yertle, Yertle the turtle
    Yertle, Yertle the turtle

    Yertle, Yertle the turtle Writer/s: Anthony Kiedis, Cliff Martinez, Jack Sherman, Michael Peter Balzary
    Publisher: Hipgnosis Songs Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 8

  • Sam from Philedelphia, PaThe book is about the inception of Nazi Germany and Hitler, according to an interview by Theodore Geisel himself. He explains that Yertle wanted to be the ruler "of all that he sees," much like Hitler, and began his reign of terror with the Holocaust and the sacrifice of millions of people, much like Yertle sacrifices the poor turtle. The "burp" made by Mack, the turtle on the bottom, at the very end, is much like the Battle of Berlin, the final offensive front made by the Allies in the European theater of the war. The turtles go free, while Yertle is "the King of the Mud," a euphemism for death, much like Hitler's fate.
  • Evan from Kali, MiIt's funny that they didn't include the end of the story when Yertle is knocked down into the mud.
  • Ben from Ocean City, NjPossibly the best book on the subject of Turtle-stacking ever.
  • Claudia from New York, Nyactually, it was the producer's (george clinton)coke dealer who said "look at the turtle go, bro"
  • Dan from Tinley Park, Ilo, and Dr Seuss wrote this book about the rise of hitler.
  • Dan from Tinley Park, Ilwait...this song was from the album, freaky styley, and their producer for that album was george clinton, was he the one that said the thing at the beginning? cuz it doesnt sound like him.
  • Jake from Guelph, CanadaThe man who says the line "look at the turtle go bro..." was the chili peppers producer at the time. He was addicted to cocaine and owed his dealer money so the peppers let him do the voice on the song for enough cash to pay him back.
  • Faxmachine from Nyc, NdThis is like the best song ever!!!!!!!!!!!! I luv luv luv it!!!!! It rox my fuzzy sox!!!!!!!!!1
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