There's a little churchyard just along the way
It used to be Lambeth's finest array
Of tombstones, epitaphs, wreaths, flowers all that jazz
Til the war came along and someone dropped a bomb on the lot

And in this little yard, there's a little old man
With a little shovel in his little bitty hand
He seems to spend all his days puffing fags and digging graves
He hates the reverend vicar and he lives all alone in his home

"Ah-choo, excuse me"

Please Mr. Gravedigger, don't feel ashamed
As you dig little holes for the dead and the maimed
Please Mr. Gravedigger, I couldn't care
If you found a golden locket full of some girl's hair
And you put it in your pocket

"God, it's pouring down"

Her mother doesn't know about your sentimental joy
She thinks it's down below with the rest of her toys
And Ma wouldn't understand, so I won't tell
So keep your golden locket all safely hid away in your pocket

Yes, Mr. GD, you see me every day
Standing in the same spot by a certain grave
Mary-Ann was only 10, full of life and oh so gay
And I was the wicked man who took her life away
Very selfish, Oh God

No, Mr. GD, you won't tell
And just to make sure that you keep it to yourself
I've started digging holes myself
And this one here's for you

"Lifted our girl, she apparently doesn't know of it
Hello misses, thought she'd be a little girl
Bloody obscene, catch pneumonia or something in this rain"

Overall Meaning

The song "Please Mr. Gravedigger" by David Bowie takes the perspective of a man who frequents a churchyard with a gravedigger at its center. The graveyard has been affected by the war, with bombs dropping and destroying tombstones, epitaphs, and wreaths. Now, the only person who seems to visit or care about the graveyard is the gravedigger, a little old man who spends his days smoking cigarettes and digging graves. The man acknowledges the potential entertainment value of the little old man, but sympathizes with him in his duty to dig holes for the dead and the maimed. The man also shares his own dark secret with the gravedigger, that he was responsible for the death of a young girl named Mary-Ann. He shows remorse for his actions and appears to be visiting her grave regularly.

The lyrics in the song are deeply thought-provoking and paint a sad picture of a lonely gravedigger, who has lost all his colleagues to the war. The gravedigger is the sole survivor, and as he digs his graves, he must reckon with the reality of death and reflect on his own mortality. The singer in the song acknowledges this, recognizing that the gravedigger pulls the dead from obscurity and deposit them in their final resting places with respect and orderly care. The song is haunting and evokes emotions of sorrow and sadness, providing a commentary that is not often seen in popular music.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a little churchyard just along the way
There's a small burial ground nearby

It used to be Lambeth's finest array
It was once the most beautiful tombstone collection in Lambeth

Of tombstones, epitaphs, wreaths, flowers, all that jazz
There were many headstones, inscriptions, decorations, everything associated with a graveyard

Til the war came along and someone dropped a bomb on the lot
But during the war, an explosion destroyed it all

And in this little yard, there's a little old man
However, there is an elderly man who frequently visits the cemetery

With a little shovel in his little bitty hand
He always carries a small shovel in his tiny hands

He seems to spend all his days puffing fags and digging graves
It appears that he smokes cigarettes and digs graves all day

He hates the reverend vicar and he lives all alone in his home
He dislikes the vicar and resides alone

Please Mr. Gravedigger, don't feel ashamed
Don't be embarrassed, Mr. Gravedigger

As you dig little holes for the dead and the maimed
Since you excavate small tombs/graves for the deceased and the wounded

Please Mr. Gravedigger, I couldn't care
It doesn't bother me in the least, Mr. Gravedigger

If you found a golden locket full of some girl's hair
Even if you discovered a locket filled with the golden hair of a young girl

And you put it in your pocket
And you decided to store it in your pocket

Her mother doesn't know about your sentimental joy
The girl's mother is unaware of your emotional happiness

She thinks it's down below with the rest of her toys
She believes it is among the dead girl's other possessions

And Ma wouldn't understand, so I won't tell
And her mother wouldn't comprehend, hence I shall keep it a secret

So keep your golden locket all safely hid away in your pocket
You should preserve your locket securely tucked away in your pocket

Yes, Mr. GD, you see me every day
Yes, Mr. Gravedigger, you see me daily

Standing in the same spot by a certain grave
Standing at the same place next to a specific grave

Mary-Ann was only 10, full of life and oh so gay
Mary-Ann was just ten years old, energetic and cheerful

And I was the wicked man who took her life away
And I was the villain who took her life

No, Mr. GD, you won't tell
Mr. Gravedigger, you won't reveal my wrongdoing

And just to make sure that you keep it to yourself
To ensure that you don't disclose it to anyone

I've started digging holes myself
I started digging graves myself

And this one here's for you
And this one I'm digging is for you

Lifted our girl, she apparently doesn't know of it
Lifted our girl, but she seems unaware of it

Hello misses, thought she'd be a little girl
Hello, ma'am, I thought she was a young girl

Bloody obscene, catch pneumonia or something in this rain
How outrageous! She might catch pneumonia or some other disease in this rain

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

DrJKintobor

on I Can't Give Everything Away

14w

I can totally imagine this being the end theme of Sabrina Online, when Sabrina marries Richard and they drive off into the sunset...

Peter Bonney

on Diamond Dogs

If you like free music and you have google chrome, try this free app .SonicHits .

just now