Kevin Morby is an American musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the ba… Read Full Bio ↴Kevin Morby is an American musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the bass guitarist of the folk rock band Woods, and the frontman of The Babies, Morby began a solo career in 2013.

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.

Cut Me Down
Kevin Morby Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Birds will gather at my side
Tears will gather in my eyes
Throw my head and cry
As vultures circle in the sky
And you're going to do
What you came here to do
So why not do it now
Oh and cut me down

No one, no way to go
Step out of my shadow
Take me as I am
A man And they going to do
What they came here to do
I can see it in them now
They're going to cut me down

Looking for a fire
I'm looking to burn
Looking for the water
For the water I wake
Looking for the dance
Or the dance that I did

Looking for the dead
The dead that I left

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kevin Morby's song "Cut Me Down" convey a sense of fatalism and resignation in the face of death. The opening lines paint a vivid picture of the scene, with birds gathering at the singer's side and tears filling his eyes as he throws his head back to cry. The vultures circling in the sky are a clear sign that death is coming, and the singer seems to know it. He addresses an unseen entity, perhaps fate or the powers that be, and asks why they don't just "cut me down" now, rather than waiting.

The second verse shifts focus a bit, with the singer seeming to reflect on his life and the things he's looking for before he dies. He's looking for a fire to burn, water to drink, a dance to do, and perhaps most poignantly, the dead that he's left behind. It's as if he's searching for some sense of closure or completion before his time runs out.

The overall effect of the song is haunting and emotional, with Morby's evocative lyrics and plaintive voice capturing the sense of resignation and acceptance that often accompanies facing one's mortality.

Line by Line Meaning

Birds will gather at my side
I am surrounded by nature as I face my fate

Tears will gather in my eyes
I cry for the life I left behind

Throw my head and cry
I express my sorrow in a physical and emotional way

As vultures circle in the sky
I am being watched by predators waiting to pounce

And you're going to do
I know your intentions

What you came here to do
You will not stray from your purpose

So why not do it now
End it quickly, end my pain

Oh and cut me down
I am ready for my life to end

No one, no way to go
I have no escape from my destiny

Step out of my shadow
Do not live in my shadow after I am gone

Take me as I am
Accept me for who I am, faults and all