Katie
Fred Eaglesmith (born as Frederick Elgersma on July 9, 1957 in Caistor Cent… Read Full Bio ↴Fred Eaglesmith (born as Frederick Elgersma on July 9, 1957 in Caistor Centre, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter. Some of his albums have been credited to Fred J. Eaglesmith. Eaglesmith was one of nine children of an immigrant family from the Dutch province Friesland and raised in rural Southern Ontario. As a teenager, he hopped a freight train out to Western Canada, and began writing songs and performing. He is known for writing songs about machines or vehicles, including songs about trains, tractors, trucks, cars, and engines. Rural life, dogs, guns, drinking and farming/ranching are other common themes. Many of his songs are about failing farms and small businesses. Eaglesmith's songs are populated with down and out characters dealing with loss of love or livelihood, and quirky rural folk. His songwriting uses many of the techniques of short-story writing, including unreliable narrators, surprise endings, and plot twists.

In addition to his own albums, Eaglesmith frequently collaborated with the late Willie P. Bennett, a past member of Eaglesmith's band, who had to step down after a heart attack in spring 2007. Eaglesmith's fans are known as Fredheads because of the similarities to deadheads. He has appeared in several movies, including "The Gift" and "50 Odd Dollars." His band is known as The Flying Squirrels or The Flathead Noodlers. Both bands have the same lineup, but play different styles. The Flathead Noodlers play bluegrass, while the Flying Squirrels play more folk and rock. An early incarnation of the band was known as The Smokin' Losers. When Fred does solo appearances he bills himself as Fred J. Eaglesmith. In addition to the songs, a typical Fred Eaglesmith show includes several lengthy between-song comic monologues by Fred. Topics in the past have included stories about crossing the U.S./Canada border, Newfoundlanders, and some friends from an Indian reserve. Eaglesmith is the owner and president of A Major Label, which publishes his records.

Current band members
* Fred J. Eaglesmith - Guitars, Vocals
* Matt Simpson - Acoustic guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
* Kori Heppner - Drums
* Luke Stackhouse - Bass, Vocals

Former members
* Willie P. Bennett - Mandolin, Harmonica, Vocals
* David Essig - Mandolin, Guitar
* Kevin Komatsu - Drums
* Roger Marin Jr. - Pedal Steel, Guitar, Vocals
* Ralph Schipper - Bass
* Jude Waldman - Drums
* Dan Walsh - Dobro, Guitar, Vocals
* Skip Wamsteeker - Drums
* Washboard Hank - Washboard, Dobro
* Darcy Yates - Bass

Discography
* Fred Eaglesmith (1980)
* The Boy That Just Went Wrong (1983)
* Indiana Road (1987)
* There Ain't No Easy Road (1991)
* Things Is Changin' (1993)
* Paradise Motel (1994)
* Drive-In Movie (1995)
* Lipstick, Lies and Gasoline (1997)
* 50 Odd Dollars (1999)
* Live: Ralph's Last Show (2001)
* Falling Stars and Broken Hearts (2002)
* The Official Bootleg Series, Vol. 1' (2002)
* Balin (2003)
* The Official Bootleg Series, Vol. 2' (2004)
* Dusty (2004)
* Milly's Cafe (2006)
* Tinderbox (2008)

www.fredeaglesmith.com

Katie
Fred Eaglesmith Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I come up from the bottom rung
I been hunting and I had my gun
Wind was still, things were quiet
I called for Katie there was no reply

I checked the shed
I checked the barn
I opened the door and there she was
In the arms of my friend Joe
And she wasn't wearing many clothes

Katie, Katie
What'd I do?
I was so in love with you
Worked my fingers to the bone
I never even wanted this old farm

Joe tried to talk
He just coughed
My heart stopped
The gun went off
Katie screamed out his name
And then the gun went off again

Katie, Katie
What'd I do?
I was so in love with you
Worked my fingers to the bone
I never even wanted this old farm

I wrapped 'em up in gunny sacks
I hitched a wagon
Threw 'em in the back
I buried that Joe down by the creek
I laid my Katie 'neath a hickory tree

Katie, Katie
What'd I do?
I was so in love with you
Worked my fingers to the bone
I never even wanted this old farm

Now there's houses up all around this farm
Staring into new backyards
Every day they come by
But I won't sell
And I won't say why

Katie, Katie
What'd I do?
I was so in love with you




Worked my fingers to the bone
I never even wanted this old farm

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Fred Eaglesmith's “Katie” tells the heartbreaking story of betrayal and murder. The song starts with the singer offering a glimpse into his hardworking life and his love for Katie. However, things take a dark turn when he discovers Katie in the arms of his friend Joe, wearing little to no clothes. The singer is devastated, and his despair drives him to take matters into his own hands, resulting in Joe's death and Katie's burial alongside a hickory tree.


The guilt-ridden protagonist seems to have given up on life, not caring much for his farm or his surroundings. He buries Katie and Joe, puts up no resistance against the new houses popping up around his farm, and refuses to sell his property, seemingly stuck in the past. This song is a gloomy reminder of how one moment of infidelity can destroy a person's life and how the consequences of our actions can haunt us forever.


Line by Line Meaning

I come up from the bottom rung
I started with nothing and worked my way up to own this farm


I been hunting and I had my gun
As a farmer, I hunt for food and to protect my land


Wind was still, things were quiet
The calm atmosphere made it easier to notice a disturbance


I called for Katie there was no reply
I knew something was wrong when my partner didn't respond to my call


I checked the shed
I searched for Katie in every possible location


I checked the barn
I searched for Katie in every possible location


I opened the door and there she was
I found my partner cheating on me


In the arms of my friend Joe
My partner was having an affair with someone I thought was a friend


And she wasn't wearing many clothes
My partner was in a state of undress with my friend


Joe tried to talk
Joe attempted to explain or apologize


He just coughed
Joe couldn't find the words to say


My heart stopped
I was overcome with anger and sadness


The gun went off
I accidentally fired my gun in a moment of heated emotion


Katie screamed out his name
My partner had a strong emotional attachment to my friend


And then the gun went off again
I became angry and fired my gun again, leading to tragic consequences


I wrapped 'em up in gunny sacks
I disposed of the bodies in an unceremonious manner


I hitched a wagon
I used my farm equipment to move the bodies


Threw 'em in the back
I treated the bodies with little respect or dignity


I buried that Joe down by the creek
I disposed of Joe's body near the farm


I laid my Katie 'neath a hickory tree
I buried my partner in a tranquil location


Now there's houses up all around this farm
Despite development, I refuse to leave my farm


Staring into new backyards
The new neighbors cannot understand the pain and history of my property


Every day they come by
The new neighbors are fascinated with my farm's tragic past


But I won't sell
I refuse to turn my farm over to new owners


And I won't say why
I'm keeping the true events of that night to myself.




Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Fred Elgersma

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Tim Duffin


on John Deere B

"The original B" s/b "The original paint"
"Then I saw I saw the mirror" s/b "Then I saw them narrow"

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