Don't Kill My Baby and My Son
Joel Rafael Lyrics
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In the town where I was born,
I heard the saddest lonesome moan
I ever heard before.
My hair it trembled at the roots
Cold chills run down my spine,
As I drew near that jail house
O, don't kill my baby and my son,
O , don't kill my baby and my son.
You can stretch my neck on that old river bridge,
But don't kill my baby and my son.
Now, I've heard the cries of a panther,
Now, I've heard the coyotes yell,
But that long, lonesome cry shook the whole wide world
And it come from the cell of the jail.
Yes, I've heard the screech owls screeching,
And the hoot owls that hoot in the night,
But the graveyard itself is happy compared
To the voice in that jailhouse that night.
Then I saw a picture on a postcard
It showed the Canadian River Bridge,
Three bodies hanging to swing in the wind,
A mother and two sons they'd lynched.
There's a wild wind blows down the river,
There's a wild wind blows through the trees,
There's a wild wind that blows 'round this wide wide world,
And here's what the wild winds say:
O, don't kill my baby and my son,
O, don't kill my baby and my son.
You can stretch my neck on that old river bridge,
But don't kill my baby and my son.
The lyrics to Joel Rafael's Don't Kill My Baby and My Son describe a haunting scene in a town where the singer was born. As he walks through the old town, he hears a sad and lonesome moan that causes his hair to tremble at the roots and cold chills to run down his spine. As he draws near to the jailhouse, he hears a deathly cry: "O, don't kill my baby and my son, O, don't kill my baby and my son. You can stretch my neck on that old river bridge, but don't kill my baby and my son." The singer describes the cry as the saddest and most haunting sound he has ever heard, even more so than the cries of panthers and coyotes.
The singer describes the image on a postcard that he saw of the Canadian River Bridge that depicts three bodies hanging in the wind. A mother and her two sons were lynched. The singer suggests that there is a wild wind that blows through the world, and it is pleading for the lives of innocent children. While the singer does not explicitly explain what led to the lynching, it is clear that the mother and her sons have committed a crime serious enough to warrant them death by hanging. However, he makes an emotional appeal to spare the lives of the mother's babies or "baby" and "son."
Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the problem of lynching, the impact on the families of the victims, and the importance of protecting the innocent. The haunting melody and lyrics capture the pain and sorrow that surround these difficult issues.
Line by Line Meaning
As I walked down that old dark town
The singer is describing the setting and mood of the town he is in.
In the town where I was born,
The singer reveals that this is his hometown.
I heard the saddest lonesome moan
The singer describes hearing a mournful cry.
I ever heard before.
The artist emphasizes how extraordinary and haunting the cry was.
My hair it trembled at the roots
The artist felt a physical response to the cry, showing how deeply it affected him.
Cold chills run down my spine,
The singer continues to describe his physical reaction to the cry.
As I drew near that jail house
The singer explains that the source of the cry is the jailhouse.
I heard this deathly cry:
The artist repeats the cry to emphasize its importance and power.
O, don't kill my baby and my son,
The cry is revealed to be a plea to spare two lives.
O , don't kill my baby and my son.
The cry is repeated for emphasis.
You can stretch my neck on that old river bridge,
The singer is willing to sacrifice themselves but begs for their loved ones to be spared.
But don't kill my baby and my son.
The artist repeats the plea to spare their family.
Now, I've heard the cries of a panther,
The singer compares the cry to other animal sounds he has heard.
Now, I've heard the coyotes yell,
The singer continues to compare the cry to other animal sounds.
But that long, lonesome cry shook the whole wide world
The singer emphasizes the power and impact of this particular cry.
And it come from the cell of the jail.
The artist restates the origin of the cry.
Yes, I've heard the screech owls screeching,
The artist compares the cry to yet another animal sound.
And the hoot owls that hoot in the night,
The singer continues to use animal sounds to illustrate the haunting quality of the cry.
But the graveyard itself is happy compared
The singer makes an extreme comparison to emphasize how dark and sorrowful the cry was.
To the voice in that jailhouse that night.
The artist re-emphasizes the importance of the cry's origin.
Then I saw a picture on a postcard
The artist describes seeing an image that is related to the story he is telling.
It showed the Canadian River Bridge,
The image depicted a known location.
Three bodies hanging to swing in the wind,
The image revealed a tragic event that occurred at the bridge.
A mother and two sons they'd lynched.
The image shows the terrible fate of the family the cry was begging to save.
There's a wild wind blows down the river,
The singer shifts to a metaphorical description of the environment.
There's a wild wind blows through the trees,
The metaphorical description continues.
There's a wild wind that blows 'round this wide wide world,
The singer expands the metaphor to encompass the whole world.
And here's what the wild winds say:
The artist sets up a declaration from the metaphorical winds.
O, don't kill my baby and my son,
The cry is repeated, this time echoed by the winds.
O, don't kill my baby and my son.
The winds repeat the cry again for emphasis.
You can stretch my neck on that old river bridge,
The winds echo the sacrifice the singer is willing to make.
But don't kill my baby and my son.
The plea is repeated one final time, leaving a lasting impact.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind