Unfaithful servant, I hear you leaving soon in the morning
What did you do to the lady, that she's gonna have to send you away?
Unfaithful servant, you don't have to say you're sorry,
If you done it just for the spite, or did ya do it just for the glory?
Like a stranger you turned your back
Left your keys and gone to pack
Bear in mind who's to blame, and all the shame

She really cared, the time she spared and the home you shared.
Unfaithful servant, I can hear the whistle blowing
Yes, that train is a-coming and soon you'll be going
Let us not bow our heads for we won't be complaining

Life has been good to us all
Even when that sky is raining
To take it like a grain of salt
Is all I can do it's no one's fault
Makes no difference if we fade away
It's just as it was, it's much to cold for me to stay

Goodbye to that country home
So long to a lady I have known
Farewell to my other side
I'd best just take it in stride
Unfaithful Servant, you'll learn to find your place

I can see it in your smile
And, yes, I can see it in your face
The memories will linger on
But the good old days, they're all gone
Oh, lonesome servant, can't you see
That we're still one and the same, just you and me

Overall Meaning

The Unfaithful Servant is a soulful, melancholic song that conveys the emotions of a woman's betrayal by her servant. The lyrics are a conversation between the singer and the unfaithful servant who is about to leave the next morning. The singer begins by accusing him of wrongdoing, asking him what he did to the lady to merit expulsion from her house. He then proceeds to tell the unfaithful servant that he doesn't have to apologize for his unfaithfulness, whether he did it for the glory or out of spite. The singer points out to him that he has turned his back on those who cared for him and left behind all that he had accumulated.

The singer reminisces with the servant about the good old days but points out that they're all gone, and now it's time for him to leave. The sadness of the situation is palpable, with the blasting train whistle indicating that it's time to be going. The singer seems to find a measure of peace in the whole situation, choosing not to complain and instead taking things as they are, like a grain of salt. He attributes the betrayal and the situation at hand to no one's fault, suggesting that sometimes things fall apart, but that's just the way it is.

Line by Line Meaning

Unfaithful servant, I hear you leaving soon in the morning
I can hear that you’re planning on leaving early in the morning, you untrustworthy person

What did you do to the lady, that she's gonna have to send you away?
What did you do to upset the woman so much that she has to kick you out?

Unfaithful servant, you don't have to say you're sorry,
You don’t need to apologize, unfaithful servant

If you done it just for the spite, or did ya do it just for the glory?
Did you cheat on purpose or did you do it for the thrill of it?

Like a stranger you turned your back
You acted like a stranger to her and turned your back on her

Left your keys and gone to pack
You’ve left your keys and are getting ready to leave

Bear in mind who's to blame, and all the shame
Don't forget who is responsible for this situation and the shame it brings

She really cared, the time she spared and the home you shared.
The woman really cared about you, spent time with you, and shared a home with you

Unfaithful servant, I can hear the whistle blowing
I can hear the train coming, unfaithful servant

Yes, that train is a-coming and soon you'll be going
Yes, the train is coming and you'll be leaving soon

Let us not bow our heads for we won't be complaining
Let's not feel bad, we won’t complain

Life has been good to us all
We've had a good life

Even when that sky is raining
Even when things seem bad

To take it like a grain of salt
To handle it well and not be overly affected by it

Is all I can do it's no one's fault
There's nothing else we can do, it's not anyone's fault

Makes no difference if we fade away
It won’t matter if we disappear

It's just as it was, it's much to cold for me to stay
It's the same as it always has been and it’s too cold for me to stay

Goodbye to that country home
Goodbye to the home in the countryside

So long to a lady I have known
Goodbye to the woman I knew

Farewell to my other side
Farewell to my lover/partner

I'd best just take it in stride
I should deal with it calmly and move on

Unfaithful Servant, you'll learn to find your place
Unfaithful servant, you’ll find your place in the world

I can see it in your smile
I can see it in your smile

And, yes, I can see it in your face
Yes, I can see it in your face too

The memories will linger on
The memories will remain

But the good old days, they're all gone
However, the good times are over

Oh, lonesome servant, can't you see
Oh, lonely servant, don’t you see

That we're still one and the same, just you and me
That we’re still the same people, you and me

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