I think that the song is about a man telling a story of how he murdered his father. I agree with the abusive father theory previously stated. Not so much incest but an abusive, religious, alcoholic father that beats his family ( love your mama, love your brother, love them till they run for cover)... and the narrarator is tired of the father continuing to abuse his mother and brother that still lives with him. So he comes up with a plan to return home and kill his father and make it look like a break in robbery at the package store his father owns (with stocking face I bought a gun). So he goes home to Paraguay to "visit" his family. He notices that mom's cooking isn't as good as he remembered in his youth, probably because she is weary and tired of being abused, and that the package store his father owned is now out of business (now the food here aint so good no more, and they closed the package store). But he proceeds with the plan to kill his father anyway (the plan was set, the plan was done). So one night he comes in the house like a burglar and shoots his father dead. After its done the mother comforts him as he's reacting wildly to what he has done. She tells him to not feel guilty and let it all out to her and to calm down. Then she helps him get out of the house unoticed ( turn the light off, keep your shirt on, cry a jag on me). He runs back to whatever town he lives in and gets a drink at the local bar where he's a regular, a drinker too just like his father ( make mine a double Sam...this road leads from Paraguay and I've just come all the way). (Sam is a reference from the movie Casablanca the bartenders name was Sam and he was friends with Humphrey Bogarts character). The guilt of his crime is eating away at him and he being raised religiously...possibly Catholic needs to cry out to God for what has happened. So, he prays to the Archangel Michael and the Lord Jesus that he is nothing like his father and its not his fault for what he did ( you know I'm not to blame, you know my reputation for playin a good clean game ) and he will keep his promise to never drink or be violent again if they bring his father back to life. Finally he goes back to town for the funeral of his father, the package store owner and sees him laid to rest. He justifies in his mind what has happened by stating he shouldn't have always drank and been abusive. (We warned the corpse of William Wright not to cuss and drink all night). (William Wright-as mentioned in Wally 1047's post played a character of the department store owner on the Andy Griffith Show). With his ticket in hand he returns to his home to continue the legacy of being an abusive drunk just like his father ( But Zombie see and Zombie do, he's here with me and you). And thats my take on it. Thanks
Hello :),
I think that the song is about a man telling a story of how he murdered his father. I agree with the abusive father theory previously stated. Not so much incest but an abusive, religious, alcoholic father that beats his family ( love your mama, love your brother, love them till they run for cover)... and the narrarator is tired of the father continuing to abuse his mother and brother that still lives with him. So he comes up with a plan to return home and kill his father and make it look like a break in robbery at the package store his father owns (with stocking face I bought a gun). So he goes home to Paraguay to "visit" his family. He notices that mom's cooking isn't as good as he remembered in his youth, probably because she is weary and tired of being abused, and that the package store his father owned is now out of business (now the food here aint so good no more, and they closed the package store). But he proceeds with the plan to kill his father anyway (the plan was set, the plan was done). So one night he comes in the house like a burglar and shoots his father dead. After its done the mother comforts him as he's reacting wildly to what he has done. She tells him to not feel guilty and let it all out to her and to calm down. Then she helps him get out of the house unoticed ( turn the light off, keep your shirt on, cry a jag on me). He runs back to whatever town he lives in and gets a drink at the local bar where he's a regular, a drinker too just like his father ( make mine a double Sam...this road leads from Paraguay and I've just come all the way). (Sam is a reference from the movie Casablanca the bartenders name was Sam and he was friends with Humphrey Bogarts character). The guilt of his crime is eating away at him and he being raised religiously...possibly Catholic needs to cry out to God for what has happened. So, he prays to the Archangel Michael and the Lord Jesus that he is nothing like his father and its not his fault for what he did ( you know I'm not to blame, you know my reputation for playin a good clean game ) and he will keep his promise to never drink or be violent again if they bring his father back to life. Finally he goes back to town for the funeral of his father, the package store owner and sees him laid to rest. He justifies in his mind what has happened by stating he shouldn't have always drank and been abusive. (We warned the corpse of William Wright not to cuss and drink all night). (William Wright-as mentioned in Wally 1047's post played a character of the department store owner on the Andy Griffith Show). With his ticket in hand he returns to his home to continue the legacy of being an abusive drunk just like his father ( But Zombie see and Zombie do, he's here with me and you). And thats my take on it. Thanks
@misby This is a wild but frighteningly good take. It's internally consistent, and agrees with everything in the lyrics.
@misby This is a wild but frighteningly good take. It's internally consistent, and agrees with everything in the lyrics.