Rattlin' Bones
Kasey Chambers Lyrics
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Sun don't shine no more
Late one night, sorrow come round
Scratching at my door
But I cut my hands and break my back
Dragging this bag of stones
Till they bury me down beneath the ground
Left my home and left my love
Caught on a rusty nail
Devil rose up heavy with gold
My soul's not for sale
Then a holy man in a house of God
He offered me a book of prayer
But when I left my home and I left my love
Left my faith back there
Smoke don't rise, fuel don't burn
Sun don't shine no more
Late one night, sorrow come round
Scratching at my door
But I cut my hands and break my back
Dragging this bag of stones
Till they bury me down beneath the ground
With the dust and rattling bones
Shut my eyes and hang my head
Darkness makes no sound
Climb it up, bottom there
Earth's on the way back down
When a sadness falls on the morning bird
Wonder what the day will bring
But I shut my eyes and hang my head
At least that bird can sing
Smoke don't rise, fuel don't burn
Sun don't shine no more
Late one night, sorrow come round
Scratching at my door
But I cut my hands and break my back
Dragging this bag of stones
Till they bury me down beneath the ground
With the dust and rattling bones
Till they bury me down beneath the ground
With the dust and rattling bones
In Kasey Chambers’s song Rattlin' Bones, the lyrics describe a sense of hopelessness and desperation. The first verse seems to describe a world without light and energy. The lack of smoke, fuel and sunshine suggests a world without vitality, a world that has become dark and stagnant. Furthermore, the late night visit of sorrow scratching at the door hints at a sense of foreboding and distress that refuses to leave. The second verse talks of leaving home and love, and being cornered by the devil himself. Despite the offer of redemption by a holy man, the singer has already left faith behind, at the same time leaving love and hope for a better life.
The chorus is repeated throughout the song, and it continues to uphold the bleak mood. The bag of stones that the singer is burdened with is a metaphor for the trials and tribulations of life, and the suggestion that they will never be rid of them is profoundly pessimistic. The third verse describes the darkness and quiet that accompanies the end of the journey. The line ‘earth’s on the way back down’ suggests that the end is inescapable and only a matter of time. The final lines, however, seem to imply that this is preferable to continuing to exist in this desolate world, at least for the morning bird whose singing is a sign of a new day.
Line by Line Meaning
Smoke don't rise, fuel don't burn
Things that should be working are no longer functioning
Sun don't shine no more
There is darkness and despair all around
Late one night, sorrow come round
Sadness and grief suddenly appear without warning
Scratching at my door
The sorrows are demanding to be let in
But I cut my hands and break my back
Despite the hardships, I work hard to stay afloat
Dragging this bag of stones
Carrying the weight of my sorrows with me wherever I go
Till they bury me down beneath the ground
I am resigned to living with my sorrows until the end
With the dust and rattling bones
Death will bring peace from all this pain and misery
Left my home and left my love
I had to leave behind the people and places I cared about
Caught on a rusty nail
Got stuck in a situation that is difficult to get out of
Devil rose up heavy with gold
Atemptations come with a heavy price
My soul's not for sale
I won't compromise my integrity for any amount of wealth or power
Then a holy man in a house of God
A religious figure tries to offer me comfort and guidance
He offered me a book of prayer
Religious texts are not enough to ease my pain
Left my faith back there
I have lost my faith and don't believe in the power of religion to help me
Shut my eyes and hang my head
I retreat into my own sadness and depression
Darkness makes no sound
Despair and sorrow can be deafening even when they are silent
Climb it up, bottom there
When you reach rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up
Earth's on the way back down
Even when things start to look up, there is no guarantee they will stay that way
When a sadness falls on the morning bird
Even nature can't escape the sadness and despair of the world
Wonder what the day will bring
It's impossible to predict or prepare for what's to come
At least that bird can sing
Despite the sadness, there is still beauty and hope in the world
Till they bury me down beneath the ground
The sorrows and struggles of life are never over and will follow me to the grave
With the dust and rattling bones
Death will be the only relief and release from the weight of my sorrows
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KASEY CHAMBERS, SHANE ANTHONY NICHOLSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mutsivadeo658
Smoke don't rise, fuel don't burn
Sun don't shine no more
Late one night, sorrow come round
Scratching at my door
But I cut my hands and break my back
Dragging this bag of stones
Till they bury me down beneath the ground
With the dust and rattling bones
Left my home and left my love
Caught on a rusty nail
Devil rose up heavy with gold
My soul's not for sale
Then a holy man in a house of God
He offered me a book of prayer
But when I left my home and I left my love
Left my faith back there
Smoke don't rise, fuel don't burn
Sun don't shine no more
Late one night, sorrow come round
Scratching at my door
But I cut my hands and break my back
Dragging this bag of stones
Till they bury me down beneath the ground
With the dust and rattling bones
Shut my eyes and hang my head
Darkness makes no sound
Climb it up, bottom there
Earth's on the way back down
When a sadness falls on the morning bird
Wonder what the day will bring
But I shut my eyes and hang my head
At least that bird can sing
Smoke don't rise, fuel don't burn
Sun don't shine no more
Late one night, sorrow come round
Scratching at my door
But I cut my hands and break my back
Dragging this bag of stones
Till they bury me down beneath the ground
With the dust and rattling bones
Till they bury me down beneath the ground
With the dust and rattling bones
@MadeinHell2
I googled "I don't like country music but I love johnny cash" and I got this. I might have to reconsider my stance on this genre
@mihayredouane
poor guy
@ouripad3842
I'M EXACTLY THE SAME!,,, I LIKE jC and I LOVE this!!! 💖💖💖💖😍😍😍😍😍 And I'm pure Rock n Roll 🤘🤘
@mikeberry221
J C is about country as it gets. Classic or outlaw
@charlespayne2002
This is what country once was..
@jimbronson687
@@ouripad3842 Same hear bud. Interestingly the beat of this piece sounds very much like something from 60s or 70s rock. Have yet to figure it out. Most Rock and bluegrass music got its start in Blues. This one certainly did. JC for sure. CCR, 3 dog night Stones Beatles all used a blues beat. Ya know this has some soggy nottom boys in it as well. But like you guys I ain't big on county. But Chris Issac wicked ways was good as is Blue Monday from fats domino. Music is so cool. Nothing but math really, Math converted to sound.
@bullroarer-took
Call/recall for the win. Would love to see more of this kind of music by modern artists
@theghostflame
I'm a rapper and this is one of my favourite songs in 32 years on the planet.
@4u21nder
I love the way their voices just perfectly harmonize and that sideways twang of the song. It's like some fusion of bohemian backwoods barefoot country with a timeless quality to it, like they know they're damned, they came from somewhere, trying to go somewhere else, but not in any hurry kind of vibe. Very unique and fresh to my ears.
@kyliehayes1947
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