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King Harvest (Has Surely Come) Lyrics
Corn in the fields.
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water,
King Harvest has surely come.
I work for the union 'cause she's so good to me;
And I'm bound to come out on top,
that's where I should be.
I will hear ev'ry word the boss may say,
For he's the one who hands me down my pay.
Looks like this time I'm gonna get to stay,
I'm a union man, now, all the way.
The smell of the leaves,
from the magnolia trees in the meadow,
King Harvest has surely come.
Dry summer, then comes fall,
Which I depend on most of all.
Hey, rainmaker, can't you hear my call?
Please let these crops grow tall.
Long enough I've been up on Skid Row
And it's plain to see, I've nothin to show.
I'm glad to pay those union dues,
Just don't judge me by my shoes.
Scarecrow and a yellow moon,
and pretty soon a carnival on the edge of town,
King Harvest has surely come.
Last year, this time, wasn't no joke,
My whole barn went up in smoke.
My horse Jethro, well he went mad
And I can't remember things bein' so bad.
Then there comes a man with a paper and a pen
Tellin' us our hard times are about to end.
And then, if they don't give us what we like
He said, "Men, that's when you gotta go on strike."
Corn in the fields.
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water,
King Harvest has surely come.
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water,
King Harvest has surely come.
I work for the union 'cause she's so good to me;
And I'm bound to come out on top,
that's where I should be.
I will hear ev'ry word the boss may say,
For he's the one who hands me down my pay.
Looks like this time I'm gonna get to stay,
I'm a union man, now, all the way.
from the magnolia trees in the meadow,
King Harvest has surely come.
Which I depend on most of all.
Hey, rainmaker, can't you hear my call?
Please let these crops grow tall.
Long enough I've been up on Skid Row
And it's plain to see, I've nothin to show.
I'm glad to pay those union dues,
Just don't judge me by my shoes.
Scarecrow and a yellow moon,
and pretty soon a carnival on the edge of town,
King Harvest has surely come.
My whole barn went up in smoke.
My horse Jethro, well he went mad
And I can't remember things bein' so bad.
Then there comes a man with a paper and a pen
Tellin' us our hard times are about to end.
And then, if they don't give us what we like
He said, "Men, that's when you gotta go on strike."
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water,
King Harvest has surely come.
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I also love it ... but it's not uplifting. About a farmer who's had bad times, had to sell out, joined a union, and trying to convince himself that everything's now going to be much better.
But you can hear in Richard Manuel's the desperation - the forced optimism. Somehow, we feel, it's not going to turn out as he says.
i love this song..it's so uplifting. meaning seems pretty obvious..unless there's some underlying metaphor i've completely passed by. i love the opening riff.
My own interpretation is it's not specifically about a farmer...it's more about working for the promise of something better...which never quite materiaises.
materialises
@noisyminority Can u say Ivy League wanna be douche bag?
@noisyminority Can u say Ivy League wanna be douche bag?
Probably my favorite song by the Band, the unique timings, the unusual softness of the chorus, mixed with more upbeat verses. Just outstanding. One of the greatest songs of all time in my opinion. The meaning comes from unions organized from 1927-1935 in the south for farmers. Wish I knew more but the way The Band evokes imagery from a bleak time that they never even really lived through or lived in is simply incredible. Long live Robbie Robertson and The Band. Their name really is truthful. They ARE THE BAND. The Band is one of the greatest musical groups of all time, which is why they deserve their name.