forgive me
John Lee Hooker Lyrics


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They tell me God forgives you for almost anything you do
They tell me God forgives you for almost anything you do
Well, if that's the case, that's the case
I think I'm going to kill that man
Then drop down on my knees

Well, this morning, God knows, that man he comes a-waltzing in
Just waltzing in
Well, I got my shotgun, I broke down
I started to mow that man down

Yeah, they tell me God forgives you
If that's the case now, people
I'm gonna mow my baby down

You don't put yourself out, you don't put yourself out
You don't treat Margo right, you don't treat Margo right
Now darling, there come a time
You're gonna need my love again

They tell me God forgives me for almost anything you do

You don't seem to understand
I've got your life right in my hands

Yeah, they tell me God forgives you for almost anything you do
Anything you do
Well, if that's the case, that's the case
I think I'm going to kill that man
Then drop down on my knees

This morning, God knows, that man he comes waltzing in
Just waltzing in
Well, I grabbed my shotgun, I broke down
I started to mow that man down

Yeah, they tell me God forgives you for almost anything you do
If that's the case now, people
I'm gonna mow my baby down
I'm gonna mow my baby down
I'm gonna shoot that man

You don't put yourself out, you don't put yourself out
You don't treat Margo right, you don't treat your baby right
Now darling, there come a time
You're gonna need my love again





Yeah, they tell me God forgives you for almost anything
Anything you do

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to John Lee Hooker's song Forgive Me are quite provocative, expressing a desire for violent retribution towards a man who has wronged the singer's lover, Margo. The opening line, "They tell me God forgives you for almost anything you do" sets the tone for the song's exploration of anger and forgiveness. In this context, forgiveness feels like a license to act on one's worst impulses. The singer proposes to "kill that man, then drop down on my knees," suggesting that he believes he can receive forgiveness from God even after committing such a heinous act.


The second verse expands on this theme, describing a situation in which the man in question walks into the singer's sight with no awareness of the danger he's in. Here, the singer's anger boils over and he believes he has no choice but to "mow that man down" with a shotgun. In both verses, the singer's desperation for forgiveness leads him towards violence, as if forgiveness were something one could buy with blood.


The final verse brings the focus back to Margo, suggesting that she is the reason behind the singer's actions. He warns the other man that "there come a time, you're gonna need my love again," implying that the singer is the only one who can give Margo the love and care she deserves. The song ends with a repetition of the opening lines, emphasizing once again the singer's troubled relationship with forgiveness.


Line by Line Meaning

They tell me God forgives you for almost anything you do
People say that God forgives you for almost anything you do.


They tell me God forgives you if that's the case now, people, I'm gonna mow my baby down
If it's true that God forgives you for anything, then the singer plans on killing someone they love.


You don't put yourself out, you don't put yourself out, you don't treat Margo right, you don't treat Margo right. Now darling, there come a time, you're gonna need my love again
The singer believes that their loved one will regret mistreating them and will want to reconcile in the future.


Well, this morning, God knows, that man he comes a-waltzing in, Just waltzing in. Well, I got my shotgun, I broke down, I started to mow that man down
Someone comes into the artist's life and they react with violence, ready to use their shotgun against them.


You don't seem to understand. I've got your life right in my hands
The artist has total control over the person they are addressing and they don't seem to realize it.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS JAMES JACKSON, C. CONLLEY, DE SHAUN D. HOLTON, B. JOHNSON, LARRY LOUIS, D. MOORE

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