http://www.nathanielrateliff.com/
Members:
Nathaniel Rateliff
Patrick Meese
Julie Davis
Joseph Pope III
James Han
Laborman
Nathaniel Rateliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
squinting staring at the sun.
Just look at your burned skin
and try to tell me that I'm wrong.
Your laboring promise,
was anything but heavy work.
Is this all you've done then?
It took hours just to find the words.
Well, give me some time
I've been mulling around
and kicking it's teeth in the dirt.
I've got a feeling,
a sleeping depression,
that somebody's gonna get hurt.
Well, oh ya.
Well, they won't even mind.
This great succession
is a wound that never wants to heal.
Begging your pardon,
if I kinda like the way it feels.
You'll have to choke down,
the dust of me left in your mouth.
You got the harness,
so where you gonna drag me now?
Well, give me some time,
I've been mulling it around
and kicking it's teeth in the dirt.
And, I think it's pulling right for the bruisin'
and somebody's gonna get hurt.
Well, they won't
have to suffer me no more.
The opening lines of Nathaniel Rateliff's song "Laborman" set the tone for a bleak and introspective examination of the human condition. The singer seems to be addressing someone who has been working hard labor, and points out the damage that has been done to their skin from exposure to the sun. He questions the value of their "laboring promise," suggesting that it has not yielded the kind of results one might expect from such hard work. The repetition of the line "give me some time" suggests a desire for contemplation and self-reflection, perhaps to grasp something that has eluded him thus far.
The following lines take a darker turn, with the singer musing about a feeling of "sleeping depression" and the looming threat of violence. The phrase "somebody's gonna get hurt" is repeated, emphasizing the sense of unease and impending tragedy. In the final verse, the singer seems to be reflecting on some kind of personal conflict, perhaps with the person he has been addressing all along. The line "you got the harness, so where you gonna drag me now?" suggests a sense of powerlessness, and a fear of being dragged along by forces beyond his control. The song ends on a note of resolution, with the singer suggesting that his troubles will soon be over and he will no longer be a burden.
Overall, "Laborman" is a deeply introspective song that reflects the struggles of the working class, touches on themes of inner turmoil and personal conflict, and hints at a sense of impending violence or tragedy.
Line by Line Meaning
It's getting bright man,
The day has started and it is getting brighter.
squinting staring at the sun.
The person is squinting while looking at the sun.
Just look at your burned skin
The person's skin is burned as a result of being in the sun for too long.
and try to tell me that I'm wrong.
The artist is challenging the person to deny that their skin is burned.
Your laboring promise,
The promise of working hard.
was anything but heavy work.
The work promised was not difficult or burdensome.
Is this all you've done then?
The singer is questioning if this is the only thing the person has accomplished.
It took hours just to find the words.
The task of finding the right words was difficult and time-consuming.
Well, give me some time
The artist is asking for time to figure things out.
I've been mulling around
The artist has been thinking about something for a while.
and kicking it's teeth in the dirt.
The singer is fighting against something.
I've got a feeling,
The artist has an intuition or hunch.
a sleeping depression,
The singer is feeling down or sad, but not yet aware of it.
that somebody's gonna get hurt.
The singer is feeling a sense of danger or harm to someone.
Well, oh ya.
An expression of agreement.
Well, they won't even mind.
They will not object or care.
This great succession
Something that follows or comes after something else.
is a wound that never wants to heal.
Something that is painful and difficult to recover from.
Begging your pardon,
Asking for forgiveness or politeness.
if I kinda like the way it feels.
The artist is admitting to liking the feeling of pain or discomfort.
You'll have to choke down,
You will have to deal with or bear the consequence of something unpleasant.
the dust of me left in your mouth.
The lingering memory or impact of the artist, even after they are gone.
You got the harness,
You are in control of the situation or the direction it takes.
so where you gonna drag me now?
The artist is asking where the person will take them or the situation next.
And, I think it's pulling right for the bruisin'
The singer feels that things are headed towards a collision or confrontation.
and somebody's gonna get hurt.
The singer once again expresses that someone may suffer harm.
Well, they won't
An expression of certainty that they will not.
have to suffer me no more.
The artist will not continue to cause problems or pain for the person.
Contributed by Kaitlyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.