Who Will Save Your Soul Lyrics
People livin' their lives for you on TV
They say they're better than you and you agree
He says, "Hold my calls from behind those cold brick walls"
Says, "Come here boys, there ain't nothing for free"
Another doctor's bill, a lawyer's bill, another cute cheap thrill
You know you love him if you put him in your will, but
[Chorus]
Who will save your souls when it comes to the flowers now?
Who, who will save your souls after those lies that you told, boy?
And who will save your souls if you won't save your own?
La dee-dee-da, dee-da, dee-da-da, da-la-da
[Verse 2]
We try to hustle them, try to bustle them, try to cuss 'em
And the cops want someone to bust down on Orleans Avenue
Another day, another dollar, another war
Another tower went up where the homeless had their homes
So we pray to as many different Gods as there are flowers
But we call religion our friend
We're so worried about saving our souls
Afraid that God will take His toll that we forget to begin, but
[Chorus]
Who will save your soul when it comes to the babies now?
Who, who will save your soul after all those lies that you told, boy?
And who will save your soul if you won't save your own?
La dee-dee-da, dee-da, dee-da-da, da-la-da
Some are walking, some are talking, some are stalking their kill
Got social security but it doesn't pay your bills
There are addictions to feed and there are mouths to pay
So you bargain with the Devil, but you're okay for today, say
That you love them, take their money and run
Say it's been swell, sweetheart, but it was just one of those things
Those flings, those strings you've got to cut
So get out on the streets, girls, and bust your butts
[Chorus]
Who will save-ave your soul when it comes to the babies?
Oh, who will save your souls after those lies that you told, boy?
And who will save-ave your souls if you won't save your own?
About
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
I started writing songs and learned guitar when I was 16. I did it so I could hitchhike through Mexico for spring break. I didn’t have the money to make it back to Alaska, so I concocted a genius scheme where I would hobo by train across the States. I started street singing along the way, and that’s when I wrote ‘Who Will Save Your Soul.’ I didn’t know any chords so I played the same four over and over and just started improvising lyrics. I really saw America for the first time. I street sang and gave foot rubs to tourists at the docks in Cabo and earned ferry money to the mainland side of Mexico and then hopped trains through the Copper Canyon and back, without being murdered or raped. I always carried a knife on me, so when I went through Mexico I had my little skinning knife. It wasn’t little actually—it was a pretty big knife.”
–via EW (2015)
This is the first song I wrote. When I went away to school, I didn’t realize that you also couldn’t stay on campus for spring break and fall break. So I decided to take an adventure. My dad sent me one of his old beat-up guitars, and I learned A-minor, C, G, and D, in that order. My dad had improvised a lot in bars: To keep me entertained, he’d make up lyrics about the people that weren’t listening. So my big plan was, try and get enough dexterity to play these four chords over and over, and then make up lyrics about people as they walked by. I had enough money to get from Detroit to Chicago. I’d go into restaurants and I’d sing for burritos. Went to Cabo [San Lucas], hitchhiked back up to Tijuana, hopped trains back to school, and made it back to school in time for class. I just kept adding lyrics. I started working on polishing it and getting it condensed to a shorter version, trying to figure out what the best verses were. It definitely made me fall in love. It was just a very addictive feeling—it married my love of writing with a life of singing.
–via Apple Music (November, 2020)
It was definitely surreal. I don’t think you can prepare for that at all. When “Who Will Save Your Soul” finally started working on radio, I remember thinking, “What if I have to write more hits?” I didn’t even mean to ever write a hit, I was just writing songs. Then that record started selling a million albums a month. I mean, it was crazy. And I think that was the year I ended up on the cover of Time. It’s all very vindicating in a way because it was so hard to break.
–via Forbes (2020)
