--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hickory dickory dock, I just want to be…" description: "\"Hickory dickory dock, I just want to be your clock. Just set me for a lifetime, and I'll wake you up every morning.\" — Smokey Robinson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/smokey-robinson-8874_clock_hickory-dickory-dock-i-just-want-to-be-y_1445345.jpg" --- # Hickory dickory dock, I just want to be your clock. Just… ![“Hickory dickory dock, I just want to be your clock. Just set me for a lifetime, and I'll wake you up every morning.” quote by Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/smokey-robinson-8874_clock_hickory-dickory-dock-i-just-want-to-be-y_1445345.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/smokey-robinson-8874_clock_hickory-dickory-dock-i-just-want-to-be-y_1445345.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/smokey-robinson-8874_clock_hickory-dickory-dock-i-just-want-to-be-y_1445345.jpg) > “Hickory dickory dock, I just want to be your clock. Just set me for a lifetime, and I'll wake you up every morning.” [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He wants to be a reliable presence, like a clock, waking loved ones daily with devotion. **In simple terms:** He wants to be a dependable, loving presence. Key Takeaway Be reliable and loving. Themes love reliability devotion Mood romantic intimate Type poetic inspirational When to use this quote - romantic partnership - daily routines - emotional support Key Concepts time symbolism relationship commitment Questions to Reflect On - Can constant presence become suffocating? - How to balance support and independence? A Different Perspective Reliability may become burdensome. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Dock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dock/) [Every morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-morning/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [Nursery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nursery/) ## Related quotes > [I would rather sail and hit a rock than sit and rot in dry dock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-roloff/i-would-rather-sail-and-hit-a-rock-than-sit-and-rot-in-dry-dock/) [Lester Roloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-roloff/) > [I just have this deep kind of connection to reality of being like... in a way, I feel like a dock worker. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/i-just-have-this-deep-kind-of-connection-to-reality-of-being-like-in/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [Up till now, they are only on dock No. 10, not in Umm Qasr, not in the city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/up-till-now-they-are-only-on-dock-no-10-not-in-umm-qasr-not-in-the/) [Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/) > [There was nothing new in sitting on this dock, on this or that wooden bench, watching for his boat to come. In some ways,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/there-was-nothing-new-in-sitting-on-this-dock-on-this-or-that-wooden/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [The hardest work begins in dry dock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wineburg/the-hardest-work-begins-in-dry-dock/) Sam Wineburg > [Sittin' here resting my bones, this loneliness won't leave me alone. Two thousand miles I roam, just to make this dock my home. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-redding/sittin-here-resting-my-bones-this-loneliness-won-t-leave-me-alone-two/) [Otis Redding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-redding/) > [We're going to need a bigger dock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-crusie/we-re-going-to-need-a-bigger-dock/) [Jennifer Crusie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-crusie/) > [What do you want a clock for?” “To find out what time it is,” I said. “I think that’s the usual purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/what-do-you-want-a-clock-for-to-find-out-what-time-it-is-i-said-i/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“He walks toward the river, placing his feet carefully. His suit is too warm and tight. He reaches the water’s edge. There is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/he-walks-toward-the-river-placing-his-feet-carefully-his-suit-is-too/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [I went to Cork, Ireland, and stood on the dock some of my ancestors had left from. I felt their ghosts gather round me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/i-went-to-cork-ireland-and-stood-on-the-dock-some-of-my-ancestors-had/) [Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/) > [We're on the same radius from the Earth, and then we start to swing around to where we're ahead of them on the velocity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-m-godwin/we-re-on-the-same-radius-from-the-earth-and-then-we-start-to-swing/) [Linda M. Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-m-godwin/) > [I cling to the idea that Herman Melville had to work at the end of his career watching ships in a dock, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/i-cling-to-the-idea-that-herman-melville-had-to-work-at-the-end-of/) [Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/) > [Where I am from in Sweden was on the beach, so I love the sound of the water hitting the dock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-ljungberg/where-i-am-from-in-sweden-was-on-the-beach-so-i-love-the-sound-of-the/) [Freddie Ljungberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-ljungberg/) > [At bottom, the decision to pardon Nixon was a political judgment properly within the bounds of Ford's constitutional authority. The specter of a former…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-was-a-political-judgment/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [I know dock leaves pretty well, but I should not attempt to introduce them into a picture without having them before me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/i-know-dock-leaves-pretty-well-but-i-should-not-attempt-to-introduce/) [John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/) ## More by Smokey Robinson > [My uncle Claude was my favorite uncle he was also my godfather. He and I were really, really close. He used to take me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/my-uncle-claude-was-my-favorite-uncle-he-was-also-my-godfather-he-and/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [People still look at Michael Jackson as being a Motown artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/people-still-look-at-michael-jackson-as-being-a-motown-artist/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [I will build you a castle with a tower so high it reaches the moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/i-will-build-you-a-castle-with-a-tower-so-high-it-reaches-the-moon/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [The music business has made a 360. It's a whole 'nother game. It's not nearly what it was. And I fear for it, because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/the-music-business-has-made-a-360-it-s-a-whole-nother-game-it-s-not/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [One thing I can say about the Motown acts is that we were a family. That's not a myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/one-thing-i-can-say-about-the-motown-acts-is-that-we-were-a-family/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [My philosophy on writing a song for myself is that I always, always, always want to write a song. I always want to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/my-philosophy-on-writing-a-song-for-myself-is-that-i-always-always/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [Even if I don't release it myself, somebody else might hear it and want to record it. When you write a song, it gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/even-if-i-don-t-release-it-myself-somebody-else-might-hear-it-and/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [I had been stockpiling Gospel songs for other artists, and had planned to submit them to Gospel artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/i-had-been-stockpiling-gospel-songs-for-other-artists-and-had-planned/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [Though you treat me badly, I love you madly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/though-you-treat-me-badly-i-love-you-madly/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [There's some sad things known to man, but ain't too much sadder than, the tears of a clown when noones around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/there-s-some-sad-things-known-to-man-but-ain-t-too-much-sadder-than/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [Now if I appear to be carefree it's only to camouflage my sadness. In order to keep my pride I try to cover the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/now-if-i-appear-to-be-carefree-it-s-only-to-camouflage-my-sadness-in/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [If you feel like loving me, if you've got the notion, I second that emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/if-you-feel-like-loving-me-if-you-ve-got-the-notion-i-second-that/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record. Originally I was not writing songs for myself. …And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-just-want-to-write-a-record/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [The Beatles were huge. And the first thing they said when you interviewed them, 'Oh yeah, we grew up on Motown.'..They were the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/the-beatles-were-huge-and-the-first-thing-they-said-when-you/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [My mother was a churchgoing lady, so I always heard about God at home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/my-mother-was-a-churchgoing-lady-so-i-always-heard-about-god-at-home/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) [Explore all 77 Smokey Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) ## More Clock quotes > [Even Einstein had to rely for his time on his clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/even-einstein-had-to-rely-for-his-time-on-his-clock/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [“Time was never neutral and often felt dangerous. We either think we have all the time in the world or time moves too fast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-reay/time-was-never-neutral-and-often-felt-dangerous-we-either-think-we/) [Katherine Reay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-reay/) > [Before a clock was in the tower, Or e'er a watch was worn; I knew of night the passing hour, And prophesied the morn;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-a-clock-was-in-the-tower-or-e-er-a-watch-was-worn-i-knew-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A clock struck out the hour of twelve, and the bird in the hedgerow was still singing as we marched out to the roadway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macgill/a-clock-struck-out-the-hour-of-twelve-and-the-bird-in-the-hedgerow/) [Patrick MacGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macgill/) > [“Time is, to put it in its most impressive and some might say poncy-sounding form, my domain. I can see things that once happened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-rayner/time-is-to-put-it-in-its-most-impressive-and-some-might-say-poncy/) [Jacqueline Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-rayner/) > [Time travel offends our sense of cause and effect - but maybe the universe doesn't insist on cause and effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/time-travel-offends-our-sense-of-cause-and-effect-but-maybe-the/) [Edward M. Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-lerner/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [Time.The greatest creator, and the worst destroyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-keely/time-the-greatest-creator-and-the-worst-destroyer/) Levi Keely > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [No life goes past so swiftly as an eventless one, no clock spins like a clock whose days are all alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/no-life-goes-past-so-swiftly-as-an-eventless-one-no-clock-spins-like/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Those who stop marketing to save money are like those who stop a clock to save time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/those-who-stop-marketing-to-save-money-are-like-those-who-stop-a/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/) [Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/) > [I don't know if it's just me or everyone, but the whole vibe with skiing is not so much thriving on competition against others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/picabo-street/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-just-me-or-everyone-but-the-whole-vibe-with/) [Picabo Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/picabo-street/) > [Time goes on, even when yer not looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/time-goes-on-even-when-yer-not-looking/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/clock-n-a-machine-of-great-moral-value-to-man-allaying-his-concern/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) [Browse all 2,738 Clock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Hickory dickory dock, I just want to be your clock. 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