Interesting little story about a man who did some terrible things as a very young man that he obviously now regrets. He's trying to run away from that life and settles down in a small town with a girl that he has fallen in love with. He's thinking he can settle down and live here, when he starts to suspect that the girl is more drawn to his old self than his new.
The stories of his past life catch up with him, and soon the neighbors in the town start avoiding him. When he finds out they know, he comes clean with the girl. He was worried she would be horrified by him, but turns out, she is delighted with this side of him.
Knowing he doesn't want to go back to that life, and that he has to keep running. He kills the girl, buries her and moves on hoping to find the next small town where he can settle down.
I agree with most of that, but I don't think he kills her. You don't kill someone and then make a coffin and mark their grave with a cross. We don't know how much time passes between him telling her the truth and her death; for all we know, they live together for 50 years. I think she just dies, of sickness or old age, and he buries her, as people used to do back in the day. I think it's about finding someone who truly understands even the darker sides of you, and then outliving them and finding yourself...
I agree with most of that, but I don't think he kills her. You don't kill someone and then make a coffin and mark their grave with a cross. We don't know how much time passes between him telling her the truth and her death; for all we know, they live together for 50 years. I think she just dies, of sickness or old age, and he buries her, as people used to do back in the day. I think it's about finding someone who truly understands even the darker sides of you, and then outliving them and finding yourself alone again.
@Kafziel Interesting. Don't think I would have ever interpreted it that way, but it certainly adds a different dimension to it. Though an anticlimactic one. What would be the point of the friction that is building between the two over her fasciation with his evil side only for the two to live out a peaceful life together. I don't agree with your assessment that "you don't kill someone and then make a coffin" There is something clearly anachronistic about this story, it isn't modern day. It is set in a time where a barely-marked grave in the...
@Kafziel Interesting. Don't think I would have ever interpreted it that way, but it certainly adds a different dimension to it. Though an anticlimactic one. What would be the point of the friction that is building between the two over her fasciation with his evil side only for the two to live out a peaceful life together. I don't agree with your assessment that "you don't kill someone and then make a coffin" There is something clearly anachronistic about this story, it isn't modern day. It is set in a time where a barely-marked grave in the woods would not raise many eyes. And the fact that he "picked up what he needed and headed south again" kind of implies that he is on the run again. If he had been settled for 50 years, why run?
When you hear a song like this you take a step back and marvel at the creative genius displayed by true artists. While Isbell claims the song is about getting sober, it's just as much about being a drunk. I worked in Chicago for a time and lived in the nearest west suburb of the city and took the El trains back and forth to work. The city itself was dry (as in Prohibition dry), but its neighbor was not. As a result, I would go two stops further down the line every Friday to stop...
When you hear a song like this you take a step back and marvel at the creative genius displayed by true artists. While Isbell claims the song is about getting sober, it's just as much about being a drunk. I worked in Chicago for a time and lived in the nearest west suburb of the city and took the El trains back and forth to work. The city itself was dry (as in Prohibition dry), but its neighbor was not. As a result, I would go two stops further down the line every Friday to stop a the liquor store at the end of the line in the neighboring town and buy a case of Jack Daniels. I worked myself up to a fifth a night, and an extra stop or two every week before it was over. I was single and had a friend and his wife over one night and he watched in amazement as I downed the fifth during the course of the evening. I remember him asking me as left that morning "Are you alright?" I nodded and said, "sure," and waived good night. I got up each morning, showered, shaved and went to work. The bottle cost me several of the most meaningful relationships of my 20s. I know that while I've been sober for 30 years, that man still walks beside me, more so to remind me of what I was and what I had done than to be confused as to who I am by others. He's my ghost. The murders and the metaphorical death in the song are about those losses I talked about along the way. While Isbell says the song's about getting sober (which if he says it is, it is) in my estimation a much better ode to sobriety is "Cover Me Up."
Interesting little story about a man who did some terrible things as a very young man that he obviously now regrets. He's trying to run away from that life and settles down in a small town with a girl that he has fallen in love with. He's thinking he can settle down and live here, when he starts to suspect that the girl is more drawn to his old self than his new. The stories of his past life catch up with him, and soon the neighbors in the town start avoiding him. When he finds out they know, he comes clean with the girl. He was worried she would be horrified by him, but turns out, she is delighted with this side of him. Knowing he doesn't want to go back to that life, and that he has to keep running. He kills the girl, buries her and moves on hoping to find the next small town where he can settle down.
I agree with most of that, but I don't think he kills her. You don't kill someone and then make a coffin and mark their grave with a cross. We don't know how much time passes between him telling her the truth and her death; for all we know, they live together for 50 years. I think she just dies, of sickness or old age, and he buries her, as people used to do back in the day. I think it's about finding someone who truly understands even the darker sides of you, and then outliving them and finding yourself...
I agree with most of that, but I don't think he kills her. You don't kill someone and then make a coffin and mark their grave with a cross. We don't know how much time passes between him telling her the truth and her death; for all we know, they live together for 50 years. I think she just dies, of sickness or old age, and he buries her, as people used to do back in the day. I think it's about finding someone who truly understands even the darker sides of you, and then outliving them and finding yourself alone again.
@Kafziel Interesting. Don't think I would have ever interpreted it that way, but it certainly adds a different dimension to it. Though an anticlimactic one. What would be the point of the friction that is building between the two over her fasciation with his evil side only for the two to live out a peaceful life together. I don't agree with your assessment that "you don't kill someone and then make a coffin" There is something clearly anachronistic about this story, it isn't modern day. It is set in a time where a barely-marked grave in the...
@Kafziel Interesting. Don't think I would have ever interpreted it that way, but it certainly adds a different dimension to it. Though an anticlimactic one. What would be the point of the friction that is building between the two over her fasciation with his evil side only for the two to live out a peaceful life together. I don't agree with your assessment that "you don't kill someone and then make a coffin" There is something clearly anachronistic about this story, it isn't modern day. It is set in a time where a barely-marked grave in the woods would not raise many eyes. And the fact that he "picked up what he needed and headed south again" kind of implies that he is on the run again. If he had been settled for 50 years, why run?
When you hear a song like this you take a step back and marvel at the creative genius displayed by true artists. While Isbell claims the song is about getting sober, it's just as much about being a drunk. I worked in Chicago for a time and lived in the nearest west suburb of the city and took the El trains back and forth to work. The city itself was dry (as in Prohibition dry), but its neighbor was not. As a result, I would go two stops further down the line every Friday to stop...
When you hear a song like this you take a step back and marvel at the creative genius displayed by true artists. While Isbell claims the song is about getting sober, it's just as much about being a drunk. I worked in Chicago for a time and lived in the nearest west suburb of the city and took the El trains back and forth to work. The city itself was dry (as in Prohibition dry), but its neighbor was not. As a result, I would go two stops further down the line every Friday to stop a the liquor store at the end of the line in the neighboring town and buy a case of Jack Daniels. I worked myself up to a fifth a night, and an extra stop or two every week before it was over. I was single and had a friend and his wife over one night and he watched in amazement as I downed the fifth during the course of the evening. I remember him asking me as left that morning "Are you alright?" I nodded and said, "sure," and waived good night. I got up each morning, showered, shaved and went to work. The bottle cost me several of the most meaningful relationships of my 20s. I know that while I've been sober for 30 years, that man still walks beside me, more so to remind me of what I was and what I had done than to be confused as to who I am by others. He's my ghost. The murders and the metaphorical death in the song are about those losses I talked about along the way. While Isbell says the song's about getting sober (which if he says it is, it is) in my estimation a much better ode to sobriety is "Cover Me Up."