Between 1994 and 2004, Murphy charted a total of thirteen singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, one of which (1995's "Dust on the Bottle") reached Number One. In addition, he has co-written singles for other country artists, including "Living in Fast Forward", a Number One single for Kenny Chesney in 2006.
High Weeds and Rust
David Lee Murphy Lyrics
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There's a shutter hangin' from a window pane
The paint's 'a crackin' from the sun and the rain
I just quit carin' 'cause I'm all alone
My woman left me in a broken home with
High weeds and rust
With a broken heart
In an inch of dust
Well I've seen it all
Boom turn to bust
And I'm bout to drown
In high weeds and rust
Well there's a tractor sittin' in an empty field
I swore I wouldn't do nothin' 'til my heart had healed
My friends say son get her off your mind
But when the bank comes lookin' for me all they'll find is
High weeds and rust
Up around my truck
With a broken heart
In an inch of dust
Well I've seen it all
Boom turn to bust
And I'm bout to drown
In high weeds and rust
Well black birds sittin' on the telephone line
Watchin' me layin' around wastin' time
Never thought I could sink so low
I can't believe I just let it go to
High weeds and rust
Up around my truck
With a broken heart
In an inch of dust
Well I've seen it all
Boom turn to bust
And I'm bout to drown
These lyrics describe a man who has given up on caring about his surroundings and himself after a breakup with his woman. The imagery used in the lyrics of the shutter hanging from the window and the paint cracking from the sun and rain illustrate a dilapidated and abandoned home, representing the state of his broken heart. He has resigned himself to a life of neglect and decay, symbolized by the high weeds and rust up around his truck. The man is struggling to move on and heal from the pain of losing his love, and the lyrics suggest he is in danger of drowning in his grief.
The mention of the tractor sitting in an empty field shows his lack of motivation and desire to do anything productive, and the advice of his friends to get over his ex seems useless because he has already accepted his fate. The black birds sitting on the telephone line are symbolic of death and misfortune, further suggesting the hopelessness and despair of the man's situation. The lyrics reveal a sense of defeat and acceptance of his situation, with the final lines describing his belief that he is about to drown in high weeds and rust.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a shutter hangin' from a window pane
There is a hanging latch on the window frame that is now dilapidated.
The paint's 'a crackin' from the sun and the rain
The paint is now cracked and faded due to exposure to sunlight and rain.
I just quit carin' 'cause I'm all alone
I do not care anymore, as loneliness has taken over me.
My woman left me in a broken home with
My girlfriend left me alone in a house that's in a terrible state.
High weeds and rust
Everything around me is overgrown with weeds, and everything else is rusted, revealing a downtrodden and tragic state.
Up around my truck
My truck is also surrounded by high weeds and rust, adding to the aforementioned hopeless setting.
With a broken heart
My heart is shattered and aching from my recent breakup with my significant other.
In an inch of dust
Dust has settled on everything around me, and I feel trapped in this state of loneliness and despair.
Well I've seen it all
I have witnessed the culmination of all of my worst fears come to life within my living environment.
Boom turn to bust
Things that were once prosperous and lively quickly turned to ruin and despair.
And I'm bout to drown
I feel like I am slowly becoming consumed by my emotions of loneliness and failure.
Well there's a tractor sittin' in an empty field
An abandoned and idle tractor is sitting alone in a barren field, highlighting the absolute hopelessness of my situation.
I swore I wouldn't do nothin' 'til my heart had healed
I promised myself that I would not act until I had fully recovered from the emotional damage caused by my relationship breaking apart.
My friends say son, get her off your mind
My friends urge me to forget about my ex-girlfriend and move on, but I do not feel like I am ready to.
But when the bank comes lookin' for me all they'll find is
If debt collectors come after me, it will be of no use as I am broke and have nothing left to give.
Well black birds sittin' on the telephone line
Black birds are resting on the telephone line, just as I am resting and hoping to forget all my troubles.
Watchin' me layin' around wastin' time
They observe me doing nothing productive and wasting my time away, lamenting my current state and my lost love.
Never thought I could sink so low
I am struck by how far I have fallen and how low the depths of my despair have taken me.
I can't believe I just let it go to
I cannot believe how I just let everything slip away as I wallow in my self-pity and loneliness.
High weeds and rust
Everything is still covered in weeds and rust, and I cannot escape the hopelessness that pervades my life at the moment.
Up around my truck
All around my truck still looks just as it did, consumed by weeds and rust.
With a broken heart
My heart is still broken, and I am facing life in a state of despair, unable to escape my inner turmoil.
In an inch of dust
Everything around me is still covered in dust, just as I am still consumed by loneliness and sorrow.
Contributed by Grace A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.