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Decoration Day Lyrics
It's Decoration Day.
And I've a mind to roll a stone on his grave.
But what would he say.
Keeping me down, boy, won't keep me away.
It's Decoration Day.
And I knew the Hill Boys had put him away,
But my Daddy wasn't afraid.
He said we'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day
I never knew how it all got started
A problem with Holland before we were born
And I don't know the name of that boy we tied down
And beat till he just couldn't walk anymore.
But I know the caliber in daddy's chest
And I know what Holland Hill drives.
The state let him go, but I guess it was best
'Cause nobody needs all us Lawson's alive.
Daddy said one of the boys had come by
The lumber man's favorite son.
He said, beat him real good but don't dare let him die
And if you see Holland Hill run.
Now I said, they ain't give us trouble before
That we ain't brought down on ourselves
But a chain on my back and my ear to the floor
And I'd send all the Hill Boys to hell.
It's Decoration Day
And I've got a family in Mobile Bay
And they've never seen my daddy's grave.
But that don't bother me, it ain't marked anyway.
'Cause I got dead brothers in Lauderdale south
And I got dead brothers in east Tennessee.
My Daddy got shot right in front of his house
He had no one to fall on but me.
It's Decoration Day
And I've got a mind to go spit on his grave.
If I was a hill, I'd have put him away
And I'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day.
I'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day.
I'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day.
And I've a mind to roll a stone on his grave.
But what would he say.
Keeping me down, boy, won't keep me away.
And I knew the Hill Boys had put him away,
But my Daddy wasn't afraid.
He said we'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day
A problem with Holland before we were born
And I don't know the name of that boy we tied down
And beat till he just couldn't walk anymore.
But I know the caliber in daddy's chest
And I know what Holland Hill drives.
The state let him go, but I guess it was best
'Cause nobody needs all us Lawson's alive.
The lumber man's favorite son.
He said, beat him real good but don't dare let him die
And if you see Holland Hill run.
Now I said, they ain't give us trouble before
That we ain't brought down on ourselves
But a chain on my back and my ear to the floor
And I'd send all the Hill Boys to hell.
And I've got a family in Mobile Bay
And they've never seen my daddy's grave.
But that don't bother me, it ain't marked anyway.
'Cause I got dead brothers in Lauderdale south
And I got dead brothers in east Tennessee.
My Daddy got shot right in front of his house
He had no one to fall on but me.
And I've got a mind to go spit on his grave.
If I was a hill, I'd have put him away
And I'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day.
I'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day.
I'd fight till the last Lawson's last living day.
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Isbell does such an amazing job of telling a whole complex story in just a short song. The ambivalence of the teller toward his father is palpable. Plus, killer guitar tones.
This is a song about generational sin and family honor. The son clearly hates his dad for the feud, but he honors him none the less while all the others fled. Beautiful. The guitar coda after the verse takes this song to another level.
Okay, my son and I have argued about this for years, but I am convinced that "Jason" Lawson, killed his own father. "My daddy got shot right in front of his house/He had no one to fall on but me" Why didn't he have anyone else to fall on? Because no one else was around! "Jason" killed his daddy knowing that it would be blamed on the Hills. His brothers are dead, now daddy is dead. "Jason" doesn't want to continue, so the feud can finally end. Just think what a great movie this would make!
no, i definitely don't think that the son killed the father. i think the lyrics earlier in the song "i know the caliber in Daddy's chest, and i know what Holland Hill drives" tells us that the Hill family killed him probably when the two were leaving the house. the reason he had no one else to fall on was that all of his brothers had already been killed.
no, i definitely don't think that the son killed the father. i think the lyrics earlier in the song "i know the caliber in Daddy's chest, and i know what Holland Hill drives" tells us that the Hill family killed him probably when the two were leaving the house. the reason he had no one else to fall on was that all of his brothers had already been killed.
I also agree with Bigmo that the son did not kill the father. He states "If I was a Hill, I’d have put him away", saying that if he had been one of the Hill's he would have killed him. The reason he has no one to fall on is b/c(as Bigmo stated, his other sons were killed, and also b/c the father seemed so bent on revenge that he probably pushed everyone else away except for the son he had left.
I also agree with Bigmo that the son did not kill the father. He states "If I was a Hill, I’d have put him away", saying that if he had been one of the Hill's he would have killed him. The reason he has no one to fall on is b/c(as Bigmo stated, his other sons were killed, and also b/c the father seemed so bent on revenge that he probably pushed everyone else away except for the son he had left.
movie lets not go that far please. i wish people would forget about this.... and no i dont think that the Lawson boy shot his dad.
movie lets not go that far please. i wish people would forget about this.... and no i dont think that the Lawson boy shot his dad.
Either way, i would agree that this would make a great movie with DBT as the sound track.
Either way, i would agree that this would make a great movie with DBT as the sound track.
Any movie producers out there?
Any movie producers out there?
totally agree with you.
totally agree with you.
@dratmiller
@dratmiller
@dratmillerI'm afraid you are wrong. Jason is in fact of the Hill clan. His maternal uncle is Hollan Hill (grandmother's brother.) Who, in 1982 did in fact shoot and kill the patriarch of the Lawson clan. Jason has only adopted the persona of a Lawson for narrative/dramatic purposes. Hill is"the lumberman" in the lyrics. Apparently he was aquitted of the murder in a jury trial because Lawson "needed killing." I guess that was a viable defense in the deep south as late as the 1980's! Jason has spoken of this on stage and the actual contemporary newspaper reports on...
@dratmillerI'm afraid you are wrong. Jason is in fact of the Hill clan. His maternal uncle is Hollan Hill (grandmother's brother.) Who, in 1982 did in fact shoot and kill the patriarch of the Lawson clan. Jason has only adopted the persona of a Lawson for narrative/dramatic purposes. Hill is"the lumberman" in the lyrics. Apparently he was aquitted of the murder in a jury trial because Lawson "needed killing." I guess that was a viable defense in the deep south as late as the 1980's! Jason has spoken of this on stage and the actual contemporary newspaper reports on the case are available online. Simply Google "Murder in North Alabama 1982 and it's all right there in black and white. Sheesh! Case closed. And I'm from Vancouver, Canada!
@dratmiller
@dratmiller
Scott is right. Pretend I posted this in every thread Scott posted.
Scott is right. Pretend I posted this in every thread Scott posted.
BRILLIANT FUCKING SONG....Can't BELIEVE no one's commented on it. I just love....especially the guitars at the end. The way Isbell sings this one is perfect.
@Kate2121 It's even better in person!
@Kate2121 It's even better in person!
This is a great song. I think its meaning is pretty straight forward, but powerful.
This song is about a son who is caught in a feud belonging to his father. He doesn't even know why he is fighting with the other family(Hill), its just something that has been going on since before he was even born.
The father basically influences his children to take part in this feud, to the point of beating the boys in the other family(Hill boys).
In the end the feud between these families brings nothing but the death of the Lawson father by the hands of the Hill boys), and his other sons(dead brother in Lauderdale south). In the end the son has nothing but resentment for his father, when he thinks about him, instead of celebrating his life, he would rather spit on his grave
@Orion510 close but no cigar. It is a true story except Jason is in fact a HILL boy not a Lawson. One can only assume that Jason has adopted the Lawson persona for narrative/dramatic purposes.His maternal great uncle is actually Hollan Hill who shot and killed the Lawson clan patriarch and was aquitted in a jury trial because, and I ain't making this up, Lawson "needed killing." A viable defense in the deep south in the 80s apparently. Read all about; the contemporary newspaper reports are online. Just Google "Murder in North Alabama 1982." Jason has spoken of it a number...
@Orion510 close but no cigar. It is a true story except Jason is in fact a HILL boy not a Lawson. One can only assume that Jason has adopted the Lawson persona for narrative/dramatic purposes.His maternal great uncle is actually Hollan Hill who shot and killed the Lawson clan patriarch and was aquitted in a jury trial because, and I ain't making this up, Lawson "needed killing." A viable defense in the deep south in the 80s apparently. Read all about; the contemporary newspaper reports are online. Just Google "Murder in North Alabama 1982." Jason has spoken of it a number of times on stage. He mentions how at Hill clan reunions the family is split on it with some of them thanking Jason for bringing it to light while a lot of the others are angry and believe Jason had no right and that family shit should be left in the closet.
This is probably one of my favorite songs by jason. Ive heard him play it live a few times and it is WAY better. My brother jimbo is his bassist in his new band the 400 Unit and ive met all of the guys and they're really cool. but this song is still really good. Too bad he left. But i guess in the end it was for the best.
This song is amazing.
"he had no one to fall on but me"
gives me chills.
People need to get the final line of the first verse right. It's not "Keeping me down boy won't keep ME away." It's "Keeping me down boy won't keep YOU away." The implication is that the son is destined to go after the Hills no matter what.
Take it a step further, and it is about teaching hate.
That's a good point. The father definitely passed this feud to his children without them even knowing what started it.
That's a good point. The father definitely passed this feud to his children without them even knowing what started it.
This song gives me the chills every time I hear it