Kate left a secure career with a Nashville university to pursue music full-time. Her 1994 debut album "Songs From The Levee" was re-released in 2004. Her latest album "1000 Pound Machine" was released in 2012.
Pans of Biscuits
Kate Campbell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His back was bending low
Picking out his cotton
As hard as he could go
He piled it in the rail pen
Until the merchant came
That he might attach his cotton
It's pans of biscuits
Bowls of gravy
Pans of biscuits
We shall have
I saw him in the evening
His back was against a tree
His poor ole head was aching
He rolled up on his knee
I'll be compelled to go home
Or surely i will die
My head has commenced aching
I heard the farmer cry
It's pans of biscuits
Bowls of gravy
Pans of biscuits
We shall have
I've toiled all my lifetime
And still i find i'm poor
Without an education
My children's left my door
The lyrics of Kate Campbell's song "Pans of Biscuits" depict a day in the life of a sharecropper. The opening lines describe the farmer, with his back bent low, picking cotton as fast as he can. After harvesting the cotton, he piles it in the rail pen, waiting for the merchant to come and attach the cotton so that he can be paid. The chorus is a repetitive reminder of what is to come after a long day, "Pans of biscuits, bowls of gravy. Pans of biscuits, we shall have." It is a simple, yet effective way of showing that the small pleasures in life, such as a hot meal, are worth working hard for.
The second verse takes a different turn by showing the harsh reality faced by those working the land. The farmer is in pain, his head aching from the harsh sun of the day, and he rolls up on his knee, with his back against a tree. He knows he needs to go home, or else he will die, showing how thin the line between life and death can be when working conditions are hard.
The final verse is a sad realization that despite his lifelong work, the farmer is still poor. He knows the reason for this is that he lacks an education, and his children have already left his door. This shows the cycle of poverty that can be hard to break without proper education and opportunities, and how the farmer's hard work alone did not provide a means to escape poverty.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw an honest farmer
The singer saw a farmer who was truthful and hardworking.
His back was bending low
The farmer was physically exhausted from working in the fields.
Picking out his cotton
The farmer was harvesting the cotton crops.
As hard as he could go
The farmer was working to his utmost capacity.
He piled it in the rail pen
The farmer collected the harvested cotton into a designated area for transport.
Until the merchant came
The farmer waited until the merchant arrived to sell his cotton.
That he might attach his cotton
The farmer expected the merchant to purchase his cotton.
That he should pay his claim
The farmer needed money from selling the cotton to pay his debts.
It's pans of biscuits
The following lines are about the desire to have some simple food to eat.
Bowls of gravy
A desire for a basic, flavorful condiment for their food.
We shall have
Hope that they will obtain the previously mentioned biscuits and gravy.
I saw him in the evening
The artist saw the farmer later in the day.
His back was against a tree
The farmer was resting against a tree to ease his exhaustion.
His poor ole head was aching
The farmer was experiencing a headache.
He rolled up on his knee
The farmer maybe bent down or kneeled over to deal with his headache.
I'll be compelled to go home
The farmer felt he had no choice but to go home due to his headache.
Or surely i will die
The farmer feared that his headache would worsen and be fatal.
My head has commenced aching
The farmer's headache had begun earlier in the day.
I heard the farmer cry
The farmer was overheard expressing his pain.
I've toiled all my lifetime
The farmer has worked hard throughout his life.
And still i find i'm poor
Despite his hard work, the farmer is still poor.
Without an education
The farmer has not been able to get formal education, which limits his ability to earn a better living.
My children's left my door
The farmer's children have left home, likely due to their own financial issues and limited opportunities in their home town.
Contributed by Anna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.