Amen
Alexander Ebert Lyrics


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Old Man hypnotized
Spiders with ancient eyes
Black dogs who come in herds
Old Man, the word
Old Man, the word

Raised on golden days
God love the USA
Fed on the purple haze
Young men today
He heard them say
Amen, Amen, Amen

I'll never say goodbye
I'll never tell you lies
I'm never gonna die
Amen, Amen, Amen

Became the power man
Raised on the ocean
His hands, wrinkled brown
Melt with the sound, melt with the sound
Heros in silver scenes
Real men never scream
Old man I heard you dream
Old man, the sound
Amen, Amen, Amen

Young man's memories
Stay with the summer leaves
Old man, we can not see
Old men decay
Slip slow away
Old man, we'll hold your face
The suns danced for your song
Old man looked around
Heard but the sound
Amen, Amen, Amen

I'll never say goodbye
I'll never tell you lies




I'm never gonna die
Amen, Amen, Amen

Overall Meaning

In Alexander Ebert's song "Amen," the lyrics are full of symbolism and mystery. The song seems to be about an old man who has lived through many things and experienced the ups and downs of life. The imagery used in the song paints a picture of an old man who is wise and knowledgeable about the world around him. The first verse describes the old man as being hypnotized by spiders with ancient eyes and being followed by black dogs who come in herds. It's unclear what these symbols mean, but they create a mystical and eerie atmosphere in the song.


The second verse talks about how the old man was raised on golden days and was fed on the purple haze of the 60s. He became the power man and was raised on the ocean. These lines suggest that the old man was once a powerful figure who had influence over others. The chorus repeats the word "amen," which is a word of agreement or affirmation, but it's unclear what the old man is affirming or agreeing to. The final verse talks about how the old man's memories will stay with the summer leaves and how he is slowly slipping away. The song ends with the old man looking around and only hearing the sound, presumably the sound of his own life coming to an end.


Overall, the lyrics to "Amen" are full of mystery and symbolism. The song paints a vivid picture of an old man who has lived a long and interesting life, but the meaning behind the lyrics is left up to interpretation.


Line by Line Meaning

Old Man hypnotized
The Old Man is in a hypnotized state.


Spiders with ancient eyes
Spiders with wise and ancient eyes surround the Old Man.


Black dogs who come in herds
Hordes of black dogs surround the Old Man.


Old Man, the word
The Old Man is the embodiment of wisdom.


Raised on golden days
The artist was brought up in times of prosperity and wealth.


God love the USA
The singer is expressing their love and admiration for the United States of America.


Fed on the purple haze
The singer was influenced by the psychedelic culture of the time.


Young men today
The artist is drawing attention to the younger generation.


He heard them say
The artist is acknowledging the words of the younger generation.


Amen, Amen, Amen
The artist is saying 'so be it' or 'let it be'.


I'll never say goodbye
The singer promises never to leave or abandon their loved ones.


I'll never tell you lies
The artist promises to never deceive or mislead those they care about.


I'm never gonna die
The singer feels immortal or that their memory will live on even after they pass.


Became the power man
The singer became a powerful and influential figure.


Raised on the ocean
The singer spent their formative years on the ocean.


His hands, wrinkled brown
The artist's hands are aged and weathered from a life of hard work.


Melt with the sound, melt with the sound
The artist is immersed in the music and feeling its effects deeply.


Heros in silver scenes
Heroes are depicted in movies or other visual media.


Real men never scream
Men are expected to be stoic and unemotional.


Old man I heard you dream
The artist feels like they understand the Old Man's dreams and aspirations.


Old man, the sound
The Old Man represents the music and sounds of the past.


Young man's memories
The artist reflects on their memories of youth.


Stay with the summer leaves
Memories from the singer's past are associated with the natural beauty of summer.


Old man, we can not see
The Old Man is fading from the artist's view or memory.


Old men decay
The singer reflects on the inevitability of aging and death.


Slip slow away
The Old Man is fading into memory slowly.


Old man, we'll hold your face
The singer wants to remember the Old Man's face and expression always.


The suns danced for your song
The artist is suggesting that the universe is aligned with the Old Man's music or message.


Old man looked around
The artist imagines the Old Man looking at the world and taking it all in.


Heard but the sound
The Old Man is focused only on the music or message he wants to share.


Amen, Amen, Amen
The singer is saying 'so be it' or 'let it be'.




Contributed by Elizabeth L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@omarramo1482

Robert Redford is just awesome in this movie

@jaredwhite571

Let’s embark on supporting more music like this, folks. We need another musical revolution.

@searchformeaning85

A movie about living 'NOW'. The most important is 'NOW'. Great message in this movie

@razzles5338

Wrong. The most important is the afterlife.

@ryanparry1247

The days we live in "NOW" are more important than the days of the past, yes, I agree, but also, we need to be living the "NOW" days in the right way because where we spend eternity (the afterlife) is more important than the "NOW" days, ie. Heaven (eternity with God) or hell (eternity separated from God), we all have a choice to make where we are going to spend eternity, God bless you,

I've only seen the last half hour of the All Is Lost film and still thought it was brilliant, I'd really like to watch it from the beginning

@razzles5338

@@ryanparry1247 Amen brother 🙏

@ka-boom2083

I agree! This movie is about the NOW. Enjoy life NOW because there is no afterlife. There is no god, there’s only man.

Being human is always about the moments in life; from the goodbye you say to your friend before departure, to the bonding moments of you eating dinner with your loved ones… grander narratives or absolute ideals (like religion) are always what led humanity to its worst atrocities. Living for some abstract ultimate goal so often leads to destruction. So whenever you reflect on your life, remember it’s the present that matters, not the past not the future. What you do today shapes tomorrow, not the other way around. So love today, and seize all tomorrows!

@azazelzel6954

Just finished watching the movie that goes with this awesome song 'All is Lost' with Robert Redford, what a tough old b@stard! Fighting against all odds to live another day, he put people 60 years his junior to utter shame, well worth watching, all the elements of this film fit together perfectly.

From an old man marooned in the Indian Ocean, with no contact with the rest of the world, to the beautiful sea creatures we share this gem of a planet with.

@jillmilnes7613

Now it's Golden Globe WINNING score!!!

@finalascent

Amazing that this deep, soulful piece of music is from the same guy who did "Home" (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros)

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