I was just a young'n bouncin' on my mama's knee
Said, "Son, there's only one thing that sets your soul free"
Wasn't no easy street where I come from
There wasn't no sleep until the work was done

Papa was a preachin' 'bout the fires of hell
If you want a drink of water, got to go to the well
The cornerstone church tried to curse my soul
But the good Lord gave me that rock and roll

Let the spirit pull me under, to the bottom of the well
If you wanna live forever, but you never can tell
So one for the money, two another show
Three for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Marcus King's song "The Well" talk about the artist's upbringing and how he found solace in music despite the hardships he faced. The song starts with him reminiscing about his childhood when his mother tells him that there's only one thing that sets the soul free. He then goes on to talk about the tough neighborhood he grew up in and the hard work that was required to make ends meet.

One of the prominent themes in the song is religion. Papa, most likely Marcus' father, preaches about the consequences of sin, and the church tries to curse his soul. However, the good lord gave him rock and roll, which led him to find himself and his identity. The lines "let the spirit pull me under, to the bottom of the well, if you wanna live forever, but you never can tell" imply that there's more to life than just the physical, and that one needs to find something that fills the soul to find true fulfillment.

Overall, "The Well" is a poignant reminder that life can be difficult, and religion may not always provide the solace and answers one seeks. However, the search for meaning and identity can lead one to find something that is cathartic and freeing, much like how rock and roll was for Marcus King.

Line by Line Meaning

I was just a young'n bouncin' on my mama's knee
I was just a young child sitting on my mother's lap

Said, 'Son, there's only one thing that sets your soul free'
My mother told me that there was only one thing that can make my soul free

Wasn't no easy street where I come from
The place where I come from wasn't an easy one

There wasn't no sleep until the work was done
I wasn't able to sleep until the work was completed

Papa was a preachin' 'bout the fires of hell
My father used to preach about the fiery pits of hell

If you want a drink of water, got to go to the well
If you want to quench your thirst, you have to fetch water from the well

The cornerstone church tried to curse my soul
The foundation church tried to condemn my soul

But the good Lord gave me that rock and roll
The Lord blessed me with rock and roll music

Let the spirit pull me under, to the bottom of the well
I let the spirit engulf me, taking me to the depths of my soul

If you wanna live forever, but you never can tell
If you wish to live forever, there is no surefire way to ensure it

So one for the money, two another show
One is for the money, while two promises another entertaining show

Three for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Three is dedicated to the Holy Trinity - The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Daniel Auerbach, Marcus King, Ronnie Bowman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind