Born In louisiana
E. Charles & P. Walker Lyrics
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I was born in Chicago at nineteen and forty-one
Well, my father told me
"Son, you had better get a gun"
Well, my first friend went down
When I was seventeen years old
Well, my first friend went down
Well, there's one thing I can say about that boy
He gotta go
Well, my second friend went down
When I was twenty one years of age
Well, my second friend went down
When I was twenty one years of age
Well, there's one thing I can say about that boy
He gotta pray
Well, now rules are alright
If there's someone left to play the game
Well, now rules are alright
If there's someone left to play the game
All my friends are going
And thing's just don't seem the same
Oh, thing's just don't seem the same, babe
The lyrics to E. Charles & P. Walker's song "Born In Louisiana" tell a somber story about the hardships of growing up in a violent world where losing friends to violence is all too common. The lyrics start off with the singer declaring their birthplace, Chicago, in 1941, and how their father warned them that they would need to arm themselves in order to survive. The first verse goes on to describe how the singer lost their first friend at the tender age of seventeen. In the second verse, the singer reveals that they lost their second friend at the age of twenty-one. But instead of just mourning their loss, the singer passes judgment on them, stating that the first boy had to go and that the second boy had to pray. The song ends on a melancholy note, with the singer lamenting that all their friends are going, and that things just don't seem the same anymore.
The lyrics of this song paint a haunting picture of what it must be like to grow up in a world of violence and loss, where death seems to loom around every corner. The singer seems to be struggling with their own feelings of grief and anger, torn between mourning their lost friends and seeking revenge on those who took them from them. The repetitive structure of the song, with each verse following the same pattern of introducing a new lost friend and then passing judgment on them, underscores the overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness that pervades the lyrics.
Overall, "Born In Louisiana" is a powerful and poignant song that captures the pain and tragedy of living in a violent world. Its haunting lyrics and simple, repetitive structure make it an effective and memorable piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in Chicago at nineteen and forty-one
I came into the world in Chicago in 1941
Well, my father told me "Son, you had better get a gun"
My dad advised me to acquire a firearm for protection
Well, my first friend went down
When I was seventeen years old
My first companion passed away when I was 17
Well, there's one thing I can say about that boy
He gotta go
There's only one thing to be said of that guy, and it's that he had to depart
Well, my second friend went down
When I was twenty one years of age
Another buddy of mine died at 21
Well, there's one thing I can say about that boy
He gotta pray
One can only hope that that guy is now praying
Well, now rules are alright
If there's someone left to play the game
Rules are just fine, but they're pointless if no one is around to use them
All my friends are going
And thing's just don't seem the same
Oh, thing's just don't seem the same, babe
All my pals are departing, and everything feels different now, it just doesn't feel the same anymore
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICHOLAS GEORGE GRAVENITES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind