Caleb Meyer
Joan Baez Lyrics

Caleb Meyer he lived alone
Caleb Meyer was a lonely man who lived in a place surrounded by pines.

In them hollering pines
The place where Caleb lived was filled with loud, screaming pines.

And he made a little whiskey for himself
Caleb made whiskey for himself which he believed passed his time.

Said it helped to pass the time
According to Caleb, the whiskey he made helped him pass his time.

Long one evening in back of my house
One evening, Caleb came to the back of the singer's house.

Caleb called around
Caleb called the singer's name from outside her house.

And he called my name til I went out
Caleb repeatedly called the singer's name until she went outside to see him.

With no one else around
There was no one else around except the singer and Caleb.

Caleb Meyer your ghost is gonna wear them rattling chains
The singer warns Caleb's ghost of the punishment it will face for its violent actions.

But when I go to sleep at night don't you call my name
The singer pleads with Caleb's ghost not to disturb her at night.

Where's your husband Nellie Cane
Caleb asks the singer about her husband's whereabouts.

Where's your darling gone?
Caleb repeats the question, asking where the singer's loved one has gone.

Did he go on down the mountain side
Caleb wonders if the singer's husband left her and went down the mountain side.

And leave you all alone?
Caleb insinuates that the singer is alone because her husband has left her.

Yes my husband's gone to bowling green
The singer answers Caleb, explaining that her husband has gone to Bowling Green for business.

To do some business there
The reason for the singer's husband's visit to Bowling Green was for business.

Then Caleb threw that bottle down
Caleb threw the whiskey bottle down angrily.

And he grabbed me by my hair
Caleb forcibly grabbed the singer by her hair.

He threw me in the needle bed
Caleb threw the singer onto the bed which was filled with needles.

Across my dress he lay
Caleb lay across the singer's dress.

Then he pinned my hands above my head
Caleb pinned the singer's hands above her head.

And I commenced to pray
The singer started to pray for help.

I cried my God I am your child
The singer pleads to God that she is his child.

Send your angels down
The singer requests God to send his angels to help her.

Then feeling with my finger tips
The singer felt around with her fingers, searching for something.

The bottle neck I found
The singer found the neck of the whiskey bottle.

In drew that glass across his neck
The singer drew the glass bottle across Caleb's neck like a sword.

Fine as any blade
The singer used the bottle like a sharp blade.

Then I felt his blood pour fast an hot
The singer felt Caleb's hot blood pouring out after cutting his throat.

Around me where I laid
The blood flowed around the singer as she laid on the floor.