There's a hole in my bucket, dear friends, dear friends
There's a hole in my bucket, dear friends, a hole
Then mend it, dear Burl, dear Burl, dear Burl
Then mend it, dear Burl, dear Burl, mend it
With what shall I mend it, dear ladies, dear ladies?
With what shall I mend it, dear ladies, with what?
With the straw, dear Burl, dear Burl, dear Burl
With the straw, dear Burl, dear Burl, the straw
But the straw is too long, dear ladies, dear ladies
The straw is too long, dear ladies, too long
Then cut it, dear Burl, dear Burl, dear Burl
Then cut it, dear Burl, dear Burl, cut it
But with what shall I cut it, good fellows, good fellows?
But with what shall I cut it, good fellows, with what?
With a knife, dear Burl, dear Burl, dear Burl
With a knife, dear Burl, dear Burl, a knife

But my knife is too blunt, dear fellows, dear fellows
But my knife is too blunt, dear fellows, too blunt
Then sharpen it, dear Burl, dear Burl, dear Burl
Then sharpen it, dear Burl, dear Burl, sharpen it
With what shall I sharpen it, dear ladies, dear ladies?
With what shall I sharpen it, dear ladies, with what?
With a stone, dear Burl, dear Burl, dear Burl
With a stone, dear Burl, dear Burl, a stone
But the stone is too dry, dear friends, dear friends
But the stone is too dry, dear friends, too dry
Then wet it with water, with water, dear Burl
Then wet it with water, dear Burl, wet it

In what shall I carry it, dear friends, dear friends?
In what shall I carry it, dear friends, in what?
In a bucket dear Burl, dear Burl, dear Burl
In a bucket dear Burl, dear Burl, bucket
But there's a hole in my bucket