Basically, this song is about(and narrated by) a factory worker who was laid off, probably in the late 80s/early 90s, as a result of outsourcing and automation. furthermore:
There's an evenin' haze settlin' over town
Starlight by the edge of the creek
The buyin' power of the proletariat's gone down
Money's gettin' shallow and weak
Well, the place I love best is a sweet memory
It's a new path that we trod
They say low wages are a reality
If we want to compete abroad
The narrator is musing on the situation--the dollar is weak, and times are changing. "it's a new path we trod/they say low wages are reality/if we want to compete abroad" was common anti-union logic in this time period.
My cruel weapons have been put on the shelf
Come sit down on my knee
You are dearer to me than myself
As you yourself can see
While I'm listening to the steel rails hum
Got both eyes tight shut
Just sitting here trying to keep the hunger from
Creeping its way into my gut
He was formerly a soldier, and is talking to a child, or maybe grandchild, probably one that he has some hand in supporting. because of this, he is living in poor conditions--by the railroad tracks, literally. He is trying to fight off hunger pangs as he sleeps.
Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind
Bring me my boots and shoes
You can hang back or fight your best on the frontline
Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues
the basic gist is that it doesn't matter if you'er a soldier or a factory worker, you're still a working man, and as such will suffer.
Well, I'm sailin' on back, ready for the long haul
Tossed by the winds and the seas
I'll drag 'em all down to hell and I'll stand 'em at the wall
I'll sell 'em to their enemies
I'm tryin' to feed my soul with thought
Gonna sleep off the rest of the day
Sometimes no one wants what we got
Sometimes you can't give it away
He is reminiscing about his days as a soldier, and, emboldened by that, thinks about what he would do to his "enemies," those who used him and then threw him to the side when he was no longer convenient. Finally, he realizes that he's just bluffing, that he couldn't do any of that. he rationalizes his poverty and unemployment by saying that "sometimes nobody wants what you've got/sometimes you can't give it away".
Now the place is ringed with countless foes
Some of them may be deaf and dumb
No man, no woman knows
The hour that sorrow will come
In the dark I hear the night birds call
I can feel a lover's breath
I sleep in the kitchen with my feet in the hall
Sleep is like a temporary death
the first two lines are in reference to his former workplace--now full of enemies, most of them(to his mind), idiots and unworthy of what they have. the rest of the stanza is a continuation from the last--he decided to go to sleep, but, as he says, he "sleeps in the kitchen with his feet in the hall" -- another description of his poor housing. As he lays down for bed, he feels that maybe death isn't so bad now, it's just like going to sleep.
Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind
Bring me my boots and shoes
You can hang back or fight your best on the frontline
Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues
Well, they burned my barn, and they stole my horse
I can't save a dime
I got to be careful, I don't want to be forced
Into a life of continual crime
I can see for myself that the sun is sinking
How I wish you were here to see
Tell me now, am I wrong in thinking
That you have forgotten me?
"they" is again, his employers(i feel like "barn" is probably a metaphor for his retirement savings, which at the time were often company managed, so when he lost the job, he lost his savings. Horse is probably his car, which he lost, again possibly to his employers(in the past, employers would provide loans for things like this--now that he can't pay the loan, they repossessed the car). He doesn't want to have to resort to crime, and for whatever reason, this leads him to think back to a former acquaintance, or maybe a lover.
Now they worry and they hurry and they fuss and they fret
They waste your nights and days
Them I will forget
But you I'll remember always
Old memories of you to me have clung
You've wounded me with your words
Gonna have to straighten out your tongue
It's all true, everything you've heard
still talking about this acquaintance, it's clear that where he fomented as a factory worker, his acquaintance rose up into the corporate world("they worry and they hurry and the fuss and they fret/they waste your nights and days" is about the best description of corporate management i've ever heard). He holds that against this person, but feels that while he will eventually forget that, this person will always hold a special place in his heart. this person defends him, but he doesn't feel like he's worth defending.
Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind
Bring me my boots and shoes
You can hang back or fight your best on the frontline
Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues
In you, my friend, I find no blame
Wanna look in my eyes, please do
No one can ever claim
That I took up arms against you
All across the peaceful sacred fields
They will lay you low
They'll break your horns and slash you with steel
I say it so it must be so
now his thoughts turn to a former coworker who was not laid off. he doesn't blame his coworker for working there, but he's warning him that they will work him to death.
Now I'm down on my luck and I'm black and blue
Gonna give you another chance
I'm all alone and I'm expecting you
To lead me off in a cheerful dance
I got a brand new suit and a brand new wife
I can live on rice and beans
Some people never worked a day in their life
Don't know what work even means
finally, as he drifts to sleep, he thinks back on all the good things--the "you" he's referring to is life. "a cheerful dance" is just his way of saying that he hopes things get better. he's apparently found a new wife, and with his new suit he's prepared to go out and find work again. He can eat beans and rice for now. He realizes that his experiences are a gift to him, something that some people will never have("some people never worked a day in their lives/don't know what work even means").
