Lyric discussion by TheWrongGirl 

Cover art for Jim Cain lyrics by Bill Callahan

agreed, robsoncamara. unbelievably so.

i wonder what anyone makes of this, though:

"in case things go poorly and i not return remember the good things i've done in case things go poorly and i not return remember the good things i've done done me in"

is it a separate part? or did the good things he's done do him in, or did he do himself in with the good things he's done?

I absolutely love this song. Its so gorgeous and I find the meaning behind the lyrics to be so bittersweet.

TheWrongGirl, my take on the last verse is this: that sometimes in life we as individuals, have good intentions in the way we approach things, but sometimes those good intentions can fail us, hence "remember the good things Ive done...done me in."

It hurts to arrive to place feeling as you failed, when you felt you tried so hard. Or at least thats what I take from it...a bittersweet human story of life lived and learned. Hats...

I thought it was sort of.... the first time you hear it it's "remember the good things I've done' which is just like an often heard sentiment, then the second time you hear it's meant like 'remember that the good things I've done have done me in.' Just one of those bleak little twists.

So who is jim cain?

Jim Cain is a house Woody Guthrie lived in, he mentions it hallway through his book bound for glory. I believe the whole song is about that book and Guthrie's life.