Henry
Mo' Keb' Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When cotton was picked by hand
Down in Dixy under southern sky
Working from sun to sun
Remember if you will
Lightenin' from a whiskey still
The blues and the breeze
A little church house up on the hill
And I can hear the Delta callin'
From the light of a distant star
I can see my future and I can feel my past
When Henry plays his steel guitar, oh yeah
Won't you take be back in time
And free me from this crime
Well, I have no shame and I have no blame
It's time for us to be movin' on
And I can hear the Delta callin'
From the light of a distant star
And I can see my future and I can feel my past
When Henry plays his steel guitar
When Henry plays his steel guitar
And I can hear the Delta callin'
From the light of a distant star
I can see my future and I can feel my past
When Henry plays his steel guitar
When Henry plays his steel guitar, play on
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Sounds sweet to me
The song "Henry" by Mo' Keb' is a nostalgic tribute to the singer's past life in the cotton fields and rural areas of the American South. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing for a simpler time and a connection to the land and its people. The song opens with a reminder of the labor-intensive process of picking cotton by hand, a task that was hard but needed to be done. The reference to the southern sky highlights the beauty and glory of the region, as well as the hard work that was required to make a living there.
As the song continues, Mo' Keb' recalls other aspects of his past, including the whiskey stills that were once common in the region, the blues music that was so influential, and the sweet magnolia trees that provided shade and comfort. The image of a little church house up on the hill suggests that faith was an important part of life in the South, perhaps more so than in other parts of the country. The singer's nostalgia comes to a climax in the chorus, as he hears the Delta calling from a distant star and sees his future and past when Henry plays his steel guitar.
The chorus of the song is a powerful reminder of the importance of music in the South, especially the steel guitar that Mo' Keb' refers to. The music is a connection between the past, present, and future, and it brings back the memories of a simpler time when life was hard but people still found joy and beauty in the world around them. Overall, "Henry" is a beautiful expression of the love that Mo' Keb' has for his roots in the South, and the importance of the past in shaping our lives today.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember if you can
Recalling the past and how things used to be
When cotton was picked by hand
Remembering the days when cotton was harvested manually
Down in Dixy under southern sky
Referring to Southern United States specifically
Working from sun to sun
Description of hard-working people who spent long hours farming
Remember if you will
Encouragement to recall memories of the past
Lightenin' from a whiskey still
Reference to the production of moonshine or illegal alcohol in the past
The blues and the breeze
Describing the feeling of the South and its music
The sweet magnolia trees
A reminder of the beauty of the South's flora
A little church house up on the hill
A reference to religious faith in the South and community
And I can hear the Delta callin'
Desire to return to the roots of Delta Blues music
From the light of a distant star
An artistic representation of a yearning for the past through the use of metaphors
I can see my future and I can feel my past
Living in the present while acknowledging past experiences
When Henry plays his steel guitar, oh yeah
The power of music to transport one's mind to another place and time
Won't you take be back in time
A plea to be taken back to nostalgic times
And free me from this crime
Desire to escape one's current situation
Well, I have no shame and I have no blame
A state of not feeling guilt nor taking any responsibility for the present
It's time for us to be movin' on
Decision to leave the past behind and move on
When Henry plays his steel guitar
The beauty of music and how it can symbolize certain memories
When Henry plays his steel guitar
Repetition for emphasis on the importance of music
And I can hear the Delta callin'
Reassertion of the longing for the country's musical heritage
From the light of a distant star
Repetition and use of poetic language
I can see my future and I can feel my past
Repetition of living in the present while acknowledging the past
When Henry plays his steel guitar
Final repetition and emphasis on the importance of music in this song
When Henry plays his steel guitar, play on
An invocation for Henry to keep playing
Sounds sweet to me
Expressing satisfaction with the music being played
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John Lewis Parker, Kevin R. Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind