Gilmore also played "Smokey" in The Big Lebowski
Your Love Is My Rest
Jimmie Dale Gilmore Lyrics
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Like a buffalo herd from a shotgun blast scattered in flight
I got a one track mind
Going down a one train line
Living on dreams half the time
Going west
I gotta pick up speed
The end of the line guaranteed
Your love is my rest.
The coal catches fire and I'm down the wire in a flash
That big old smoksack is belching out black smoke and ash
So sad to think of
Hurting the one you love
But surely that's what leaving does
You'd know best.
I gotta pick up speed
Just to get what I need
The end of the line guaranteed
Your love is my rest.
I stand in the land of Custer's last stand and I grin
So this is where old yellow-hair's ghost-dance begins
I got the blood on my hands
Can't even live where I stand
I'm just a travelling man
Cursed or blessed
I gotta pick up speed
Just to get what I need
The end of the line guaranteed
Your love is my rest.
The lyrics of Jimmie Dale Gilmore's song "Your Love Is My Rest" are a reflection of the singer's restless spirit and the solace he finds in the love of his partner. The opening lines express this restless spirit combined with a sense of chaos and directionlessness that characterizes the singer's life. He is like a herd of buffaloes scattered by a shotgun blast, going down a one train line with a one-track mind while living on dreams half the time. He is going west, but there is no sense of direction or purpose in his journey. The singer's sense of restlessness is palpable, and he acknowledges that his life is a constant search for something that he can't put his finger on.
The chorus of the song is where the singer explicitly talks about the comfort he derives from his partner's love. He has to pick up speed just to get what he needs, but the end of the line is guaranteed. This implies that the singer knows that he will find rest in the love of his partner, even if he has to work hard to get there. The metaphor is fitting since trains have a sense of direction and purpose, and the singer is implying that his partner's love is his guiding light.
The final verse of the song is a reflection on the singer's journey through life. He finds himself standing in the land of Custer's last stand, the site of a pivotal moment in American history. Despite this, he can't help but grin, and he feels cursed or blessed. The metaphor of a travelling man is again used to describe the singer's life - he is constantly on the move, with blood on his hands, unable to settle down. However, he knows that his partner's love is his rest, and he keeps going, knowing that he will eventually find what he needs.
Line by Line Meaning
These are the words that cry out of me in the night.
My deepest thoughts and emotions are overwhelming me and I can't keep them inside.
Like a buffalo herd from a shotgun blast scattered in flight
My feelings are explosive and uncontrollable, spreading in all directions like a panicked herd of buffalo.
I got a one-track mind
My focus is intense and unwavering.
Going down a one train line
I have a single path in life, with no alternate routes.
Living on dreams half the time
I spend a lot of my life lost in thought and fantasy.
Going west
I am moving forward, towards a new horizon and a new life.
I gotta pick up speed
I need to move faster and work harder to achieve my goals.
Just to get what I need
I am driven by a deep desire for something I cannot live without.
The end of the line guaranteed
I know that eventually, everything will come to an end.
Your love is my rest.
But with your love, I can find peace and comfort in the midst of all this turmoil.
The coal catches fire and I'm down the wire in a flash
Things can escalate very quickly and unexpectedly.
That big old smokesack is belching out black smoke and ash
The world can be a dark and dirty place, full of pollution and chaos.
So sad to think of
It's heartbreaking to consider
Hurting the one you love
The pain that comes from hurting someone you care about deeply.
But surely that's what leaving does
When you leave someone behind, you inevitably hurt them.
You'd know best.
But I trust that you have a better understanding of these things than I do.
I stand in the land of Custer's last stand and I grin
I am in a place full of history and significance, where something important happened.
So this is where old yellow-hair's ghost-dance begins
This is where Custer and his soldiers met their deadly fate.
I got the blood on my hands
I have done things I am not proud of, and that guilt stays with me.
Can't even live where I stand
The weight of my past mistakes makes it hard for me to find peace.
I'm just a travelling man
So I keep moving, hoping to find a new perspective and a fresh start.
Cursed or blessed
I can't decide whether my journey is a punishment or a gift.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN HIATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind