He has toured extensively since 2008 and has opened for alt-country pioneer Steve Earle, singer-songwriter Josh Ritter and folk rocker M. Ward among others. Pug released his first full-length album, Messenger, in February 2010. In 2010 he also went to the United Kingdom and played the main-stage of the Cambridge Folk Festival. Since that time, he has released two further full-length albums: 'The Great Despiser' in April 2012, and 'Windfall' in March 2015.
Pug released The Flood in Color in July 2019.
www.joepugmusic.com
Bury Me Far
Joe Pug Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Must have been Tuesday
I don't know the date
I did everything everyone asked for
But I'll say where I'll be laid
The many dead of my comrades
All look the same in this place
So God might remember my face
Don't bother with congress
With the rich or with the rest
I've fought their battles in this world
I might fight for them in the next
Do not find me justice
Just find me a grave
And then bury me far from my uniform
So God might remember my face
My mother, my mother you'll cry for me
You'll weep with the next of our kin
You must never to think of
What is not and what could have been
I'll not return to your table
So don't save me a place
Just bury me far from my uniform
From the iron cross medal I would've worn
From the statues that sisters and widows mourn
From the newspaper clippings in micro-form
From Geneva the (?) Nuremberg
From the sex of this world that I'll no longer taste
Won't you bury me far from my uniform
So God might remember my face
I know God will remember my face
Merciful God please remember my face
In the poignant and thought-provoking song, 'Bury Me Far,' Joe Pug narrates from the perspective of a soldier who meets his death during a war. The soldier claims to have done everything that he was asked to do and doesn't seem to differentiate the days in the battlefield. As he looks at the dead comrades around him, he requests to be buried far from his uniform so that God can remember his face. He has no interest in Congress, the rich, or anything beyond a grave to be buried.
The lyrics are touching as they convey the soldier's experience in his last moments. In this song, the soldier is a representation of all the soldiers that sacrifice their lives to serve their country. The song can be interpreted as a reminder of the sacrifices that soldiers make for their countries, and the impact such sacrifices have on their families and loved ones. Joe Pug's writing, singing, and guitar playing skills blend beautifully to make this a touching and emotional song that strikes a chord with its listeners.
Some little-known information about the song is that it was released in 2010, and it is part of Joe Pug's debut album, 'Messenger.' It is said that Joe wrote the song when he was 19 years old. The melody of the song was influenced by the Irish folk song, 'Black is the Color' performed by Christy Moore. The song has been covered by notable artists such as Ryan Bingham, Damien Rice, and Jerry Jeff Walker. 'Bury Me Far' has appeared in notable television shows such as 'House MD' and 'Sons of Anarchy.'
The song is relatively easy to play on the guitar as it uses only three chords. Below are the chords to the song if you wish to play along.
Chords: G, C, D
Verse: G, C, G, C
Chorus: G, D, C, G, D, C.
The chorus uses a simple pattern of G-D-C repeated twice. That's it!
Line by Line Meaning
I was falling dead in battle
I was about to die in a battle
Must have been Tuesday
The day of the week did not matter anymore since death was near
I don't know the date
The exact date is irrelevant when facing death
I did everything everyone asked for
I fulfilled everyone's expectations and did what was required of me
But I'll say where I'll be laid
I can still choose where to be buried
The many dead of my comrades
There are many comrades who have fallen in battle
All look the same in this place
It is difficult to tell them apart in this situation
Won't you bury me far from my uniform
I don't want to be remembered for my uniform, but as an individual
So God might remember my face
I want to be remembered by God as a person, not just as a soldier
Don't bother with congress
I don't want anyone to make a big deal about my death in a political or official sense
With the rich or with the rest
I don't want anyone to make a big deal about my death regardless of their social status
I've fought their battles in this world
I fought the battles of others in this life
I might fight for them in the next
I am willing to serve again in the afterlife if necessary
Do not find me justice
I don't expect anyone to seek justice for my death
Just find me a grave
I just want to have a place to rest in peace
My mother, my mother you'll cry for me
My mother will grieve over my death
You'll weep with the next of our kin
She will cry with my other family members
You must never to think of
She should not dwell on the what-if's and should come to terms with my death
What is not and what could have been
The possibilities of what could have been do not matter anymore
I'll not return to your table
I will never come back home
So don't save me a place
There is no need to reserve a spot for me at home
From the iron cross medal I would've worn
I don't want to be remembered for any medal I could have received
From the statues that sisters and widows mourn
I don't want any memorial or statue to be erected for me
From the newspaper clippings in micro-form
I don't want to be reduced to a news headline or story
From Geneva the (?) Nuremberg
I don't want to be associated with any war trials or tribunals
From the sex of this world that I'll no longer taste
I don't care about any worldly pleasures anymore
So God might remember my face
I want to be remembered by God as a person, not just as a soldier
I know God will remember my face
I have faith that God will remember me as a unique individual, beyond my uniform and service
Merciful God please remember my face
A final plea for God to remember him beyond his service in this world
Contributed by Jackson C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.