In Dead Earnest
Arlo Guthrie & Pete Seeger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All my bone and sinew take
Put me in the compost pile
To decompose me for a while.
Worms, water, sun will have their way,
Returning me to common clay
All that I am will feed the trees
When radishes and corn you munch,
You may be having me for lunch
And then excrete me with a grin,
Chortling, "There goes Lee again."
'Twill be my happiest destiny
To die and live eternally.
The above lyrics are from the song "In Dead Earnest" by Arlo Guthrie & Pete Seeger. The song is a humorous take on the idea of death and afterlife. The first stanza talks about what the singer wants to happen to his body after he dies. He wants his bones and sinews to be put in a compost pile so that they can decompose and become a part of the earth again. The second stanza talks about how this process will make him a part of the natural world and how he will become food for plants and animals. The third stanza is a playful reference to the fact that if someone eats radishes or corn, they may be eating a part of the singer. The final line of the song expresses the singer's belief that this process will allow him to live eternally, even after death.
Line by Line Meaning
If I should die before I wake,
In the event that I should pass away prior to waking from my sleep,
All my bone and sinew take
Take all of my bones and connective tissue
Put me in the compost pile
Place my remains in a compost heap
To decompose me for a while.
So that they may decompose over some time
Worms, water, sun will have their way,
The worms, the water, and the sun will all proceed as they usually do
Returning me to common clay
Returning my remains to the general elements of earth
All that I am will feed the trees
Everything that constitutes me will nourish the trees
And little fishes in the seas.
As well as those little creatures living in the water bodies.
When radishes and corn you munch,
In the event that you eat a meal involving radishes and corn,
You may be having me for lunch
you may be consuming me
And then excrete me with a grin,
And subsequently, pass me through your body, maybe even with a grin,
Chortling, "There goes Lee again."
Laughing heartily and exclaiming, "There is Lee, once more!"
'Twill be my happiest destiny
It will be my greatest fate
To die and live eternally.
To die and continue to exist indefinitely
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: LEE HAYS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind