The Things We've Handed Down
Marc Cohn Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't know much about you
Don't know who you are
We've been doing fine without you
But, we could only go so far
Don't know why you chose us
Were you watching from above
Is there someone there that knows us
Said we'd give you all our love

Will you laugh just like your mother
Will you sigh like your old man
Will some things skip a generation
Like I've heard they often can
Are you a poet or a dancer
A devil or a clown
Or a strange new combination of
The things we've handed down

I wonder who you'll look like
Will your hair fall down and curl
Will you be a mama's boy
Or daddy's little girl
Will you be a sad reminder
Of what's been lost along the way
Maybe you can help me find her
In the things you do and say

And these things that we have given you
They are not so easily found
But you can thank us later
For the things we've handed down

You may not always be so grateful
For the way that you were made
Some feature of your father's
That you'd gladly sell or trade
And one day you may look at us
And say that you were cursed
But over time that line has been
Extremely well rehearsed
By our fathers, and their fathers
In some old and distant town




From places no one here remembers
Come the things we've handed down

Overall Meaning

The song "The Things We've Handed Down" by Marc Cohn is a contemplative piece about parenthood and legacy. The singer is addressing their future child, whom they have not yet met, and acknowledging the uncertainty and mystery of what kind of person they will be. The first verse conveys the sense that the singer has been content with their life thus far, but that the addition of this child will change everything. The second verse poses questions about the child's personality and character, wondering if they will take after one parent or the other, or if they will be a unique combination of both. The third verse expresses the hope that the child might help the parents rediscover something that has been lost or forgotten.


The song is poignant and introspective, and evokes a sense of awe and wonder in the face of life's mysteries. The repetition of the phrase "the things we've handed down" reinforces the idea of legacy, and suggests that the child will inherit not just physical traits but also intangible qualities or values. The song touches on the idea that we are all products of our ancestors and the choices they made, and that we have the power to shape the future through the way we raise and influence our children.


Line by Line Meaning

Don't know much about you
I have not met you yet and I do not know anything about you


Don't know who you are
I have no idea what kind of person you will grow up to be


We've been doing fine without you
Although we have not met you yet, we have been living our lives and doing okay


But, we could only go so far
However, we know that our lives and family would be incomplete without you and we are looking forward to meeting you


Don't know why you chose us
We do not understand why we were chosen to be your parents


Were you watching from above
Perhaps a higher power was responsible for connecting us


Is there someone there that knows us
It is possible that a higher power knows our family well and had a hand in bringing us together


Said we'd give you all our love
Regardless of how we came together, we promise to love and support you with all we have


Will you laugh just like your mother
I wonder if you will inherit certain traits from your mother, like her sense of humor


Will you sigh like your old man
Similarly, I am curious if you will inherit any traits from your father, like his tendency to sigh


Will some things skip a generation
I have heard that certain traits skip a generation and I wonder if that will be the case with you


Like I've heard they often can
I have heard that it is common for traits to skip a generation


Are you a poet or a dancer
I am excited to see what kinds of talents and interests you will have


A devil or a clown
You could have any personality type - I am looking forward to finding out which


Or a strange new combination of
You may exhibit an entirely unique blend of personality traits and interests


The things we've handed down
These traits and interests could come from a combination of what your parents and ancestors have enjoyed and possessed


I wonder who you'll look like
I am excited to see what you will look like


Will your hair fall down and curl
I am wondering about the specific details of your physical appearance


Will you be a mama's boy
I am curious if you will form special bonds with one of your parents


Or daddy's little girl
Or perhaps you will have a strong connection with the other parent


Will you be a sad reminder
Sometimes seeing you may remind us of what we have lost and missed out on


Of what's been lost along the way
We may feel a sense of loss or sadness when thinking about our experiences leading up to your arrival


Maybe you can help me find her
However, seeing you may also help us rediscover the joys of life that we have missed out on


In the things you do and say
Simply observing you grow and learn and explore may bring us back to those happy places


And these things that we have given you
There are certain traits and interests that have been passed down from our ancestors that we have passed on to you


They are not so easily found
These traits, interests, and experiences were not easy to come by - they have been carefully cultivated over time


But you can thank us later
We hope that one day, you will appreciate the things we have passed down and see the value in them


For the things we've handed down
These things include both physical possessions as well as more intangible traits and experiences that we hope to pass on to you


You may not always be so grateful
We understand that you may not always understand or appreciate the things we have given you


For the way that you were made
You may sometimes be frustrated with who you are and the traits, interests, and experiences you have inherited


Some feature of your father's
Perhaps there are certain negative traits or experiences that you have inherited from your father or ancestors


That you'd gladly sell or trade
There may be times when you feel like you would rather not have a particular trait or experience


And one day you may look at us
There may be times when you feel frustrated or angry with us as your parents for passing on these traits and experiences


And say that you were cursed
You may feel like you have been dealt an unfair hand in life and that we are to blame for it


But over time that line has been
This kind of frustration and anger is common and has been experienced by past generations as well


Extremely well rehearsed
This is a pattern that has prevailed throughout history and is a part of the human experience


By our fathers, and their fathers
Past generations have also felt frustrated and angry with their parents for passing on certain traits and experiences


In some old and distant town
This has been happening for centuries, in towns and cities far away and long ago


From places no one here remembers
As time goes on, we may forget the exact details of past generations and their experiences, but these patterns of frustration and anger will persist


Come the things we've handed down
Despite these patterns, we continue to pass down our traits, experiences, and possessions from generation to generation




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARC COHN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Atif Khan

Don't know much about you 
Don't know who you are 
We've been doing fine without you 
But, we could only go so far 
Don't know why you chose us 
Were you watching from above 
Is there someone there that knows us 
Said we'd give you all our love

Will you laugh just like your mother 
Will you sigh like your old man 
Will some things skip a generation 
Like I've heard they often can 
Are you a poet or a dancer 
A devil or a clown 
Or a strange new combination of 
The things we've handed down

I wonder who you'll look like 
Will your hair fall down and curl 
Will you be a mama's boy 
Or daddy's little girl 
Will you be a sad reminder 
Of what's been lost along the way 
Maybe you can help me find her 
In the things you do and say

And these things that we have given you 
They are not so easily found 
But you can thank us later 
For the things we've handed down

You may not always be so grateful 
For the way that you were made 
Some feature of your father's 
That you'd gladly sell or trade 
And one day you may look at us 
And say that you were cursed 
But over time that line has been 
Extremely well rehearsed 
By our fathers, and their fathers 
In some old and distant town 
From places no one here remembers 
Come the things we've handed down



All comments from YouTube:

utuberickvick

so much meaning strung into a beautiful melody... what a masterpiece

WesB1972

A master piece of poetry by a musical genius. I love this song.

CaapriceTube

Nice tune!!Marc is such an underrated artist.

Ed Roberts

Absolutely spot on

Donna DiCuffa

My husband used this song when he made a video montage for our son's first birthday. I cry every time I hear it and my "baby" is now 18. Unbelievable how time flies.

Den Kirkwood Tucker

I gave the lyrics to my father with a photo of his new grandson...hit the mark that day

Jason

Found this CD in late '93 maybe early '94, this song always stuck with me, finally my beautiful daughter was born in 2016. We will finally see him live next month. Bucket list check mark!

GwelloBoy

One of the best songs ever written IN MY HUMBLE OPINION

Channel1

Yes. I send the link to friends who are expecting babies.

Richard Norris

Its an opinion shared by Jim Webb, now theres a man who's written a song or two

More Comments

More Versions