Text: Once I knew a Dutchman, his name was Johnny Verbeck. He used to deal in sausages and sauerkraut and spec. He made the finest sausages that ever you have seen, and one day he invented a machine.

Oh Mr. Mr. Johnny Verbeck how could you be so mean? I told you you’d be sorry for inventing that machine.

Now all the neighbors’ cats and dogs will never more be seen. They’ll all be ground like sausages in Johnny  VerBecks machine. 

Once a little fat boy came walking in the store he bought a pound of sausages and set them on the floor. The boy  began to whistle, he whistled up a tune, and soon the little sausages were dancing around the room. 

Oh Mr. Mr. Johnny Verbeck how could you be so mean? I told her you’d be sorry for inventing that machine. Now all the neighbors’ cats and dogs will never more be seen. They’ll all be ground like sausages in Johnny Verbeck’s machine.

Once the darn thing busted, the blame thing wouldn’t go, so Johnny Verbeck he jumped inside to see what made it slow. His wife was having a nightmare and while walking in her sleep, she gave the crank a hell-of-a yank and Johnny Verbeck was meat.

Oh Mr. Mr. Johnny Verbeck how could you be so mean? I told you you’d be sorry for inventing that machine. Now all the neighbors’ cats and dogs will never more be seen. They’ll all be ground like Johnny Verbeck in Johnny Verbeck’s machine. Bang!

Context: The informant grew up in Las Vegas, NV and learned this song from his mom and dad as a little boy. He fondly remembers that his parents only sang it to him when he was on the chairlift with them while skiing as a young boy. Because of the somewhat scary nature of the song, he thinks his parents used it to distract him from the ski lift, which was scary to him as a child because of the heights and speed of it. He believes that the song is meant to warn kids about the dangers of technology.

Analysis: I believe that this tale, told in the form of a song, is commenting on two elements of society. Firstly, I believe it being used to warn kids about the dangers of technology. In the tale, Johnny Verbeck invents a machine that makes his work easier, however, it’s his very machine that was intended to be helpful, that turns out to be harmful and brings about his demise. I think this is meant to scare children into understanding the dangers that advancing technology may have. Secondly, I believe that this tale is commenting on the dangers of falling victim to the machine of society. I think it is suggesting that we, as humans, can fall into a sleep-like state, and continue to operate within the machine (without even realizing it) taking down the people that are, unfortunately, stuck inside of it as we do.