Mule
Gov Lyrics
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But you just can't help your self
want to feel special
Man want to make you feel like everybody else
Take away your freedom
Strip away your pride
Say you know you weren't born
With the blue blood son
Where's my mule?
Where's my forty acres
Where's my dream
Mr Emancipator
Live this way
Might as well meet my maker
Where's my mule?
Where's my mule?
I say trust me
But you say it's too much bother
Yeah, the way the man try to beat you down
Make you want to kill your brother
So go on and bust me
For what's in my mason jar
Yeah, I owes my soul
To the company store
How I'm doing so far?
Where's my mule?
Where's my forty acres
Where's my dream
Mr Emancipator
Live this way
Might as well meet my maker
Where's my mule?
Where's my mule?
Where's my mule?
Where's my forty acres
Where's my dream
Mr Emancipator
Live this way
Might as well meet my maker
Where's my, my, my, my, my, my mule?
The lyrics of Gov't Mule's song "Mule" express the frustration and disappointment of a person who has been denied their freedom and their right to pursue their dreams. The singer addresses the "Man" who "wants to make you feel like everybody else" and who has "taken away your freedom" and "stripped away your pride." The singer feels like they are just another face in the crowd, lacking the status and privilege that comes with being born into a wealthy or powerful family.
The question of "where's my mule?" is a metaphor for the singer's desire to have the tools and resources they need to make something of themselves. In the days of slavery, a "mule and forty acres" was the promise made by the government to newly freed slaves as a way to give them a chance to prosper on their own. The singer's reference to "Mr. Emancipator" suggests that they feel let down by those who promised them freedom but have failed to deliver on that promise.
The song also touches on themes of brotherhood and loyalty, as the singer acknowledges that the "Man" has pitted people against each other and made them resentful and bitter. The singer's reference to owing their soul to the company store suggests a sense of desperation and hopelessness, as though they are trapped in a cycle of debt and exploitation and can see no way out.
Line by Line Meaning
Say you try
You attempt to improve yourself
But you just can't help your self
You struggle with your efforts despite your desire for change
Want to feel special
You yearn for a sense of uniqueness
Man want to make you feel like everybody else
The societal norms coerce you to adopt the conventional way of life
Take away your freedom
Your individuality is suppressed
Strip away your pride
You are made to submit to a force that belittles you
Say you know you weren't born
You understand that you were not endowed with power or privilege
With the blue blood son
You were not born into a royal or aristocratic family
So take your place in line
You must accept your position in society as assigned by others
Where's my mule?
Where is the vehicle to help me escape my current situation?
Where's my forty acres
Where is my own land to cultivate and make a life for myself?
Where's my dream
Where is my aspiration for a better life?
Mr Emancipator
Addressing Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves
Live this way
Being forced to live a subservient life
Might as well meet my maker
Being oppressed in this manner is as good as being dead
I say trust me
I will do what I promised
But you say it's too much bother
Despite my assurance, you deem it not worth the effort
Yeah, the way the man try to beat you down
The systemic oppression wears you down
Make you want to kill your brother
The burden might provoke illogical and extreme reactions
So go on and bust me
Arrest me for what I am doing
For what's in my mason jar
For the illegal alcohol that I have
Yeah, I owe my soul
I am trapped and indebted
To the company store
To the exploitative corporation that controls my life
How I'm doing so far?
How am I faring in the face of all these injustices and struggles?
Where's my, my, my, my, my, my mule?
Where is my deliverance that I so desperately need?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ALLEN WOODY, MATTHEW ABTS, WARREN HAYNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RadiorockTheOriginal
00:00 Same As It Ever Was
06:46 Shake Our Way Out (feat. Billy F Gibbons)
13:10 Made My Peace
22:18 Peace I Need
29:39 Your Only Friend
35:38 Dreaming Out Loud (feat. Ivan Neville & Ruthie Foster)
40:17 Head Full Of Thunder
44:52 The River Only Flows One Way (feat. Billy Bob Thornton)
52:14 After The Storm
58:39 Just Across The River (feat. Celisse)
1:03:58 Long Time Coming
1:09:18 Gone Too Long
@markwajdeman7118
GOV'T MULE:
-Warren Haynes – guitar, vocals, string arrangement
-Danny Louis – keys, guitar, trumpet, trombone, orchestration, string arrangement
-Jorgen Carlsson – bass, percussion, string arrangement, 12-string acoustic guitar
-Matt Abts – drums, percussion, vocals
with
-Bobby Allende – percussion on "Dreaming Out Loud", "The River Only Flows One Way", "Just Across the River", and "Long Time Coming"
-Mechelle Dudley – backing vocals on "Just Across the River" and "Time Stands Still"
-Pam Fleming – trumpet on "Dreaming Out Loud" and "Long Time Coming"
-Celisse Henderson – guitar on "Just Across the River", vocals on "Just Across the River"
-Jenny Hill – saxophone on "Dreaming Out Loud" and "Long Time Coming"
-Ruthie Foster – vocals on "Dreaming Out Loud"
-Billy Gibbons – guitar on "Shake Our Way Out", vocals on "Shake Our Way Out"
-Ivan Neville – vocals on "Dreaming Out Loud"
-John Paterno – percussion on "Just Across the River", engineering, mixing, production
-Kymberli Joyce Rush – backing vocals on "Just Across the River" and "Time Stands Still"
-Buford O'Sullivan – trombone on "Dreaming Out Loud" and "Long Time Coming"
-Billy Bob Thornton – vocals on "The River Only Flows One Way"
@RadiorockTheOriginal
00:00 Same As It Ever Was
06:46 Shake Our Way Out (feat. Billy F Gibbons)
13:10 Made My Peace
22:18 Peace I Need
29:39 Your Only Friend
35:38 Dreaming Out Loud (feat. Ivan Neville & Ruthie Foster)
40:17 Head Full Of Thunder
44:52 The River Only Flows One Way (feat. Billy Bob Thornton)
52:14 After The Storm
58:39 Just Across The River (feat. Celisse)
1:03:58 Long Time Coming
1:09:18 Gone Too Long
@markgarno5167
Outstanding record
@thecosmosrocks
Can't you tell me the date of this exact download.
You don't know how much it means to me.. i would love if you want to tell me ; God bless
@thecosmosrocks
Can't you tell me the date of this exact download.
You don't know how much it means to me.. i would love if you want to tell me ; God bless
@thecosmosrocks
Can't you tell me the date of this exact download.
You don't know how much it means to me.. i would love if you want to tell me ; God bless
@thecosmosrocks
Can't you tell me the date of this exact download.
You don't know how much it means to me.. i would love if you want to tell me ; God bless
@AllisonWinchester
Seen him live 8 times can't get enough love you and your band Warren
@Love-on7vv
The Mule!!!!!! Thank you for the years. My son & mySelf. Met Warren in Charlotte twice! A great Man. Thank you Warren!
@asan1050
Thank you for posting.
@hoopmystic1
THANK GOD FOR WARREN HAYNES