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Take Me Back to the Sweet Sunny South
Jeffrey Shurtleff Lyrics
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Take me back to the place where I first saw the light
To my sweet sunny south, take me home
Where the mocking birds sing me to sleep every night
Oh why was I tempted to roam
The path to our cottage they say has grown green
And the place is quite lonely around
I know that the smiles and the forms that I've seen
Chorus
Take me back to the place where the orange trees grow
To my plot in the evergreen shade
Where the flowers from the river green margin did grow
And spread their sweet scene through the glade
Chorus
In Joan Baez's "Take Me Back to the Sweet Sunny South," the singer yearns for the nostalgia of her childhood and the warmth of the place where she first saw the light, the birthplace of her origin, that being the South. The singer describes the mockingbirds who sing her to sleep every night as well as the green path that leads to her cottage. However, the nostalgia is aided by the realization that those who once graced her with their smiles and companionship, now rest in graves covered in dark moss.
The vivid imagery of the song allows the audience to transcend to the South, a place of everlasting summer, green trees, and picturesque orange groves. Through the song, the singer is appealing for a time when life was simpler and peaceful when she was in touch with the natural world around her. The message is clear, she now realizes that the Southern land has left an indelible mark upon her, and she can't help but yearn for its return.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me back to the place where I first saw the light
Please bring me back to the location where I was born and raised
To my sweet sunny south, take me home
I yearn to return to the warm and inviting southern region where I belong
Where the mocking birds sing me to sleep every night
The sound of the beautiful singing birds used to lull me to sleep each evening
Oh why was I tempted to roam
I regret ever having had the desire to wander and leave my home behind
The path to our cottage they say has grown green
I have been informed that the route leading to our dwelling has become overgrown with foliage
And the place is quite lonely around
The surroundings are now rather desolate and devoid of companionship
I know that the smiles and the forms that I've seen
I am aware that the cheerful faces and physical bodies that I once knew
Now lie in the dark mossy ground
Are currently resting in the somber and damp soil
Take me back to the place where the orange trees grow
I wish to return to the area where the fragrant orange trees flourish
To my plot in the evergreen shade
I desire to be back in the spot where the trees maintain their lush foliage year-round
Where the flowers from the river green margin did grow
The beautiful blossoms that used to grow along the verdant river's edge in that area
And spread their sweet scene through the glade
Would fill the air with an enticing and appealing aroma throughout the open grassy field
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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