June Is Bustin' Out All Over Lyrics – Carousel

Song Overview

Song Credits

• Album: Selections from Carousel (Original Cast Album)
• Release Date: 1945
• Composer: Richard Rodgers
• Lyricist: Oscar Hammerstein II
• Orchestra Director: Joseph Littau
• Genre: Broadway, Musical Theatre
• Track #: 4
• Label: Williamson Music Company
• Language: English
• © 1945, Copyright Renewed, Williamson Music Company (ASCAP) c/o Concord Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

Song Meaning and Annotations

If you ever needed a musical number to singlehandedly announce summer's arrival with floral exuberance, unashamed innuendo, and sheer vocal brass, “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over” is it. From Rodgers & Hammerstein’s seminal 1945 musical Carousel, this track isn't just a seasonal anthem — it's an ecstatic tribute to the cyclic, sensual rebirth of life in summertime.

The Opening: From Dormant to Blooming

March went out like a lion, A-whippin’ up the water in the bay.

This pastoral imagery sets the stage with weather as a stand-in for emotion. March storms and April’s tears anthropomorphize the seasons — it’s like nature's mood swing before the real party (June) starts. The verse taps into the New England seafaring setting with whip-smart rhyme and rustic flair.

Nettie’s Proclamation

June is bustin’ out all over! All over the meadow and the hill...

Nettie Fowler, played originally by Christine Johnson, leads the cast in a chorus that is both celebratory and racy. The phrase "bustin’ out" isn't coy. It's bodily, it's blooming, it's, frankly, a euphemism. Every line is layered with double meaning — spring is here, and so are the urges.

Innuendo on Parade

Every lady fish is wishin’ That a male would come and grab her by the gills!

The song plays with desire, biology, and courtship rituals—human and animal alike. Fish flirt, sheep frolic, and even “the ewe sheep aren’t even keepin’ score.” It’s cheeky, brimming with pre-code energy despite coming after the code era. The wit is in the absurdity — it’s lust, but through barnyard metaphors and botany.

Melodic Construction

The music skips and leaps like a freshly unleashed colt. Upbeat orchestration, staccato phrasing, and almost dizzying tempo shifts mirror the bubbling sap and rising saplings the text describes. It’s Broadway meets Renaissance fair, and it works like a caffeine rush through a clarinet.

Similar Songs

1. "It Might As Well Be Spring" – Rodgers & Hammerstein This gentle ballad from State Fair shares the seasonal theme and lyrical optimism. Where “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over” is overtly boisterous, this one is introspective and wistful, capturing spring’s confusion and hope. It’s the soft-spoken cousin to June’s parade.
2. "Spring, Spring, Spring" – Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Another musical theater number that revels in nature's thaw. This one leans into rustic harmony, with similar jubilance. It replaces innuendo with wholesomeness, but still shares that earthy, communal celebration of renewal.
3. "Morning Glow" – Pippin While not strictly about spring, “Morning Glow” echoes the theme of new beginnings. Its tone is more solemn, almost sacred, but thematically it speaks to the same awakening — less about sap and sheep, more about spirit and vision.

Questions and Answers

What is the primary theme of “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over”?

The song celebrates nature’s renewal and human romantic impulses with a comedic, lively lens. It’s about the cyclical return of life and desire in June.

Who sings the lead in the original cast version?

Christine Johnson, portraying Nettie Fowler, delivers the lead vocals with a hearty, commanding presence.

What is the musical context of this number in Carousel?

It occurs as the townspeople prepare for a clambake — a moment of seasonal festivity, sexual awakening, and communal bonding, setting the stage for later emotional turns.

Why is the song filled with animal and plant metaphors?

The use of natural imagery reinforces the theme of biological and emotional reawakening. It’s humorous, vivid, and connects deeply with rural, working-class characters.

Is there deeper social commentary in the lyrics?

Possibly. Beneath the folksy charm lies a subtle commentary on gender roles, courtship norms, and the uncontainable rhythms of nature — including human nature.

Fan and Media Reactions

“the line about the sheep says ‘the sheep aren’t sleepin’ anymore’ not ‘sheepish anymore’”

“This is Broadway at its cheekiest. The lyrics are smart and ridiculously catchy.”

“Rodgers & Hammerstein at their euphoric best. Makes me wish I lived in a New England fishing town in the '40s.”

“So many clever lines, it's like every flower and fish is getting laid.”

“Every time June hits, this song takes over my brain.”