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Artist: The Decemberists
Track: The Rake's Song

Lyrics
I had entered into a marriage
In the summer of my twenty-first year
And the bells rang for our wedding
Only now do I remember it clear
Alright, alright, alright

No more a rake and no more a bachelor
I was wedded and it whetted my thirst
Until her womb start spilling out babies
Only then did I reckon my curse
Alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright

First came Isaiah with his crinkled little fingers
Then came Charlotte and that wretched girl Dawn
Ugly Myfanwy died on delivery
Mercifully taking her mother along
Alright, alright, alright

What can one do when one is widower
Shamefully saddled with three little pests
All that I wanted was the freedom of a new life
So my burden I began to divest
Alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright

Charlotte I buried after feeding her foxglove
Dawn was easy, she was drowned in the bath
Isaiah fought but was easily bested
Burned his body for incurring my wrath
Alright, alright, alright

And that's how I came your humble narrator
To be living so easy and free
Expect you think that I should be haunted
But it never really bothers me
Alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright
Full Lyrics and Meaning
Genius Lyrics
The Decemberists – The Rake's Song
This is the tenth track off of The Decemberists' fifth album, The Hazards of Love. We’re introduced to a most unpleasant character, the murderous and amoral Rake. In the early 18th
The Decemberists – East India Lanes
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The Decemberists – The Mariner's Revenge Song
“The Mariner’s Revenge Song” is from The Decemberists' third studio album, Picaresque, released in 2005. It’s a story of two mariners, who are the sole survivors of a monstrous
The Decemberists – Easy Come, Easy Go
From the the Decemberists' 2015 album, “What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World”. This song is a plucky ode to the concept that life is “nasty, brutish and short”. The song
The Decemberists – An Interlude
This interlude concludes the second act and represents a final moment of peace before the Queen’s plot for revenge is enacted. The following track introduces the Rake to the story.
The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)
The Rake’s children return from the dead as ghosts to haunt him and presumably vanquish him.
The Decemberists – Prelude
The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid. 9. An Interlude. 10. The Rake's Song. 11. The Abduction of Margaret. 12. The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing. 13. Annan Water. 14 ...
The Decemberists – Margaret in Captivity
[Verse 1: Colin Meloy] / I have snipped your wingspan, my precious captive swan / Here all clipped of kickstand, your spirit won't last long / Don't you lift a finger, don't you
The Decemberists – The Abduction of Margaret
[Verse 1] / And all the while, whispering arbors provide cover / What previous witnessed ardors of our lovers / Our heroine here falls prey to her abductor / [Verse 2] / All a-
The Decemberists – A Bower Scene
Frontman Colin Meloy picked this as one of The Decemberists' best songs in an interview, saying: I like the little transitional pieces. That was the most fun thing to work on on
The Decemberists – Isn’t It a Lovely Night?
“Isn’t it a Lovely Night?” is a scene of William and Margaret spending time together, and making love. The prior track clues us into the queen’s witnessing these acts, and the
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The Decemberists – The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid
[Verse 1: Colin Meloy] / Mother, I can hear your footfall now / Soft disturbance in the dead fall, how / It precedes you like a black smoke pall / Still the wanting comes in waves
The Decemberists – Annan Water
This song is William’s plea to the river to allow him to cross. He is going to save Margaret from her captivity, but the river’s wildness prevents him from crossing, therefore he
The Decemberists – The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing
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[Verse 1] / And here I am / Softer than a shower / And here I am / To garland you with flowers / [Pre-Chorus] / To lay you down in a clover bed / The stars a roof above our heads
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[Verse 1: Becky Stark] / Gentle leaves, gentle leaves. please array a path for me / The woods all growing thick and fast around / Columbine, columbine, please alert this love of
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AZ Lyrics
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Genius Artists
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The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk (guitar
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Jennifer Lynn Conlee-Drizos (born December 12, 1971) is an American musician, best known as the accordionist, pianist, organist, keyboardist, melodica player, and occasional backup
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Genius Q&A
Q:Who wrote “The Rake's Song” by The Decemberists?
“The Rake's Song” by The Decemberists was written by Colin Meloy.
Q:What is the most popular song on The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists?
The most popular song on The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists is “The Rake's Song” with a total of 21.9K page views.
AZ Artists
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