Short King Bobby Green
Big ideaTrue kingliness is a quiet, contented heart: not chasing things too high, but resting in God like a weaned child with its mother.
Ladies and gentlemen...
standing at a towering five-foot-nothin'...
in platform shoes...
the one, the only...
Bobby Greeeeeen!
Now Bobby Green was the coolest cat on the block;
he was five-foot-two if you counted the 'fro on top.
Took him three hops just to climb on the bus,
but he'd tip that hat and he'd never make a fuss.
He'd high-five you right on the kneecap, brother,
always said "yes ma'am" to everybody's mother;
when it started to rain, he was the last to know,
but first in line when it was time to play limbo!
Short king! (Short king!)
Bobby Green! (Bobby Green!)
Never looked down on nobody;
he couldn't if he tried!
Short king! (Short king!)
Smoothest cat you've ever seen;
heart ain't lifted up too high,
got that peace inside!
Played church-league ball, said he'd play center;
Lil Bobby would block out so the big boys couldn't enter
He went to the fair and the man said, "Not this ride,"
so Bobby took the kiddie train, and he rode it with pride.
It was a very pleasant ride!
Couldn't reach the top shelf down at the grocery store;
he said, "Things too high for me, I don't need 'em no more."
Never tried to be bigger, never puffed up his chest;
that man was content, and that's what made him the best!
Short king! (Short king!)
Bobby Green! (Bobby Green!)
Never looked down on nobody;
he couldn't if he tried!
Short king! (Short king!)
Smoothest cat you've ever seen;
heart ain't lifted up too high,
got that peace inside!
(Zacchaeus called... he wants his tree back...)
(Bobby does the limbo... standing straight up...)
(Lord have mercy, he's walking under the table...)
Now let me tell you 'bout another short king:
Psalm 131, it's a three-verse thing!
Written by David, the runt of the family;
Samuel walked right past him, couldn't see him, you see.
Saul stood head and shoulders above the best;
big king, big head, and you know the rest.
But the Lord don't measure by the height of the man;
he looks at the heart, and he made a different plan.
Break it down for us Bobby...
"My heart's not lifted up, my eyes not raised too high;
I don't go chasing things too marvelous for my eyes.
I calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child
with its mother... like a weaned child... is my soul."
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
From this time forth and forevermore!
Short king! (Short king!)
Just verse 1,2,3
Never looked down on nobody;
just quiet, satisfied!
Short king! (Short king!)
Shortest song you've ever seen;
heart ain't lifted up too high,
got that peace inside!
Bobby Green, ladies and gentlemen...
he's not short...
he's fun-sized.
Scripture References
- Psalm 131
- 1 Samuel 16:7
- 1 Samuel 10:23
- Philippians 4:11-12
- Matthew 18:3-4
Study this song
Teaching aids drawn from the song — for personal study or group discussion.
How the song moves
Key terms & allusions
- Weaned child — A toddler no longer nursing — calm in its mother’s arms not because it wants something, but because it trusts her.
- Short king — Slang for a confident short man; here, a picture of the humble greatness Jesus praises (Matthew 18:4).
- Contentment — Learning to be satisfied in God whatever your circumstances (Philippians 4:11–12).
Discussion questions
- Why does Bobby Green never look down on anybody (besides the obvious reason)?
- What’s the difference between a nursing baby and a weaned child in how they come to their mother?
- Why do you think God chose a “runt” like David to be king?
For contemplation
- What “top shelf” thing are you straining for that you could let go of?
- Sit quietly for one minute with God — asking for nothing, just being near.
- Where is your heart “lifted up” today? Confess it and let him calm it.