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Cold Cold Ground Lyrics
Crest fallen sidekick in an old cafe
never slept with a dream before he had to go away
there's a bell in the tower
Uncle Ray bought a round
don't worry about the army
in the cold cold ground
now don't be a cry baby
when there's wood in the shed
there's a bird in the chimmney
and a stone in my bed
when the road's washed out
they pass the bottle around
and wait in the arms
of the cold cold ground
cold cold ground
there's a ribbon in the willow
and a tire swing rope
and a briar patch of berries
takin over the slope
the cat'll sleep in the mailbox
and we'll never go to town
til we bury every dream in
the cold cold ground
cold cold ground
gimme a Winchester rifle and a whole box of shells
blow the roof off the goat barn
let it roll down the hill
the piano is firewood
times square is a dream
I find we'll lay down together in the cold cold ground
cold cold ground
cold cold ground
call the cops on the Breedloves
bring a bible and a rope
and a whole box of rebel
and a bar of soap
make a pile of trunk tires
and burn 'em all down
bring a dollar with you baby
in the cold cold ground
cold cold ground
take a weathervane rooster
throw rocks at his head
stop talking to the neighbors
til we all go dead
beware of my temper
and the dog that I've found
break all the windows in the
cold cold ground
cold cold ground
never slept with a dream before he had to go away
there's a bell in the tower
Uncle Ray bought a round
don't worry about the army
in the cold cold ground
now don't be a cry baby
when there's wood in the shed
there's a bird in the chimmney
and a stone in my bed
when the road's washed out
they pass the bottle around
and wait in the arms
of the cold cold ground
cold cold ground
there's a ribbon in the willow
and a tire swing rope
and a briar patch of berries
takin over the slope
the cat'll sleep in the mailbox
and we'll never go to town
til we bury every dream in
the cold cold ground
cold cold ground
gimme a Winchester rifle and a whole box of shells
blow the roof off the goat barn
let it roll down the hill
the piano is firewood
times square is a dream
I find we'll lay down together in the cold cold ground
cold cold ground
cold cold ground
call the cops on the Breedloves
bring a bible and a rope
and a whole box of rebel
and a bar of soap
make a pile of trunk tires
and burn 'em all down
bring a dollar with you baby
in the cold cold ground
cold cold ground
take a weathervane rooster
throw rocks at his head
stop talking to the neighbors
til we all go dead
beware of my temper
and the dog that I've found
break all the windows in the
cold cold ground
cold cold ground
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I never thought about the poverty angle, but that does fit in really well with what I was thinking, and that was it basically just describes winter life (especially if you're poor) with lines like "don't be a cry baby there's wood in the shed" and "stop talking to the neighboors till we all go dead" (the way you kind of close yourself off from all but your own household in the winter)
it reminds me of leonard cohen's 'dimonds in the mines'.it seems like everyone has given up and but are still ecxpecting more. maybe its the apocolypse... winter does that to people.
This song is not about poverty, but simplicity. The paring down of life to the essentials: a stone to warm your bed, wood in the shed, and a bottle to pass around in quiet solitude with the only people that matter.
"wade in the arms of the cold cold ground" truly romance in death. leave it to tom.
I believe it's about death and the last time you have before it.
I realized it's probably just about poverty
sorry for the misspellings
it could be poverty, it could be expecting more, and it could be death, all intertwined into one song, you know tom waits. he's an interesting man.
i believe this song could be related to his version of the american dream and how he'll never reach it, "the piano is firewood times square is a dream" he could also be reffering to the great depression and having no money, wealth will always just be a dream for him.
Actually, this song reminds me of the South and old-fashioned (or stereotypical) Southern lifestyle.
The gun toting, drinking, "whole box of rebel" as in rebel flag, bible & a rope.
And it sounds like the man this song is about, is digging his own grave so-to-speak with his actions. Being reclusive and shady, along with what I mentioned above.
But, this is just my interpretation.