I was born, the devil's son
Yes my dad, he gave my name
Now my mama keeps saying

Run to the desert
You will see be all that you need to be
Run to the desert
You will see all that you need to see

I woke up to the shadow of a man standing over me
Here in the land of frozen hands
I came out here to kill you father like a Sergio Leoni picture
Gee I hope you understand
And as the red soaked the sand

Run to the desert
You will see all that you need to see
Run to the desert
You will be all that you need to be


Lyrics submitted by shelly247

Desert Song Lyrics as written by Alex M T Ebert

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Cloud9

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Desert Song song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    These were on the official website, but let me know if they're wrong.

    In short, this song is amazing. The music is of dream-like quality, especially the quietness of the guitar at 4:09 onwards, as the song is brought down.

    The meaning? I'll take a shot in the dark, but I think it's about finding yourself, life beckoning beyond the front door, freeing yourself from the suppression of family influences - infused with an air of teenage rebellion. Definitely something everyone can relate to.

    The desert talked about could refer to personal privacy, solitude for one to be able to breathe and make decisions without anyone trying to sway you or make you believe otherwise.

    I think that there's a rather dark undertone to this song, as well. In the chorus, there's echo-ey vocals that I think say, "Help me, I'm at a boyfriend's", though I could be wrong. Not to mention the shadow of a distant scream at 4:26. These together could be contradictory to the meaning above, almost like a warning: sure, you're freeing yourself of supression and pressure by running to the desert, but things happen and people take advantage of you while you are in that solitary state of being.

    Anyway, that's just what I think. Feel free to contradict.

    shelly247on October 10, 2009   Link
  • +1
    Lyric Correction

    I am 99.9% sure that the echo-y vocals are "Hail Mary, full of grace".

    vidon July 26, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    From their Facebook note upon film release:

    "This is PART 1 of a 12-Part feature-length movie musical. Part 1: Desert Song is about singer Alex Ebert's reckoning with the middle name his father secretly wrote on his birth certificate - a Native American name which means 'Devil' or 'Demon'. The opening footage is of his father chanting in Monument Valley - shot by his mother."

    There you go. Straight from the horse's mouth.

    Aurorabuckyon January 23, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    ...just watch the video.

    predicateon January 25, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction

    I would think it'd be "the devil's son," since it's all about his father etc. But if the offish lyrics say "sun," I can't argue with that.

    Winternoiseon March 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The first time through,

    "Run to the desert You will see all that you need to see Run to the desert You will be all that you need to be" its is actually ordered wrong.

    "Run to the desert You will be all that you need to be Run to the desert You will see all that you need to see"

    but i agree with you, this song is just amazing. Sasquatch this year will be unforgettable!

    evlskitsoon March 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song was amazing live, especially the howling in the chorus. I interpret this song, rather literally, as the story of a man sent by his mother to find himself in the desert

    alexson June 21, 2010   Link

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