| Emmylou Harris – Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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It is a lullaby that was sung by slaves. It has a sweet melody for the baby, and is a way for the singer (most likely an older slave that can no longer do hard labor) to express what has happend (just as if you were singing to a baby and making up the words as you go.) The words are more for the singer than the baby. The song is sung to the baby but is truly a way for the singer to express. go to sleep little babe go to sleep little babe your momma's gone away and your daddy's gone to stay (actual lyric is gone to stay) didn't leave nobody but the baby (the mom has left and the dad has died) go to sleep little babe go to sleep little babe everybody's gone in the cotton and the corn didn't leave nobody but the baby (everyone else has gone to work and the singer is left with the baby) you're a sweet little babe you're a sweet little babe honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop gonna bring a bottle to the baby (honey in the rock means to fill with delight from the truths of faith, the 'sugar' is the sweetness of the 'honey') don't you weep pretty babe don't you weep pretty babe she's long gone with her red shoes on gonna need another loving babe (this line is explaining where the mother has gone, alot of people think this means she is a harlot, but i think the red shoes are a symbol for the blood on her worn feet. she is a slave and made to work. the next line refers to the fact that she has lost her baby and woman that have lost a baby need the hole left by the loss filled) go to sleep little babe go to sleep little babe you and me and the devil makes three don't need no other lovin' babe (the 'devil' here is the slave owner. Its just the singer, the baby and the slave owner left. The second line is expressing her love for the baby) go to sleep little babe go to sleep little babe come lay bones on the alabaster stones and be my everlovin' baby (Alabaster stones are used for healing,they have to heal themselves. The singer has now taken on the role of mother, the second line refers to her inviting the baby to be hers forever) |
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