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Poor Jud Is Dead Lyrics by Gordon MacRae, Rod Steiger

Oklahoma! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

1955

[CURLY]
Pore Jud is daid
Pore Jud Fry is daid
All gather 'round his coffin now and cry
He had a heart of gold
And he wasn't very old—
Oh why did such a feller hive to die?
Pore Jud is daid
Pore Jud Fry is daid
He's lookin' oh so peaceful and serene—
[JUD]
And serene!
[CURLY]
He's all laid out to rest
With his hands acrost his chest
His fingernails have never been so clean!
(spoken)
Then the preacher'd get up and he'd say
"Folks, we are gathered here to moan and groan over our brother Jud Fry, who hung hisself up by a rope in his smokehouse"
Then there'd be weepin' and wailin' from some of those women
Then he'd say
"Jud was the most misunderstood man in this here territory
People used to think he was a mean ugly feller
And they called him a dirty skunk and an ornery pig stealer
But the folks 'at really knowed him
Knowed that beneath them two dirty shirts he always wore
There beat a heart as big as all outdoors"
[JUD]
As big as all outdoors
[CURLY]
Jud Fry loved his feller man
[JUD]
He loved his feller man
[CURLY, spoken]
He loved the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. He loved the mice and the vermin in the barns, and he treated the rats like equals, which was right. And he loved little children. He loved everybody and everything in the world! Only, only he never let on, so nobody ever knowed it
(sung)
Pore Jud is daid
Pore Jud Fry is daid
His friends'll weep and wail fer miles around
[JUD]
Miles around
[CURLY]
The daisies in the dell
Will give out a diff'rent smell
Because Pore Jud is underneath the ground
[JUD]
Pore Jud is daid
A candle lights his haid
He's layin' in a coffin made of wood
[CURLY]
Wood
[JUD]
And folks are feelin' sad
Cause they use to treat him bad
And now they know their friend is gone fer good
[CURLY]
Good
[BOTH]
Pore Jud is daid
A candle lights his haid
[CURLY]
He's lookin' oh so purty and so nice
He looks like he's asleep
It's a shame that he won't keep
But it's summer and we're running out of ice
[BOTH]
Pore Jud, Pore Jud
Credits
Gordon MacRae

Gordon MacRae

Rod Steiger

Rod Steiger

About “Poor Jud Is Dead” by Gordon MacRae

Read the complete lyrics to "Poor Jud Is Dead" by Gordon MacRae, Rod Steiger from the album "Oklahoma! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" in 1955. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Soundtrack, Musicals, Pop.

"Poor Jud Is Dead" is performed by Gordon MacRae, Rod Steiger. from the album "Oklahoma! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" in 1955 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Poor Jud Is Dead", explore more songs by Gordon MacRae, Rod Steiger using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Poor Jud Is Dead" is credited to Gordon MacRae, Rod Steiger. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Poor Jud Is Dead" appears on "Oklahoma! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" in 1955.

Visit the Gordon MacRae, Rod Steiger artist page at /artist/gordon-macrae for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.