Well, I've been a disclaimer for twenty-four years
Poor mother drowned in a pillow of tears
I'm well known in story, famous in song
The black sheep, the blemish, the one who went wrong
The black sheep, the blemish, the one who went wrong

My crime is discomfort, my mind ill at ease
They'll grow on my shoulder, my favorite disease
My siblings, my rivals might tend to my wake
Grieve me not brothers, I was mother's mistake
Grieve me not brothers, I was mother's mistake

And all the grand expectations of an epic of wealth
Leave me long to crawl back to the womb
Well, I've tasted your grace, placed it back on the shelf
Drag your pedigree wives to your tomb
Drag your pedigree wives to your tomb

Well, I came from this city, a victim of peace
But I've grown far too filthy to attend to the feast
So I take to the hills to live savage and free
I don't need nobody, nobody needs me
I don't need nobody, nobody needs me


Lyrics submitted by SphagnumEsplanade

The Prodigal Son Lyrics as written by Tyson Hyde Dillingham Vogel Adam Stephens

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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The Prodigal Son song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment

    This is actually a very deep song, representing modern man's discontent with a modern world, in this case what I call the infliction Middle Class Malaise. "My crime is discomfort, a mind ill at ease." He was born into a position of expectation because he has been given everything he has needed since birth, yet has failed to meet the expectations imposed on him by society and has been nothing but a "disclaimer for 24 years" causing his mother grief. His mother/parents had expectations that he would secure an "epic of wealth" because he has been given everything he needs to succeed but after tasting the "grace", in this case the good, secure life that has been the goal of modern society, he has rejected it, and "placed it back on the shelf". He says he came from "this city a victim of peace," the city being San Francisco which one may say is the ultimate manifestation of liberal, modern society and he decides he wants nothing to do with it, rejecting civilized society, and would rather live "savage and free" and return to the State of Nature which humans were first born into, unprotected by the state or god or any other man made instituitions, but truly free and one with nature.

    Pennywisd0mon October 06, 2008   Link

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