Hang Down Your Head

IMHO i dont think this is a very personal Waits song, just about a guy and a girl and possibly he has been away for some time in which she has moved on but when he returns she feels love for him but he is telling her not to "you have found another baby i must go away" is where im getting this from.

I agree this song does not seem personal but I didn't get the "moved on and returned" vibe. To me, it seems like he is on his way out "the train takes me away from you." Though, this always seemed metaphorical. Her actions have torn him away, made it feel like he is on a train being lead away. I always got the image of a soldier off at war and his sweetheart at home has cheated on him and left him.

I listened to this song an hour ago for the first time. Loved the melody of it. The melody is very strong. Tom gets me by surprise most of the times, this was no exception. The usual Tom style lyrics of dark imagery and story don't exist here in this song in their usual way. But that should not be confused with something not up to the mark. The richness of language is vividly visible in the lyrics. The guitar lick is very jazzy. Overall a very good song. Though it would be better if people start sharing their interpretations of lyrics. I liked the one 'mpaz14', where he says he thought of a soldier and his cheating lover. Lyrically speaking the song takes a good literary turn when the song gives a name to the girl in question. This significantly helps to evoke the imagery for a listener.

The lyrics make me believe that it's about a couple having a conversation after some time apart ("Hush my love a train now well it takes me away from you"). Because of the distance and time, the girl, Marie, has someone else in her mind and as such he decides to leave.

However he leaves with a broken heart ("Tear the promise from my heart, tear my heart today") and hope that she feels the same pain ("Hang down your head for me") -- as opposed to being happy that he's leaving.

Really getting the vibe this is about betrayal and him losing his love because she's moved on. It's all laid out pretty plainly. "Hush a wild violet, hush a band of gold". Violets generally represent love, opportunity, new beginnings. Band of gold is obviously representing lifetime commitment. "Hush" to these things, basically meaning don't speak of them anymore. "Hush you're in a story I heard somebody told" - he could have heard of his loves infidelity from another. "Tear the promise from my heart, tear my heart today" - she's torn his heart completely, he's broken. "You have found another, baby I must go away" - pretty obvious.

"Hush, my love, the rain now" - his only solace is the rain now, representing forlorn and sorrow. "Hush my love was so true" - how can this happen, he loved so truly. "Hush, my love, a train now, takes me away from you" - he's leaving on a train, again representing solitude and sadness.

He's asking the audience to hang down their head for him - because heartbreak is a f_king b_tch. Really poignant Waits song, and one of my faves because of the sad melody.

[Edit: forgot a line]