Mama's Hungry Eyes
Emmylou Harris Lyrics


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A canvas covered cabin in a crowded labour camp
Stand out in this memory I revived;
Cause my daddy raised a family there, with two hard working hands
And tried to feed my mama's hungry eyes.
He dreamed of something better, and my mama's faith was strong
And us kids were just to young to realize
That another class of people put us somewhere just below;
One more reason for my mama's hungry eyes.
Mama never had the luxuries she wanted
But it wasn't cause my daddy didn't try.
She only wanted things she really needed;
One more reason for my mama's hungry eyes.
I remember daddy praying for a better way of life
But I don't recall a change of any size;
Just a little loss of courage, as their age began to show
And more sadness in my mama's hungry eyes.
Mama never had the luxuries she wanted
But it wasn't cause my daddy didn't try.
She only wanted things she really needed;




One more reason for my mama's hungry eyes.
Oh, I still recall my mama's hungry eyes.

Overall Meaning

In Emmylou Harris's song "Mama's Hungry Eyes," the singer reminisces about her childhood and the struggles that her parents faced to make ends meet. She describes a "canvas-covered cabin in a crowded labour camp" where her family lived, and where her father worked hard to provide for them. However, despite his efforts, the family never had enough to meet her mother's needs.


The lyrics suggest that Mama's hunger was not just for food, but also for the luxuries that she could not afford, despite her husband's best efforts. The song also speaks to the larger social issues of class and inequality, as the singer notes that her family was "put...just below" another class of people. Mama's hunger is therefore not just a personal struggle, but a reflection of the broader injustices that her family faced.


Line by Line Meaning

A canvas covered cabin in a crowded labour camp
The memory is about a cabin made of canvas in a labor camp filled with people


Stand out in this memory I revived;
The canvas cabin stands out in the revived memory


Cause my daddy raised a family there, with two hard working hands
The singer's father worked hard to raise their family in that canvas cabin


And tried to feed my mama's hungry eyes.
The father tried to provide everything the mother wanted, but it was not enough


He dreamed of something better, and my mama's faith was strong
The father had dreams of a better life, while the mother had strong faith but still desired more


And us kids were just too young to realize
The children were too young to understand their family's struggles and desires


That another class of people put us somewhere just below;
The family were in a lower class compared to others


One more reason for my mama's hungry eyes.
This was one of many reasons why the mother always wanted more


She only wanted things she really needed;
The mother only wanted things that were really necessary


Mama never had the luxuries she wanted
The mother never had the things she desired for luxury purposes


But it wasn't cause my daddy didn't try.
The father tried to provide those luxuries but was unable to do so


I remember daddy praying for a better way of life
The artist recalls the father praying for a better life


But I don't recall a change of any size;
The singer cannot remember any significant changes taking place


Just a little loss of courage, as their age began to show
The parents started losing hope as they grew older


And more sadness in my mama's hungry eyes.
The mother became even sadder as time went by


Oh, I still recall my mama's hungry eyes.
The memory of the mother's longing and sadness still stays with the artist




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Merle Haggard

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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