Interpretation
The lyrics of the song "Old Man Mose" by
Louis Armstrong tell the story of an old man named Mose. He lives in a simple hut and has a very crooked nose. The people in the area call him "Old Man Mose".
One morning, someone knocks on his door, but there is no answer. The singer decides not to knock anymore, as he believes Mose has died. He sings: "'Cause I believe, old man, I believe, old man, I believe, old man, that old man Mose is dead".
The chorus repeats over and over the belief that Mose has died. It is sung: "We believe Mose has passed away, we believe Mose has passed away, we believe Mose has passed away, we believe he's dead".
Later in the song, the singer looks through a window and sees Mose lying on his back. He is not sure if Mose is sleeping or dead, but he decides not to look through the window anymore. He sings: "'Cause I've found out, old man, I've found out, old man, I've found out, that old man Mose is dead".
The lyrics of the song emphasize over and over again that Mose has died. It is sung: "We've found out Mose has passed away, we've found out Mose has passed away, we've found out Mose has passed away, we've found out he's dead".
Overall, the lyrics of the song are about the conviction that Mose has died, based on the lack of response to knocking on the door and the sight of Mose lying on his back.