Both gloomy purveyors of swampy blues laden rock on either side of their re… Read Full Bio ↴Both gloomy purveyors of swampy blues laden rock on either side of their respective continents, this is a perfect marriage that produced a memorable album in the shape of Kiss You Kidnapped Charabanc (reissue is sold with a live disc featuring a live performance in Augsburg)

Crossroads
Nikki Sudden & Rowland S. Howard Lyrics

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Kissed the car made out of your lips
I polished it until it shone
I saved every dollar I made
I saved every dollar I made.

I buried your heart at the crossroads
Where the milestones mark the way
And the dew fell across the stones

And the way to your grave.

I met you at the crossroads
In nineteen-thirty-four
I met you down by the crossroads
I met you there.

I saw you that morning
Dead roses in your hair
And a bunch of nettles in your hand
The smile on your face said you didn't care.

I met you at the crossroads
Where the milestones mark the way
And a box of roses was all that was left
To show the way to your grave.

I rode off with you in the cadillac
I stole all the arrows as well
I rode off with you in the cadillac
With another tale to tell.

I buried your heart at the crossroads
Where the milestones mark the way
I buried your heart at the jericho tree
And no-one knows what to say to me now
Not to me now
Not to me now
Not to me now.

And down by the crossroads
I still wait somedays
I wonder if you'll ever return
How long I have to wait.

Been waiting for twenty years now
They say you're dead or in jail
But who cares honey
I'll find you again someday.

And one day I'll wake up
And I'll bury your heart

Yea one day I'll wake up
And make a new start.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nikki Sudden & Rowland S. Howard's song "Crossroads" tell a story of love, death, and a journey between two individuals. The first verse describes the singer's obsession with his lover's car, which he has "polished until it shone," and how he saved every dollar he made. After this, the singer describes burying his lover's heart at the crossroads, where the milestones mark the way. The dew fell across the stones, hinting at the sadness and tears associated with death. The singer then met his lover at the crossroads in 1934, where she had dead roses in her hair and nettles in her hand, and a smile on her face. It seems as if the woman wasn't afraid of death, and the singer was left to wonder why that was.

The second verse talks about how the singer rode off with his lover in a Cadillac, stole all the arrows as well, and buried her heart at the Jericho tree. The third and final verse talks about how the singer has been waiting for twenty years now, wondering if his lover will ever return, and how they say she is dead or in jail. However, the singer doesn't care and will find her again someday, even if it takes a new start.

Overall, the lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone who is deeply in love with someone who has passed away, and who is willing to go to extreme lengths to be buried beside them one day. The Crossroads are a powerful symbol in this song, representing the intersection of two paths where one must choose, and where death and the afterlife may be waiting.

Line by Line Meaning

Kissed the car made out of your lips
I passionately kissed you, and it felt like I was kissing a car made out of your lips

I polished it until it shone
I took every chance to love you and give you my best, until you were radiant with it

I saved every dollar I made
I held onto every resource I could gather, just to have you in my life

I buried your heart at the crossroads Where the milestones mark the way And the dew fell across the stones And the way to your grave.
I put your heart where I last saw you, where the signs towards the end start to appear, the morning wet with tears and rainfall, and where you are laid to rest

I met you at the crossroads In nineteen-thirty-four I met you down by the crossroads I met you there.
I saw you at the juncture that changed both our fates, it was a moment that could have given us a new start, the place we first met

I saw you that morning Dead roses in your hair And a bunch of nettles in your hand The smile on your face said you didn't care.
I found you on the day everything withered, symbolized by the dead roses in your hair, leaves that do more damage than good, but you still had a smile that told me otherwise

I met you at the crossroads Where the milestones mark the way And a box of roses was all that was left To show the way to your grave.
I saw you for the last time where all the signs pointed towards your passing, with nothing left but dying flowers to guide me

I rode off with you in the cadillac I stole all the arrows as well I rode off with you in the cadillac With another tale to tell.
I was with you on our final journey in luxury, with all the arrows pointing nowhere, a new story ready for us

And down by the crossroads I still wait somedays I wonder if you'll ever return How long I have to wait.
I still hope to see your ghost at that bend in the road, and I wonder if you will come back to this world, and for how long I will remain here waiting

Been waiting for twenty years now They say you're dead or in jail But who cares honey I'll find you again someday.
I have waited for so long now, I've heard that you're gone or removed from the world, but my love for you will never die and I know I'll find you again

And one day I'll wake up And I'll bury your heart Yea one day I'll wake up And make a new start.
And one day I'll finally find the resolve to lay you to rest, and with that new beginning, start over once again

Contributed by Alyssa P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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