Well, meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind
Bring me my boots and shoes
You can hang back or fight your best on the frontline
Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues
Basically, this song is about(and narrated by) a factory worker who was laid off, probably in the late 80s/early 90s, as a result of outsourcing and automation. furthermore:
There's an evenin' haze settlin' over town Starlight by the edge of the creek The buyin' power of the proletariat's gone down Money's gettin' shallow and weak Well, the place I love best is a sweet memory It's a new path that we trod They say low wages are a reality If we want to compete abroad
The narrator is musing on the situation--the dollar is weak, and times are changing. "it's a new path we trod/they say low wages are reality/if we want to compete abroad" was common anti-union logic in this time period.
My cruel weapons have been put on the shelf Come sit down on my knee You are dearer to me than myself As you yourself can see While I'm listening to the steel rails hum Got both eyes tight shut Just sitting here trying to keep the hunger from Creeping its way into my gut
He was formerly a soldier, and is talking to a child, or maybe grandchild, probably one that he has some hand in supporting. because of this, he is living in poor conditions--by the railroad tracks, literally. He is trying to fight off hunger pangs as he sleeps.
Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind Bring me my boots and shoes You can hang back or fight your best on the frontline Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues
the basic gist is that it doesn't matter if you'er a soldier or a factory worker, you're still a working man, and as such will suffer.
Well, I'm sailin' on back, ready for the long haul Tossed by the winds and the seas I'll drag 'em all down to hell and I'll stand 'em at the wall I'll sell 'em to their enemies I'm tryin' to feed my soul with thought Gonna sleep off the rest of the day Sometimes no one wants what we got Sometimes you can't give it away
He is reminiscing about his days as a soldier, and, emboldened by that, thinks about what he would do to his "enemies," those who used him and then threw him to the side when he was no longer convenient. Finally, he realizes that he's just bluffing, that he couldn't do any of that. he rationalizes his poverty and unemployment by saying that "sometimes nobody wants what you've got/sometimes you can't give it away".
Now the place is ringed with countless foes Some of them may be deaf and dumb No man, no woman knows The hour that sorrow will come In the dark I hear the night birds call I can feel a lover's breath I sleep in the kitchen with my feet in the hall Sleep is like a temporary death
the first two lines are in reference to his former workplace--now full of enemies, most of them(to his mind), idiots and unworthy of what they have. the rest of the stanza is a continuation from the last--he decided to go to sleep, but, as he says, he "sleeps in the kitchen with his feet in the hall" -- another description of his poor housing. As he lays down for bed, he feels that maybe death isn't so bad now, it's just like going to sleep.
Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind Bring me my boots and shoes You can hang back or fight your best on the frontline Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues
Well, they burned my barn, and they stole my horse I can't save a dime I got to be careful, I don't want to be forced Into a life of continual crime I can see for myself that the sun is sinking How I wish you were here to see Tell me now, am I wrong in thinking That you have forgotten me?
"they" is again, his employers(i feel like "barn" is probably a metaphor for his retirement savings, which at the time were often company managed, so when he lost the job, he lost his savings. Horse is probably his car, which he lost, again possibly to his employers(in the past, employers would provide loans for things like this--now that he can't pay the loan, they repossessed the car). He doesn't want to have to resort to crime, and for whatever reason, this leads him to think back to a former acquaintance, or maybe a lover.
Now they worry and they hurry and they fuss and they fret They waste your nights and days Them I will forget But you I'll remember always Old memories of you to me have clung You've wounded me with your words Gonna have to straighten out your tongue It's all true, everything you've heard
still talking about this acquaintance, it's clear that where he fomented as a factory worker, his acquaintance rose up into the corporate world("they worry and they hurry and the fuss and they fret/they waste your nights and days" is about the best description of corporate management i've ever heard). He holds that against this person, but feels that while he will eventually forget that, this person will always hold a special place in his heart. this person defends him, but he doesn't feel like he's worth defending.
Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind Bring me my boots and shoes You can hang back or fight your best on the frontline Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues
In you, my friend, I find no blame Wanna look in my eyes, please do No one can ever claim That I took up arms against you All across the peaceful sacred fields They will lay you low They'll break your horns and slash you with steel I say it so it must be so
now his thoughts turn to a former coworker who was not laid off. he doesn't blame his coworker for working there, but he's warning him that they will work him to death.
Now I'm down on my luck and I'm black and blue Gonna give you another chance I'm all alone and I'm expecting you To lead me off in a cheerful dance I got a brand new suit and a brand new wife I can live on rice and beans Some people never worked a day in their life Don't know what work even means
finally, as he drifts to sleep, he thinks back on all the good things--the "you" he's referring to is life. "a cheerful dance" is just his way of saying that he hopes things get better. he's apparently found a new wife, and with his new suit he's prepared to go out and find work again. He can eat beans and rice for now. He realizes that his experiences are a gift to him, something that some people will never have("some people never worked a day in their lives/don't know what work even means").
Well, meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind Bring me my boots and shoes You can hang back or fight your best on the frontline Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues