Gravedigger
David J. Matthews Lyrics
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Made his great grandchildren believe
You could live to a hundred and three
A hundred and three is forever when you're just a little kid
So Cyrus Jones lived forever
Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger
Muriel Stonewall
1903 to 1954
She lost both of her babies in the second great war
Now you should never have to watch
As your only children lowered in the ground
I mean you should never have to bury your own babies
Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger
Ring around the rosy
Pocket full of posy
Ashes to ashes
We all fall down
Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger
Little Mikey Carson 67 to 75
He rode his
Bike like the devil until the day he died
When he grows up he wants to be Mr. Vertigo on the flying trapeze
Oh, 1940 to 1992
Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Feel the rain
I can feel the rain
Gravedigger
Gravedigger
The song "Gravedigger" by David J. Matthews is a poignant reminder of the inevitability of death and the ephemeral nature of life. The song is composed of four verses, each recounting the lives of different individuals who have passed away. Cyrus Jones, who allegedly lived to be 103 years old, is the first person mentioned in the song. He is said to have made his great-grandchildren believe that living to 103 was a possibility, thereby implying the illusion of immortality in childhood. Matthews then proceeds to invoke the concept of mortality, reminding the listener that everyone will eventually die, regardless of how long they live.
Muriel Stonewall is the second person mentioned in the song. She lost both her children in the Second World War and was forced to bury them herself. The third verse is dedicated to Little Mikey Carson, who died young and had big dreams of being a trapeze artist. In the final verse, the song takes on an eerier tone as Matthews sings the nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie," which is believed to have originated from the bubonic plague. The song suggests that death is a universal experience that will eventually come for everyone, regardless of age, circumstance, or occupation.
Line by Line Meaning
Cyrus Jones 1810 to 1913
Introduction to the story of Cyrus Jones and his seemingly everlasting legacy
Made his great grandchildren believe
Cyrus Jones instilled the idea of living a long life in his great grandchildren
You could live to a hundred and three
He gave them the specific number of living to one hundred and three
A hundred and three is forever when you're just a little kid
To a child, one hundred and three years seems like an eternity
So Cyrus Jones lived forever
Through his great grandchildren, Cyrus Jones lived on forever
Gravedigger
Repetition of the song's title.
When you dig my grave
Requesting a favor of the gravedigger in the future.
Could you make it shallow
Asking the gravedigger to dig a shallow grave.
So that I can feel the rain
Desiring to feel the natural elements even in death.
Muriel Stonewall 1903 to 1954
Introducing the story of Muriel Stonewall.
She lost both of her babies in the second great war
Muriel Stonewall tragically lost both of her children during World War II.
Now you should never have to watch
Expressing the sentiment that a parent should not have to bury their child.
As your only children lowered in the ground
A painful image of the act of burying one's own children.
I mean you should never have to bury your own babies
Reiteration of the painful sentiment expressed in the previous line.
Ring around the rosy
First line of a common children's playground song.
Pocket full of posy
Continuation of the lyrics of the childhood song.
Ashes to ashes
Referencing the traditional line from the funeral service and the circle of life.
We all fall down
A reminder of our shared mortality.
Little Mikey Carson 67 to 75
Introducing another character in the story, Little Mikey Carson who lived from 1967 to 1975.
He rode his bike like the devil until the day he died
Little Mikey was a passionate bike rider who rode until the day of his death.
When he grows up he wants to be Mr. Vertigo on the flying trapeze
Little Mikey had dreams of one day becoming a professional trapeze artist.
Oh, 1940 to 1992
Finishing off the story of Little Mikey with the years of his birth and death.
Feel the rain
Reiterating the desire to feel the natural elements even in death.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID PROCTOR, CHRISTOPHER LAVERY, STEVEN NIXON, STEPHEN GILDEA, KEVIN MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind