The Ballad of Hollis Brown
David Lynch Lyrics

Hollis Brown
Introducing the subject of the song, a man named Hollis Brown.

He lived on the outside of town
Hollis Brown lived in a remote part of town.

With his wife and five children
Hollis Brown lived with his wife and five kids.

And his cabin brokin' down
Hollis Brown's cabin was falling apart.

You looked for work and money
Hollis Brown searched for employment and earnings.

And you walked a rugged mile
Hollis Brown had to endure hardships to find work.

Your children are so hungry
Hollis Brown's children were starving.

That they don't know how to smile
The children were so famished that they had lost their ability to express happiness.

Your baby's eyes look crazy
One of Hollis Brown's infants had psychotic eyes.

They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve
The needy baby was pulling on Hollis Brown's sleeve.

You walk the floor and wonder why
Hollis Brown was pacing back and forth, questioning his circumstances.

With every breath you breathe
Hollis Brown was struggling with every breath he took.

The rats have got your flour
Vermin had infiltrated Hollis Brown's supply of flour.

Bad blood it got your mare
Hollis Brown's horse was affected by a disease.

If there's anyone that knows
Hollis Brown was searching for someone who shared his plight.

Is there anyone that cares?
He was also questioning if there was anyone who actually cared about his struggles.

You prayed to the Lord above
Hollis Brown was asking God for help.

Oh please send you a friend
He was begging for a companion during his difficult times.

Your empty pocket tell you
Hollis Brown had no more money left in his pocket.

That you ain't a-got no friend
Adding further despair, Hollis Brown did not have a single friend to support him.

Your babies are crying louder now
Hollis Brown's babies were wailing harder.

It's pounding on your brain
The sound of the crying babies was having a physical impact on Hollis Brown's head.

Your wife's screams are stabbin' you
Hollis Brown's wife was screaming, causing him anguish.

Like the dirty drivin' rain
This screaming was a source of discomfort, like being caught in a rainstorm.

Your grass is turning black
Hollis Brown's lawn was dying.

There's no water in your well
The well that Hollis Brown depended on had run dry.

Your spent your last lone dollar
Hollis Brown's last dollar had already been spent.

On seven shotgun shels
He used that last dollar to purchase seven rounds of ammunition for his gun.

Way out in the wilderness
Hollis Brown was in a remote part of the wilderness.

A cold coyote calls
A coyote in the area was howling.

Your eyes fix on the shortgun
Hollis Brown's gaze was drawn towards his shotgun.

That's hangin' on the wall
The shotgun was mounted on a wall in Hollis Brown's cabin.

Your brain is a-bleedin'
Hollis Brown's mind was in turmoil.

And your legs can't seem to stand
He was shaky and unstable, and couldn't stand up straight.

There's seven breezes a-blowin'
Seven winds were breezing through Hollis Brown's cabin area.

All around the cabin door
These winds encircled the entrance to his cabin.

Seven shots ring out
Hollis Brown fired seven shots from his shotgun.

Like the ocean's pounding roar
The sound of these shots was as thunderous as crashing waves.

There's seven people dead
Seven people were killed by Hollis Brown's gunfire.

On a south Dakota farm
This massacre took place on a farm in South Dakota.

Somewhere in the distance
In another place, separate from the events of the previous verse.

There's seven new people born
Seven new people came into the world, as seven others left it.