Mason Proffit was formed in 1969 after the disbanding of Chicago garage roc… Read Full Bio ↴Mason Proffit was formed in 1969 after the disbanding of Chicago garage rock group Sounds Unlimited. Brothers John Michael Talbot and Terry Talbot decided to form a new group that was more of a folk and country band. "Two Hangmen", off of their first album Wanted... Mason Proffit, became a regional hit but was unable to chart nationally. It did, however, help their second album, Movin' Toward Happiness, chart on the Billboard 200. In 1972, the band signed to Warner Bros. Records and were placed on a national tour opening for the Grateful Dead. Warner Bros. released two of their albums, but both sold poorly, prompting the label to drop the band. Mason Proffit disbanded shortly afterward.
Jon Michael Talbot founded the Christian/Catholic order "Brothers and Sisters of Charity".

Melinda
Mason Proffit Lyrics

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Far up in the foothills
Deep in Tennessee
I found her crumpled cabin
Where the wind can only breathe
I knocked upon the oaken door
And shuddered at my gloom
For scarcely had the night begun
When the clouds did shroud the moon

Her haggled face came forward
As whispered through the night
She asked if I would lead her
For she'd long since lost her eyes
She sat me down beside the fire
It's slowly dying glow
And outside tho the wind did scream
The cabin only moaned
And then she asked me questions
Of my parents and my place
To my reply I'd never known
A smile did crack the face
You see she said your mother died
As you did leave the womb
But left inside a twin did lie
___? At his tomb
And lo just then the cabin door went crashing on it's hinge
And just outside a women stood her hair like blackened fringe
Them that haunt, they see in me, she screamed and turned to run

Through the wind I heard her say the dead can bear no sons
Then the hag did stand again
She hobbled on her cane
Clutching at the knarled door she called my mothers name
Melinda
Melinda
Melinda
Melinda
Melinda

Melinda
Melinda

Overall Meaning

The song "Melinda" by Mason Proffit tells the haunting story of a man stumbling upon an isolated cabin in Tennessee where an old woman named Melinda lives. The singer describes the desolate conditions of the cabin, and how the howling wind outside acts as a constant reminder of the isolation and loneliness that surrounds him. When Melinda appears, she appears to be a figure who holds many secrets, and is herself a victim of the harsh conditions she is surrounded by. She appears to be blind, and asks the singer for help, revealing how she lost her sight because of the unforgiving elements surrounding her cabin. She then proceeds to reveal a shocking secret about the singer's past, informing him of how he was born without his twin sibling who died in the womb. The song then takes a nightmarish turn when a woman with wild hair appears at the door screaming and runs away, claiming that the dead cannot bear any sons. The song concludes with Melinda calling out the singer's mother's name, leaving the singer alone with the dark secrets that have been revealed to him.

Line by Line Meaning

Far up in the foothills
I ventured far into the mountains

Deep in Tennessee
In the rural parts of Tennessee

I found her crumpled cabin
I discovered her dilapidated home

Where the wind can only breathe
Her cabin was isolated and exposed to the environment

I knocked upon the oaken door
I knocked on the heavy wooden door

And shuddered at my gloom
I felt uneasy in the darkness

For scarcely had the night begun
The night had just begun

When the clouds did shroud the moon
The clouds covered the moon

Her haggled face came forward
She emerged with her wrinkled face

As whispered through the night
She spoke softly in the darkness

She asked if I would lead her
She requested my assistance

For she'd long since lost her eyes
She had been blind for a long time

She sat me down beside the fire
She offered me a seat by the dying fire

It's slowly dying glow
It was gradually fading embers

And outside tho the wind did scream
Despite the howling wind outside

The cabin only moaned
The cabin made a groaning sound

And then she asked me questions
She then began to ask me questions

Of my parents and my place
She inquired about my family and hometown

To my reply I'd never known
I didn't know how to answer

A smile did crack the face
She smiled despite the answer

You see she said your mother died
She revealed that my mother had passed away

As you did leave the womb
When I was born

But left inside a twin did lie
I had a twin sibling who survived

___? At his tomb
Unknown

And lo just then the cabin door went crashing on it's hinge
Suddenly, the cabin door swung open with a bang

And just outside a women stood her hair like blackened fringe
A woman with wild hair stood outside in the darkness

Them that haunt, they see in me, she screamed and turned to run
She shouted that spirits see her, and then she ran away

Through the wind I heard her say the dead can bear no sons
The only thing I could hear as she ran away was her saying that the dead cannot have children

Then the hag did stand again
The old woman stood back up

She hobbled on her cane
She walked with her cane

Clutching at the knarled door she called my mothers name
She held onto the rough door and called out to my mother

Melinda
She repeatedly called out the name Melinda