Widow Of A Living Man

Thei is about Ben Harpers's father who would often be drunk and if I remember, he got violent a few times, but yeah then he left home after a while, way sad

I dont know anything about Bens personal life, but I always got the drift that he was talking about his father, as he refers to his mother throughout the song, he gestures the 'man' is his father.

I think of a child being confused/upset that their parent who should be their gaurdian neglects them emotionally rather than physically. His father is 'dead' to him, or perhaps vice versa. Such a sad reality, and all too common.

Having said that, Ben is brilliant.

productofthe80s, I think the whole song is from the perspective of the woman who is the widow of a living man. When she talks to "mama", she is referring to her mother, not Ben Harper's. There's no mention of a child, and no particular reason to think there is one. Not everything is literally nonfictional.

Reading over it again from that perspective, It does make more sense, and I do realise that not everything is literal, but thats my interpretation.

I don't think it's about his dad. Ben wrote this song with the intention of Emmylou Harris or Dolly Parton (or someone like that) to sing it, but it never got to that so he just decided to do it. (See ACL interview) It's actually supposed to be from a woman's perspective; perhaps one that is in an unhappy relationship, (widow of a living man).

I always get the image of a child overhearing his mother on the phone with her mother. The song is entirely one-sided and definitely from a woman's perspective. I suppose the child overhearing it is just how I add in Ben.