Long Line Rider
Bobby Darin Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wettin' it down, boss
Wet it down
Wipin' it off, boss
Wipe it off.
Doin' ten to twenty hard
Swingin' twelve pounds in the yard
Every day
Every day.
I came in with a group of twenty
There ain't left but half as many
In the clay
In the clay.
Long line rider, turn away.

There's a farm in Arkansas
Got some secrets in its floor
In decay
In decay.
You can tell where they're at
Nothin' grows, the ground is flat
Where they lay
Where they lay.
Long line rider, turn away.

All the records show so clear
Not a single man was here
Anyway
Anyway.
That's the tale the warden tells
As he counts his empty shells
By the day
By the day.
Hey, long line rider, turn away.

Somone screams investigate
'scuse me sir it's a little late
Let us pray
Let us pray.
This kinda thing can't happen here
'specially not in an election year
Outta my way
Outta my way.
Hey, long line rider, turn away.

There's a funny taste in the air
Big bulldozers everywhere
Diggin' clay
Turnin' clay.
And the ground coughs up some roots
Wearin' denim shirts and boots
Haul 'em away
Haul 'em away.
Hey, long line rider, turn away.

Well I heard a brother moan
Why they plowin' up my home
In this way
In this way.
I said, buddy, shake your gloom
They're just here to make more room




In the clay.
U.S.A.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bobby Darin's song Long Line Rider depict the harrowing experience of a prisoner working hard labor in a penitentiary. The opening lines, "Wettin' it down, boss/Wet it down/Wipin' it off, boss/Wipe it off," are a clear reference to manual labor, wherein the prisoner is being instructed to clean something. The following lines, "Doin' ten to twenty hard/Swingin' twelve pounds in the yard/Every day," are references to the sentence being served, as well as the physical labor that's a part of the routine in the prison. The repetition of the phrase "every day" emphasizes the monotonous, soul-sapping nature of the imprisonment.


As the song progresses, Darin paints a picture of a prison with many dark secrets, where prisoners are disappearing mysteriously. The lines, "I came with a group of twenty/There ain't left as half as many/In the clay," are a chilling allusion to the execution field where the bodies of the prisoners are buried. The phrase "in the clay" highlights the callousness and brutality of the prison authorities, who seem to think of their charges as little more than expendable waste.


The title phrase, "long line rider," is a term used during the time of prison history when guards used to escort prisoners individually, so there was a long line of riders on horseback. This term connotes helplessness, which is also evident in Darin's use of the phrase "turn away" in the chorus. This phrase seems to be directed at the "long line rider," the listener, who is being exhorted not to look too closely at what's happening in the prison.


Line by Line Meaning

Wettin' it down, boss
Starting the day at a work camp and getting ready to work.


Wipin' it off, boss
Cleaning up before starting the day's work.


Doin' ten to twenty hard
Serving time in prison.


Swingin' twelve pounds in the yard
Doing physically demanding labor in the prison yard.


Every day
This is a routine that repeats day after day.


I came in with a group of twenty
Arriving at the prison with a group of twenty other inmates.


There ain't left but half as many
Half of the original group have died, been released, or transferred out of the prison.


In the clay
Referring to those who have died and been buried in unmarked graves.


Long line rider, turn away.
The prison has a high death rate and to survive, one should not get involved with others or make friends.


There's a farm in Arkansas
Referring to the infamous Arkansas prison farm, which was known for its brutal treatment of prisoners.


Got some secrets in its floor
The prison farm is rumored to have hidden graves of deceased prisoners buried underneath.


In decay
The farm is rundown and in poor condition, possibly reflecting the treatment of prisoners.


You can tell where they're at
You can discern where the unmarked graves are.


Nothin' grows, the ground is flat
Nothing grows on the site where the graves are believed to be, indicating the lack of respect for those buried there.


Where they lay
This is where the buried prisoners rest.


All the records show so clear
Referring to official records that deny any wrongdoing or illegal activity.


Not a single man was here
Official records claim that no prisoner has ever escaped or died under suspicious circumstances.


Anyway
Regardless of the truth, this is the official story told by authorities.


That's the tale the warden tells
The officials in charge propagate this lie.


As he counts his empty shells
The warden effectively treats prisoners as expendable and does not care about their fate.


By the day
This has been going on for a long time, and it still continues.


Hey, long line rider, turn away.
The prison system is cruel and corrupt, and outsiders should stay away and not try to get involved.


Somone screams investigate
An outsider knows or suspects what happens inside the prison system and demands an investigation.


'scuse me sir it's a little late
The authorities ignore or deflect the demand for investigation, which has been requested too late.


Let us pray
The system is so corrupt that only a miracle, such as divine intervention, can help the situation.


This kinda thing can't happen here
Denial on behalf of those in power that the events could have occurred in their domain.


'specially not in an election year
The authorities are more concerned with appearances than reality during an election year, so no action is taken.


Outta my way
The authorities will do everything in their power to silence those who question the prison system's conduct.


There's a funny taste in the air
Something seems amiss, and danger lurks.


Big bulldozers everywhere
Large equipment is brought in to excavate and erase evidence or hide something terrible.


Diggin' clay
Removing the unmarked graves and the evidence there of cruel prison conditions.


Turnin' clay.
Erasing any indication of who was actually buried there.


And the ground coughs up some roots
Disturbing the clay brings buried roots to the surface, further indicating wrongdoing.


Wearin' denim shirts and boots
Those operating the bulldozers are wearing work clothes and boots, as if to mask their identity.


Haul 'em away
They aim to completely remove any evidence of wrongdoing.


Hey, long line rider, turn away.
Others should not concern themselves with what happens in the prison system but should stay away for their own safety.


Well I heard a brother moan
Referring to a fellow prisoner complaining about what he sees and experiences inside the prison.


Why they plowin' up my home
He is wondering why those excavating are disturbing the graves and discrediting the dead prisoner's memories.


In this way
He is frustrated and upset with how they are treating the dead prisoners in the prison farm.


I said, buddy, shake your gloom
There is no point in complaining when they can't do anything about what's happening. Cheer up.


They're just here to make more room
The authorities are expanding the prison system, which is the reason for the excavating and disturbance of the graves.


In the clay.
To continue expanding the prison system, they must make more room in any way possible, even at the cost of losing respect for the dead prisoners.


U.S.A.
This is an epitaph for the United States of America, indicating that actions like this are contrary to the country's ideals.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOBBY DARIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Drake Bentley

Sooo smooth. My papa just gave this 45 to me. My uncle did some time where this happened. Hardcore.

jeff williams

Bought this on 45 record in 69 when I was 12 ! Great to hear it again !

Daniel Hudelson

Still have this 45.  Cool song, telling a gruesome story.

tarmaccadam

BANGER!!!!!

Dogbite Williams

Per Wikipedia:
Bobby Darin's song "Long Line Rider" highlighted the terror of the [Arkansas] Cummins Prison Farm (Cummins Unit), where the skeletons of three prisoners were discovered in January 1968.

Richard Trepsas

Dogbite Williams
Thanks, I had great curiosity about what the story was behind this song. Was just about to look it up.
Here’s more from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_line_rider?wprov=sfti1

Martha Cantrell

I too have the 45 and still like the song.

Calvin Lemon

@Mark B Listen to the whole album that this is from. It is a masterpiece. My biological father was the guitarist for this album.

Mark B

I was seven when this was getting airplay. I loved the song. Had no idea what he was singing about. In my seven year-old mind, I thought it was about big power lines.

Richard Villafana

Wonder why Brubaker didn't use this in the movie?

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