Olly Olly Oxen Free
Good Little Giants Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Pick a corner the darker the better
So no one knows
Run away so the light doesnt catch ya
And you get exposed
All alone and you're tired of waiting
But no one comes around
In the darkness youve been sufficating
You're just waiting to be found Well...
Come out come out
Wherever you are
Wherever you are
Come on come home
Youre never too far
If youre playing hide and seek
Olly olly oxen free
Child you can be redeemed
Olly olly oxen free
Weary sinner come to me
Olly olly olly oxen free
Now the shepard hes coming to find you
Hes calling out out
Leave your past and your burdens behind you
Can you hear him shout? Oh
I can hear him shout
If youre playing hide and seek
Olly olly oxen free
Child you can be redeemed
Olly olly oxen free
Weary sinner come to me
Olly olly olly oxen free
Olly olly oh oh
Olly olly oh oh
Olly olly oh oh
Olly olly oh oh
Come out come out
Wherever you are
Wherever you are
Come on come home
Youre never too far
Come out come out
Wherever you are
Wherever you are
Come on come home
Youre never too far
If youre playing hide and seek
Olly olly oxen free
Child you can be redeemed
If youre playing hide and seek
Olly olly oxen free
Child you can be redeemed
Olly olly oxen free
Weary sinner come to me

Olly olly olly oxen free
Olly olly olly oxen free

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Good Little Giants' song "Olly Olly Oxen Free" describe a feeling of isolation and the desire to be found and rescued. The opening lines talk about finding a dark corner to hide in so as to not be exposed to the light. The darkness becomes suffocating, and the singer is left waiting to be found. The chorus offers an invitation to "come out, come out, wherever you are" and suggests that no matter how far away the person is, they are never too far to be found.

The second verse introduces the idea of a shepherd coming to find and rescue the singer. The singer is invited to leave their past and burdens behind and come to the shepherd who is calling out to them. The repetition of "olly olly oxen free" throughout the song is a reference to a children's game of the same name. The game is played by children who are hiding, and the seeker calls out "olly olly oxen free" as an invitation for the other children to come out of hiding.

The song can be interpreted as a call for those who are feeling lost or alone to reach out for help and find redemption. It offers hope that no matter how far gone one might feel, they are never too far to be found and saved.

Line by Line Meaning

Pick a corner the darker the better
Find a hiding spot that is as dark and secluded as possible.

So no one knows
Hide so well that no one will know where you are.

Run away so the light doesnt catch ya
Flee from any light or exposure that might reveal your hiding spot.

And you get exposed
Avoid being caught or exposed by whoever is seeking you.

All alone and you're tired of waiting
Feeling lonely and impatient while waiting for someone to find you.

But no one comes around
No one has found you yet, despite your hopes.

In the darkness youve been sufficating
Feeling overwhelmed and trapped in the dark surroundings.

You're just waiting to be found
Hoping someone will eventually find you and end your loneliness.

Well...
Transition to new thought or idea.

Come out come out
Invitation to come out of hiding and be found.

Wherever you are
Regardless of where you're hiding, come out now.

Come on come home
Come out of hiding and come back to safety.

Youre never too far
No matter how far away you may be, it's never too late to come back.

If youre playing hide and seek
Metaphor for feeling lost or disconnected from others and seeking redemption.

Olly olly oxen free
The traditional phrase used to signify that the hiding game is over and everyone is free to come out.

Child you can be redeemed
Regardless of your mistakes, you have the power to seek forgiveness and be redeemed.

Weary sinner come to me
Message of hope for those who feel lost or weighed down by their sins.

Now the shepard hes coming to find you
Metaphor for a higher power coming to seek and forgive those who are lost or seeking redemption.

Hes calling out out
The higher power is reaching out and calling for those who are lost.

Leave your past and your burdens behind you
Encouragement to let go of past mistakes and move towards redemption and forgiveness.

Can you hear him shout? Oh
Asking if the listener can hear the call for redemption and forgiveness.

Olly olly oh oh
Reiteration of the traditional phrase used in the game of hide and seek to signify that the game is over and all are free to come out.

Come out come out
Further invitation to come out of hiding and be found.

If youre playing hide and seek
Reiteration of the metaphor for seeking redemption and forgiveness.

Olly olly oxen free
Reiteration of the traditional phrase used to signify that the game is over and all are free to come out.

Weary sinner come to me
Reiteration of the message of hope and invitation to seek redemption and forgiveness.

Olly olly olly oxen free
Final reiteration of the traditional phrase used to signify that the game is over and all are free to come out.

Contributed by Penelope H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it