The Remains of Tom Lehrer
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Public-domain lyrics

O‐U (The Hound Song)

Tom Lehrer

A quiet hound hides in plain sight while eight rhymes circle the sound of O-U.

The Remains of Tom Lehrer Disc 3 · Track 21 2000
Public domainLanguageLearningAnimalsGentlePlayful
Complete public-domain lyrics

The Electric Company lyric uses a hiding dog's monologue to demonstrate the shared spelling in hound, ground and sound. The sheet credits the words to Tom Lehrer and the musical setting to Caro Nome from Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto. Both printed four-line stanzas are present; this catalog displays words only and supplies no recording or score.

Verse 1

I'm a very quiet hound.

I don't bark or run around.

I just lie here on the ground,

With my head upon this mound.

Verse 2

No one knows where I can be found.

If they knew, then they'd be bound

To come and take me to the pound.

That's why I don't dare make a sound.

Credits

Written by Tom Lehrer

Words by Tom Lehrer, released into the public domain by the author. This is the author-published text edition, not a transcription of a particular performance.

Source & text edition

Author-published lyric sheet · original English words

Tom Lehrer's November 26, 2022 declaration relinquishes copyright in lyrics he wrote. It does not grant rights to third-party music, photographs or album artwork. This edition uses only his words.

Read the author’s lyric sheet (PDF)

View copyright evidence · Author’s public-domain declaration

Retrieved 2026-09-08. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.

Source edition: The Remains of Tom Lehrer · Compilation · 2000-05-23 · US

Release data: MusicBrainz · CC0-1.0 · Retrieved 2026-09-07.

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