Cover Me Up
Jason Isbell Lyrics

A heart on the run keeps a hand on the gun
Being constantly on the move and afraid, holding onto weapons becomes a necessity.

You can't trust anyone
Once trust is broken, it becomes easier to believe that nobody is trustworthy.

I was so sure what I needed was more
In the past, the singer was convinced that what they needed was excesses, since they couldn't fill a void.

Tried to shoot out the sun
The artist tried, metaphorically, to end their own life by attempting to remove the source of light in their life.

Days when we raged, we flew off the page
In the past, the artist and their companion experienced intense days filled with excess and rebellion.

Such damage was done
All the past excesses caused significant harm to the singer and their companion.

But I made it through, 'cause somebody knew
Despite the past harm and excesses, the singer still made it through, most likely because they had someone in their life who believed in them.

I was meant for someone
The artist believes they have a purpose in someone's life.

So girl, leave your boots by the bed
The artist is asking their companion to stay with them for the night.

We ain't leaving this room
The artist and their companion plan to stay in this room for the time being.

Til someone needs medical help
The only reason the singer and their companion would leave the room is if there was an emergency involving medical help.

Or the magnolias bloom
The artist implies they could be in this room until the end of time, since magnolias typically bloom in the Spring.

It's cold in this house and I ain't going out to chop wood
The singer is too cold to go out and chop wood, but since their companion is there, they can cover the singer up and keep them warm.

So cover me up and know you're enough
The singer wants their companion to cover them up and to know that the companionship itself is enough to make them feel safe and loved.

Put your faith to the test when I tore off your dress
The singer challenges their companion to trust them, especially in intimate situations.

In Richmond on high
This is most likely a reference to a specific location in Richmond, VA.

But I sobered up and I swore off that stuff
The artist stopped partaking in addictive substances and behaviors.

Forever this time
The singer believes that this time, they will truly stick to their sobriety and healthy lifestyle.

And the old lovers sing
The singer reflects on past lovers who failed to save them and sings about how they hoped they would be the one to succeed.

I thought it'd be me who helped him get home
This line is most likely from the perspective of one of the artist's past lovers, who believed they would be the one to bring the artist back to their true self. However, this ultimately failed.

But home was a dream
The artist never truly felt like they had a place to call home, until their current companion came along.

One I'd never seen 'til you came along
The artist had never experienced true love and belonging until they met their current companion.

So girl, hang your dress up to dry
The singer's companion is asked to hang up their clothes to dry.

We ain't leaving this room
Once again, the artist and their companion plan to stay in this room for an indefinite amount of time.

Til Percy Priest breaks open wide
Percy Priest is the name of a lake in Nashville. This line implies that the singer and their companion plan to stay in this room until some unknown, significant event occurs - something like Percy Priest (the lake) breaking open.

And the river runs through
This line reinforces the idea of an unlikely and highly significant event occurring.

And carries this house on the stones
If the river runs through, it will lift this house and carry it along, like a piece of driftwood.

Like a piece of driftwood
A metaphor describing how the river would carry this house if it were to run through it.

Cover me up and know you're enough
Once again, the artist asks their companion to cover them up and to know that their companionship is enough to make them feel safe and loved.