Harlem River marked the solo debut. Known for his work as the singer/guitarist for the Brooklyn band The Babies and bassist for Woods, the Kansas City native and new Los Angeles resident, calls the record “an homage to New York City,” his adopted home for the past five years.
Amen
Kevin Morby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh I heard a word from your chest
Come out from within
Take me as I come now
Take me as I will
Take me as an angel
My freedom's gone but I'll shell
Oh I heard a word from your chest
Come out from within
Any way you want me
Any way at all
Any way you need me, my angel
Oh come just call
And won't you say a prayer for
Won't you say a prayer for me, my friend
I'm not dead, but I'm dyin'
So slow, so slow, so slow
Won't you say a prayer for
Won't you say a prayer for me, amen
I've been cryin' like a siren
In the mirror
So cold, so cold, so cold, so cold
Any way you want me
Any way you want me
Any way at all
Any way you need me
Any way you need me
And they come, they call
Take me as I come now
Take me as I come now
Take me as I will
Take me as an angel
Take me as an angel
Take me as you feel
In the earliest of mornings
The prayers would come and make themselves my way
Gently like a leaf on top of water harming no one
And that morning when I opened my eyes
It said accepted and then it melted away
When I opened them again it said expected
Dear God reach down your hand and lift me up
And death she said or what it seemed to me was one who got caught in God's riptide
And quickly without realizing you had been pulled out to sea
You looked up and a beach begins to grow faint
As you sink further into its abyss
And soon there's no one around you
And all that surrounds you is blue
Dear God reach down your hand and lift me up
Amen
Won't you say a prayer for
Won't you say a prayer for me, my friend
I'm not dead, but I'm dyin'
So slow, so slow, so slow
Won't you say a prayer for
Won't you say a prayer for me, amen
I've been cryin' like a siren
In the mirror
So cold, so cold, so cold, so cold
The lyrics of Kevin Morby's song Amen discuss the process of dying as the singer asks for a prayer from a friend. The song begins with the singer acknowledging that death has taken over his old body and that he hears a word from his friend's heart, urging him to accept his fate, no matter how painful. He submits himself to his angel, hoping that he will be taken as he is. He then pleads for a prayer from his friend, admitting that he's not dead, but he's slowly dying. In the second verse, he describes his morning prayers that come to him like leaves on top of still water, harmless and gentle. It is as if looking to a higher power for help. Then, he perceives death as a force that drags human beings like a riptide, without our knowing as we start to sink further into its abyss, surrounded by nothing but blue. He knows then that he is slowly dying and pleads to God in prayer to lift him up and prevent him from being caught in the tide.
The song's haunting melody sets the tone for this emotional journey that the singer is going through as he faces his mortality. The chorus becomes a plea for prayers, as he struggles to make sense of what's happening and pleads for the strength to endure the pain. The song communicates feelings of helplessness, resignation, and acceptance, as well as a search for larger-than-life meaning, like many of Morby's other tunes. It's a sad yet honest reflection of the experiences that we all must inevitably undergo at some point in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
All death and died in my old frame
I am haunted by thoughts of death and I feel like a shell of my former self
Oh I heard a word from your chest
I heard a voice from deep within
Come out from within
Let your true self be revealed
Take me as I come now
Accept me as I am, in this moment
Take me as I will
Accept me as I will become
Take me as an angel
Accept me as a pure and good being
My freedom's gone but I'll shell
I feel trapped and lacking in freedom, but I will still carry on
Any way you want me
I will do anything you ask of me
Any way at all
I am completely flexible and open to your needs
Any way you need me, my angel
I will be there for you in any way you require, my pure being
Oh come just call
Please reach out to me and I will come running
And won't you say a prayer for
Please offer a prayer on my behalf
Won't you say a prayer for me, my friend
Please pray for me, my dear friend
I'm not dead, but I'm dyin'
I am not yet dead, but I feel like I am slowly fading away
So slow, so slow, so slow
This process is happening agonizingly slowly
Won't you say a prayer for me, amen
Please offer a prayer on my behalf, amen
I've been cryin' like a siren
My tears are so loud they sound like a siren
In the mirror
As I stare at myself in the mirror
So cold, so cold, so cold, so cold
I feel so disconnected and alone
And they come, they call
Others reach out to me and I respond
Take me as you feel
Accept me in whatever way feels natural to you
In the earliest of mornings
In the very early hours of the day
The prayers would come and make themselves my way
I would receive divine guidance in the form of prayers
Gently like a leaf on top of water harming no one
The prayers were peaceful and non-intrusive
And that morning when I opened my eyes
On a particular day when I woke up
It said accepted and then it melted away
I received a message of acceptance and it quickly disappeared
When I opened them again it said expected
Upon opening my eyes a second time, I saw a different message of what was expected of me
Dear God reach down your hand and lift me up
A plea to God for help and guidance
And death she said or what it seemed to me was one who got caught in God's riptide
The artist is describing a vision of death that they witnessed
And quickly without realizing you had been pulled out to sea
Death takes hold of you before you even realize it
You looked up and a beach begins to grow faint
The singer sees a beach in the distance that is starting to fade away
As you sink further into its abyss
The artist sinks deeper into the darkness of death
And soon there's no one around you
The artist is alone in this moment of death
And all that surrounds you is blue
The artist is surrounded by a blue hue
Amen
Amen
Contributed by Riley A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MP-mc5pj
Really like his sound. He has this Gavin Degraw feel to him.
@Ozymandias_rar
Não acredito que sou o único Br que escuta essa maravinha
@angeloenrico432
Não é o único não haha
@jorikchovan5293
it's like Mazzy Star and Bob Dylan had a kid and i just love this music
@benverde6099
Beautiful.
@agarcoins2177
What bass is that?
@haskelltichell6400
voice sounds kinda like bob dylan
@liselramirez2861
" wont you say a Pray For me my friend, im not Death but im daying soo slow ... Soo slow"
@agarcoins2177
What’s this guitar
@ernestito2222
No puedo creer que soy el único hispanohablante que disfruta esta soberbia composición