Calamity John Lyrics

Lyric discussion by VampedVixen 

Cover art for Calamity John lyrics by Dar Williams

This song has a real western feel. It's about a woman leading a boring life. Then she meets this wild guy, Calamity John. He's full of freedom, but also brings a whole bunch of drama and it's clear he won't stick around for long. Her friends tell her that he's not worth it and she should tell him to go. So she does, but realizes at the same time that by telling him to go she's shackling herself with the normal boring routine she had been used to but sick of. In the end she just does it all over again. Co-dependency at its worst and best.