Dorthia Cottrell grew up in the rural town of King George, Virginia. She go… Read Full Bio ↴Dorthia Cottrell grew up in the rural town of King George, Virginia. She got her start playing music on piano as a child, singing alongside her grandmother or dad while he played guitar. In her early teens she finally picked up a guitar and wrote her first song which eventually carried her onto Richmond where she found herself as Windhand’s powerful leading vocalist and lyricist. She is set to release her debut self-titled record, due out March 3rd on Forcefield Records. The songs on the album span a full decade, with Dorthia’s palpable vocals pushing into a new realm of folk. Her somber acoustic music has been described as grieving and sparse, with a nod in the direction of Townes Van Zandt and Gram Parsons, whose “Rake” and “A Song For You” she covers on her debut album.

Oak Grove
Dorthia Cottrell Lyrics

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Wading in the tall grass
Are ya gonna come home?
Are you gonna stay?
Heard you had a child
He's bound to be a man
like you someday

Are ya gonna forgive?

Are ya gonna forgive or make me pay?
I was only tryin' to do right for ya man
by stayin' out the way

God is not my problem
God is not my problem and my flesh is weak
I'm the kinda girl that needs a devil in a man
to satisfy me.

Ease in my backseat
Easy in my backseat,
I'm not tryin' to grow old
If you play with fire then you're bound to get burned
But I am so cold.

Whiskey in my water
Blood is in the water
Gonna bring the sharks down
I don't give a damn about what happens to me now

All my love's run out…

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dorthia Cottrell's song "Oak Grove" depict a troubled relationship between two individuals. The singer in the song is asking her partner whether he is going to come home or stay away. She has heard that he has a child who will grow up to be a man like him someday. She is wondering whether he will forgive her or make her pay for some wrongdoing. She clarifies that she was only trying to do right by him by staying out of the way. As the song progresses, she talks about her conflicted relationship with God and her fleshly desires. She is the kind of girl who needs a devil in a man to satisfy her. The singer also talks about how she is not trying to grow old and that she is willing to play with fire, even if it means getting burnt. She has whiskey in her water and blood in the water, which she claims will bring the sharks down. The singer ends by saying that all her love has run out.

Line by Line Meaning

Wading in the tall grass
Feeling lost and alone

Are ya gonna come home?
Seeking comfort and belonging

Are you gonna stay?
Questioning stability and trust

Heard you had a child
Discovering unexpected change and growth in others

He's bound to be a man like you someday
Anticipating a future that repeats the past

Are ya gonna forgive?
Asking for mercy and understanding

Are ya gonna forgive or make me pay?
Questioning the consequences of actions

I was only tryin' to do right for ya man by stayin' out the way
Explaining the intention behind the misunderstood actions

God is not my problem
Rejecting traditional beliefs and values

God is not my problem and my flesh is weak
Embracing temptation and carnal desires

I'm the kinda girl that needs a devil in a man to satisfy me.
Admitting to a destructive pattern of attraction