Chester Burton Atkins born 20 June 1924 - Died 30 June 2001 in Nashville, T… Read Full Bio ↴Chester Burton Atkins born 20 June 1924 - Died 30 June 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States (1942–1996) . was an American guitarist and record producer. Together with Owen Bradley, Atkins created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country music's appeal to include adult pop music fans as well. His virtuoso picking style - inspired by Merle Travis, Django Reinhardt, George Barnes and Les Paul - brought him admirers both within and outside the country scene. Atkins produced records for Eddy Arnold, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves, Jerry Reed, Connie Smith, and Waylon Jennings.

Hi Lili Hi Lo
Chet Atkins Lyrics

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On every tree there sits a bird, singing a song of love
On every tree there sits a bird, and ev'ryone I ever heard
Could break my heart without a word singing a song of love

A song of love is a sad song, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
A song of love is a song of woe, don't ask me how I know
A song of love is a sad song, for I have loved and it's so
I sit at the window and watch the rain, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo

Tomorrow I'll probably love again, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo

A tear for him, a tear for me, A tear for the love he swore
A tear for him and one for me, and one for under the cedar tree
And one for where ever my love my be, and then I shall weep no more

A song of love is a sad song, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
A song of love is a song of woe, don't ask me how I know
A song of love is a sad song, for I have loved and it's so

I sit at the window and watch the rain, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
Tomorrow i'll probably love again, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Chet Atkins’s “Hi Lili Hi Lo” explore the bittersweet nature of love and the power that it holds over those who experience it. The image of the bird on every tree singing a song of love creates a haunting and melancholy vibe, emphasizing the inescapable nature of love and its pervasive impact. The singer’s experience with love has been painful, and the “sad song” of love that he repeats in the refrain serves as a reminder of this pain. He pleads with the listener not to ask him how he knows of the sadness that love can bring, for it is a feeling that cannot be understood until it is experienced firsthand.

The sadness associated with love is further amplified in the third verse, where the singer weeps bitterly for his lost love. He has shed tears for himself and his former partner, as well as for the love he had promised her. However, in this moment, the tears become a form of release, allowing him to mourn the end of the relationship and, potentially, move on.

Despite the heartbreak that the singer has experienced, he acknowledges that love has a hold over him and that he will probably love again tomorrow. The final line of the song, “Hi Lili Hi Lo,” is therefore both a bittersweet acknowledgement of the power of love and a hopeful reminder that the singer will continue to seek out its company in the future.

Line by Line Meaning

On every tree there sits a bird, singing a song of love
There are birds perched on every tree, and their love songs have the power to break my heart.

A song of love is a sad song, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
Love songs are often melancholy and sorrowful.

A song of love is a song of woe, don't ask me how I know
I know from experience that love songs are filled with pain and heartache.

For I have loved and it's so
I have loved before and experienced the sadness that comes with it.

I sit at the window and watch the rain, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
I sit alone by the window, watching the rain and feeling the weight of lost love.

Tomorrow I'll probably love again, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
Despite the pain, I know I'll probably open my heart to love once more.

A tear for him, a tear for me, A tear for the love he swore
I shed tears for both him and myself because of the love he once promised.

And one for under the cedar tree
I shed a tear for the memories we shared under the cedar tree.

And one for wherever my love may be, and then I shall weep no more
I shed a tear for the love that may have moved on, but then I'll stop dwelling on the past and move forward.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRONISLAW KAPER, HELEN DEUTSCH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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