My Daddy told me, lookin back
The best friend you'll have is a railroad track
So when I was 13 I said, I'm rollin' my own,
And I'm leaving Missouri and I'm never coming home

And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world

Satchel puddin' and Lord God Mose
Sittin' by the fire with a busted nose
That fresh egg yeller is too damn rare
But the white part is perfect for slickin' down your hair

And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world

Blackjack Ruby and Nimrod Cain
The moon's the color of a coffee stain
Jesse Franks and Birdy Joe Hoax
But who is the king of all of these folks?

And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world

Well I dined last night with Scarface Ron
On Telapia fish cakes and fried black swan
Razorweed onion and peacock squirrel
And I dreamed all night about a beautiful girl

And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world

Well God's green hair is where I slept last
He balanced a diamond on a blade of grass
Now I woke me up with a cardinal bird
And when I wanna talk he
Hangs on every word

And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world

Edit Lyrics

Lyrics submitted by xdvr, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Bottom Of The World Lyrics as written by Kathleen Brennan Thomas Alan Waits

Lyrics © JALMA MUSIC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Bottom of the World song meanings

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12 Comments

+2
General Comment
I think this song is about being homeless. hehe.

I think this song is about being homeless. hehe.

Reason:

Gulagon December 12, 2007 Link
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+1
General Comment
I believe he's talking about dew.

I believe he's talking about dew.

Reason:

wertoion December 06, 2006 Link
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@wertoi
+1
General Comment
arh, a new, favourite song :) that little instrumental melody is really great. I was walking around in stockholm alone after a concert at 2 am listening to this tune. I was really lost at the bottom of the world.

arh, a new, favourite song :) that little instrumental melody is really great. I was walking around in stockholm alone after a concert at 2 am listening to this tune. I was really lost at the bottom of the world.

Reason:

MardyAsson December 16, 2006 Link
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+1
Lyric Correction
Emily Haines did not write this song. She has a song with the same title, but they are not at all the same. This one is by Tom Waits and his wife Kathleen Brennan.

Emily Haines did not write this song. She has a song with the same title, but they are not at all the same. This one is by Tom Waits and his wife Kathleen Brennan.

Reason:

Kyomaraon February 02, 2012 Link
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@Kyomara
+1
General Comment
It's a strange song with many characters, but to me it's about being homeless and the characters you might meet on the way. God's green hair means he's sleeping outside on the grass and wakes up to the dew, or the diamond, seeing beauty when at rock bottom. The weird things he dines on 'Tilapia fishcakes and fried black swan are a bit of wishful thinking, just like dreaming all night about a beautiful girl' Black swans are from Australia, which to some could be described as the bottom of the world. But then cardinal birds are from north and south America. Like most Waits songs, there is no hard and fast meaning - that's up to you.

It's a strange song with many characters, but to me it's about being homeless and the characters you might meet on the way. God's green hair means he's sleeping outside on the grass and wakes up to the dew, or the diamond, seeing beauty when at rock bottom. The weird things he dines on 'Tilapia fishcakes and fried black swan are a bit of wishful thinking, just like dreaming all night about a beautiful girl' Black swans are from Australia, which to some could be described as the bottom of the world. But then cardinal birds are from north and south America. Like most Waits songs, there is no hard and fast meaning - that's up to you.

Reason:

Buzzfledderjonon July 10, 2013 Link
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0
General Comment
really good song from his last album anyone knows what's with the "balancing a diamond on a blade of grass" thing? he also mentions it in All the world is green. what does it mean? any ideas?

really good song from his last album anyone knows what's with the "balancing a diamond on a blade of grass" thing? he also mentions it in All the world is green. what does it mean? any ideas?

Reason:

PiKueloon December 01, 2006 Link
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It's because he was talking about sleeping on the grass

DMuteon July 20, 2009

He is being slightly immodest claiming to be the diamond balanced on a blade of grass but no less so than claiming God hangs on every word when he wants talk. My favorite line is the first line of the song, I believe his father is looking over his shoulder saying those words rather than the boy looking back in time and hearing them again.

chuckzx11on December 10, 2010

God's green hair (grass) is where he slept last, and he (God) balanced a diamond (morning dew) on a blade of grass.

SwampBasson July 21, 2014
0
General Comment
I'm handcuffed to the bishop and the barbershop liar Now I'm thinking this is a reference to cheap booze. what does anyone else think?

I'm handcuffed to the bishop and the barbershop liar Now I'm thinking this is a reference to cheap booze. what does anyone else think?

Reason:

memorybabeon February 06, 2007 Link
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@memorybabe

I've been thinking about this line since I first heard the track.

My interpretation: The bishop represents religion. The barbershop liar (lie) represents societal constraints. So he's saying that he's an outcast, trapped (handcuffed) in his condition by those that adhere to social conformity.

reflect4everon September 06, 2013
0
General Comment
i wonder if this was written before or after wristcutters? this song was playing in my head the whole time we were watching it the other night...

i wonder if this was written before or after wristcutters? this song was playing in my head the whole time we were watching it the other night...

Reason:

getlostbeccaon August 27, 2008 Link
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0
General Comment
this is just how you feel after a long period of being in a transient state. when you feel like you don't have any roots you have moments like some of the lyrics in here. balancing a diamond on a blade of grass...you start to see beauty everywhere. even if your future is bleak..especially actually. beck wrote a lot of songs like this. this reminds of stuff like "hollow log" and "modesto" two artists that seem very akin to me. and very personal to me as well.

this is just how you feel after a long period of being in a transient state. when you feel like you don't have any roots you have moments like some of the lyrics in here. balancing a diamond on a blade of grass...you start to see beauty everywhere. even if your future is bleak..especially actually. beck wrote a lot of songs like this. this reminds of stuff like "hollow log" and "modesto" two artists that seem very akin to me. and very personal to me as well.

Reason:

ShakeyFan2on December 11, 2009 Link
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0
My Interpretation
I find this to be such a sad song about homelessness that happens to young vulnerable teenagers that run away from home and the failure of American social services to support them. The unsavory sounding characters that the teenager meets could either be a help or a hindrance which ever way you want to look at it but I can't imagine the teenagers prospects with someone called Scar Face Ron. Eating Black Swan, Squirrel and the other weid things are the kind of Mulligan's Stew that you can imagine Hobbo's eating whilst on the road, the only things they can get their hands on. God's green hair is off course sleeping on the grass and the first thing you will see on waking is the dew drops on the blades of grass as you have no pillow to rest your head on.

I find this to be such a sad song about homelessness that happens to young vulnerable teenagers that run away from home and the failure of American social services to support them. The unsavory sounding characters that the teenager meets could either be a help or a hindrance which ever way you want to look at it but I can't imagine the teenagers prospects with someone called Scar Face Ron. Eating Black Swan, Squirrel and the other weid things are the kind of Mulligan's Stew that you can imagine Hobbo's eating whilst on the road, the only things they can get their hands on. God's green hair is off course sleeping on the grass and the first thing you will see on waking is the dew drops on the blades of grass as you have no pillow to rest your head on.

Reason:

BarnabyHugheson October 13, 2015 Link
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