☝️ Key Points
- 'Bring Sally Up' is a modern interpretation of a traditional African-American nursery rhyme and game called 'Green Sally Up'
- 'Bring Sally Up' and 'Bring Sally Down' are instructions of the game that can symbolize movements like jumping and squatting
- The refrain 'Old Miss Lucy's dead and gone, left me here to weep and moan' could represent how children deal with the concept of death and loss
- The phrase 'If you hate it fold your arms, if you love it clap your hands' is a call to the audience to express their feelings and could represent the game as a social interaction
Interpretation
The song 'Bring Sally Up' by
Moby is a modern interpretation of a traditional African American nursery rhyme and game called 'Green Sally Up'. The words 'Bring Sally Up' and 'Bring Sally Down' are instructions given in the game, similar to 'Simon says' or 'Red light, green light'. The words 'Lift and squat, gotta tear the ground' could refer to the physical movements in the game, particularly jumping and squatting.
The refrain 'Old Miss Lucy's dead and gone, left me here to weep and moan' speaks to a feeling of sadness and loss, which could indicate that the game is not just a cheerful children's song, but also a way for children to cope with the concept of death and loss.
The last line 'If you hate it fold your arms, if you love it clap your hands' is a call to the audience to express their feelings, whether it be rejection (crossing their arms) or approval (clapping their hands). This could indicate that the game also served as a form of social interaction and expression of emotions.