This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Won't you scratch my itch sweet Annie Rich
And welcome me back to town
Come out on your porch or I'll step into your parlour
And I'll show you how it all went down
Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town
Oh and I remember something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
'Cause I headed West to grow up with the country
Across those prairies with those waves of grain
And I saw my devil, and I saw my deep blue sea
And I thought about a calico bonnet from Cheyenne to Tennessee
We flew straight across that river bridge, last night half past two
The switch-man wave his lantern goodbye and good day as we went roling through
Billboards and truck stops pass by the grievous angel
And now I know just what I have to do (pick for me James)
And the man on the radio won't leave me alone
He wants to take my money for something that I've never been shown
And I saw my devil, and I saw my deep blue see
And I thought about a calico bonnet from Cheyenne to Tennessee
The news I could bring I met up with the king
On his head an amphetamine crown
He talked about unbuckling that old bible belt
And lighted out for some desert town
Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town
Oh but I remember something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
And welcome me back to town
Come out on your porch or I'll step into your parlour
And I'll show you how it all went down
Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town
Oh and I remember something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
'Cause I headed West to grow up with the country
Across those prairies with those waves of grain
And I saw my devil, and I saw my deep blue sea
And I thought about a calico bonnet from Cheyenne to Tennessee
We flew straight across that river bridge, last night half past two
The switch-man wave his lantern goodbye and good day as we went roling through
Billboards and truck stops pass by the grievous angel
And now I know just what I have to do (pick for me James)
And the man on the radio won't leave me alone
He wants to take my money for something that I've never been shown
And I saw my devil, and I saw my deep blue see
And I thought about a calico bonnet from Cheyenne to Tennessee
The news I could bring I met up with the king
On his head an amphetamine crown
He talked about unbuckling that old bible belt
And lighted out for some desert town
Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town
Oh but I remember something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit
Return of the Grievous Angel Lyrics as written by Beau Brown Graham Parsons
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I thought the lyrics were written by a fan?
Yes - the lyrics were written by a fan, a young poet, who gave the words to Gram after a show asking if he could use them. Gram may have changed the words a little - but essentially the words are not his so it can only be autobiographical up to a point - in the sense that the writer was a fan and the lyrics were written with Gram in mind.<br /> <br /> The 'king' who wears an 'amphetamine crown' is surely Elvis - interesting how well known is was that Elvis was a speed freak. People go on about Gram's buddy Keith Richards being a drug addict, but Elvis was one too!<br /> <br /> Terrific song and lovely backing vocals by Emmylou Harris. Gram wanted her picture on the album cover, but his wife Gretchen complained to the record company after Gram's death, the cover was then changed to feature only Gram.
actually, everyone is wrong. true, a fan named thomas brown wrote the song. however, the 'amphetamine king' is neither elvis nor 'whoever the listener wants it to be'. the king is gram. check out the following resource:
whenyouawake.com/2010/11/12/the-return-of-the-grievous-angel-the-story-behind-the-song/
someone help me with this one please
It seems to be about being on the road , and traveling by train, in particular. I'd love to know more.
This is a a real piece of Americana; the gist of it is learning about the old saying: 'Wherever you go, there you are' in spite of the crazy thing he's seen (hitchiking, I think).
The narrator could have been Gram himself, as opposed to an oblique 'persona', especially in the last verse: Notice that right after "Cheyenne to Tennessee', he meets up with 'the king', who wears an 'amphetamine crown' and talks about 'unbuckling that old bible belt'.
Elvis????
Yes he is definately talking about Elvis Presley. The turning point in Gram's life was when we saw Elvis in concert. That was when he knew he wanted to be a musician.
Gram was often referred to as the "Grievous Angel". I think that this song was written about himself. Gram spent most of his childhood grieving. His father committed suicide when he was young and his mother also died before adulthood. This song is biographical.
It's a beautiful song and is often overlooked.
thats what i always thought too
Yall are idiots. It was written by Thomas Brown and as much as you want the amphetamine king to be solely about Elvis there's a little thing called "creative license;" it's whoever the listener wants it to be. 9-19 RIP
This song WAS written by Gram himself, Ryan is just covering it.