Lyrics:

Hokey Pokey
Words and Music by Harry Chapin

I remember my very first memory
Back when I was a kid
I remember my Mom when she was holding me
And singing to me like my Momma did

I remember that simple little nursery rhyme
One that everybody knows
She used to sing it all of the time
I'll bet you remember how it goes

You put your right hand in
You put your left hand out
You put your whole self in
You turn yourself about
You do the Hokey Pokey
You give a little shout
That's what it's all about.

I remember then that I grew up
I got a job and a car and a wife
I remember then we had our own three kids
And a house filled up with life

And my Momma would come over and she'd baby-sit
I remember as I'd even see
There was the kid's Grandma she was singing to them
Just like she'd sung to me

You put your right hand in
You put your left hand out
You put your whole self in
You turn yourself about
You do the Hokey Pokey
You give a little shout
That's what it's all about.

Grandma's gotten old now
Sometimes she's just not there
We put her away in a nursing home
We had to put her away somewhere

I remember driving up to see her
I remember because it was today
And I parked the car, put on a smile
I tried to think of something to say

Now there were my Momma with the other old folks
They were doing their exercise
I remember then that so suddenly
It seemed something got in my eyes

There was a social worker singing to them
To get 'em moving like the music does
I remember the song she was singing to them
I bet you guessed now what it was

You put your right hand in
You put your left hand out
You put your whole self in
You turn yourself about
You do the Hokey Pokey
You give a little shout
That's what it's all about.

You put your right hand in
You put your left hand out
You put your whole self in
You turn yourself about
You do the Hokey Pokey
You give a little shout
That's what it's all about.

You put your right hand in
You put your left hand out
You put your whole self in
You turn yourself about
You do the Hokey Pokey
You give a little shout
That's what it's all about.