Murder In The Red Barn
Tom Waits Lyrics

There was a murder in the red barn, a murder in the red barn
The song revolves around a murder that took place in a red barn, and this line emphasizes that fact.

The trees are bending over and the cows are lying down
The setting is described as ominous, with the trees bending down and the cows lying down, hinting at something unusual happening.

The autumn's taking over, you can hear the Buckshot hounds
The autumn season is taking over, and it is accompanied by the howls of hunting dogs.

The watchman said to Reba the loon
Someone named the watchman speaks to another person named Reba the loon.

Was it pale at Manzanita, was it Blind Bob the coon?
The watchman asks Reba about the possible suspects in the murder case, mentioning two names.

Pin it on a drifter they sleep beneath the bridge
The watchman suggests pinning the murder on a homeless person who sleeps under the bridge.

One plays the violin and sleeps inside a fridge
The homeless person in question is described as someone who sleeps inside a fridge and plays the violin.

Someone's crying in the woods, someone's burying all his clothes
Someone is crying in the woods and someone else is burying their clothes, suggesting guilt or trauma.

Now Slam the Crank from Wheezer slept outside last night and froze
Someone named Slam the Crank slept outside and froze, hinting at the harsh conditions.

Roadkill has its seasons just like anything
Even roadkill follows seasonal patterns.

There's possums in the autumn and there's farm cats in the spring
In autumn, possums are commonly run over while in spring, it's farm cats.

Now thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house or covet they neighbor's wife
This is a reference to the Ten Commandments' prohibition of coveting one's neighbor's property or spouse.

But for some murder is the only door through which they enter life
For some people, committing murder is the only way they feel alive or empowered.

Well, they surrounded the house, they smoked him out, took him off in chains
The authorities surround the suspect's house, smoke him out, and arrest him.

They sky runed black and bruised and we had months of heavy rains
The weather turns bad, with black and bruised skies and heavy rains for months.

Now, the ravens nest in the rotted roof of Chenoweth's old place
The abandoned house belonging to Chenoweth is now inhabited by ravens.

And no one's asking Cal about that scar upon his face
A person named Cal has a scar on his face, but nobody is asking him about it.

'Cause there's nothin' strange about an axe with bloodstains in barn,
The presence of a bloodstained axe in a barn is not unusual on a farm.

There's always some killin' you got to do around the farm
The line suggests that on a farm, there are always animals that need to be killed.

The woods will never tell what sleeps beneath the trees
The woods keep secrets, and some things are hidden beneath the trees.

Or what's buried 'neath a rock or hiding in the leaves
Similarly, there may be things buried beneath rocks or hidden among the leaves.

It's possums in the autumn and it's farm cats in the spring
This line repeats the earlier observation regarding which animals are most commonly killed in different seasons.

Now, a lady can't do nothin' without folks' tongues waggin'
The line suggests that women are often unfairly judged or criticized for their actions.

Is this blood on the tree or is it autumn's red blaze?
The imagery of red on the tree could be interpreted as bloodstains or simply the changing colors of autumn.

When the ground' soft for diggin' and the rain will bring all this gloom
The ground is soft, making it easier to dig, and the rain adds to the overall bleakness and gloominess of the situation.

There's nothing wrong with a lady drinking alone in her room
The line is a commentary on gender and society's norms, suggesting that a woman should be allowed to drink alone without judgment.