Tear It Down
Old Crow Medicine Show Lyrics


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Every time I'd hit her she'd holler "Police"
Cook them biscuits, cook 'em brown
Done talkin' I'll tear it around
If you catch another mule kickin' in your stall
Then tear it down

Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
If you catch another mule kickin' in your stall
Man, you gotta tear it down

Mr. Evans on the avenue ain't ashamed
To see that monkey whiffin' that cocaine
Went upstairs to ring the bell
Police in the alley sniffin' cocaine
When you catch another mule kickin' in your stall
Then tear it down

Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
If you catch another mule kickin' in your stall
Man, you gotta tear it down

Every time I'd hit her she'd holler "Police"
Cook them biscuits, cook 'em brown
Done talkin' I'll tear it around
If you catch another mule kickin' in your stall
Then tear it down

Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)




If you catch another mule kickin' in your stall
Man, you gotta tear it down

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Old Crow Medicine Show’s song “Tear It Down” are open to interpretation, but the most common one is that they communicate an anti-establishment and anti-authoritarian message. The lyrics touch on themes of police brutality and corruption, drug use, and injustice.


The opening line of the song, “Every time I’d hit her she’d holler ‘Police,’” indicates a violent relationship with someone who would call the police to protect themselves. The following line, “Cook them biscuits, cook ‘em brown,” could be interpreted as a distraction to distance from the pain that the singer is experiencing. The phrase “Tear it down” is repeated several times throughout the song, which could refer to the systemic issues that the singer is facing. The mule kicking in the stall metaphorically represents a social problem that needs to be destroyed to make way for progress. The reference to cocaine and a monkey whiffing it could represent drug use and its negative effects on society. However, the meaning of the song is subjective, and listeners may interpret it differently.


Line by Line Meaning

Every time I'd hit her she'd holler "Police"
The woman in question called the police whenever she was hit by the singer.


Cook them biscuits, cook 'em brown
The singer is instructing someone to cook biscuits until they are brown.


Done talkin' I'll tear it around
The singer will take action after speaking their piece.


If you catch another mule kickin' in your stall
If someone intrudes or causes problems in your space, such as a mule kicking in a stall, take action.


Then tear it down
The artist is suggesting taking drastic action against the intruder by tearing down the stall.


Oh, tear it down (bed, slats and all)
This is a repeated refrain suggesting tearing down the stall completely.


Mr. Evans on the avenue ain't ashamed
Mr. Evans seems to not feel any guilt for engaging in questionable behavior.


To see that monkey whiffin' that cocaine
The artist observes a monkey sniffing cocaine, indicating that there are illicit practices happening in their neighborhood.


Went upstairs to ring the bell
The artist went upstairs to alert someone of their presence.


Police in the alley sniffin' cocaine
The police, instead of cracking down on illegal drug practices, are themselves partaking in them.


Man, you gotta tear it down
The singer is emphasizing the importance of taking action against intruders or issues in one's space.




Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management
Written by: CRITTER FUQUA, KETCH SECOR, KEVIN PAUL HAYES, MORGAN JAHNIG, WILLIE WATSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Matthew Skelton

Can we all take a moment to appreciate how solid Morgan is on the bass?!?! You could set your watch to his beat.

Jacqueline Jenkins

Really love OCMS. Their music is addictive. ❤️

TimeTravelinHendrix

I fucking love this tune!

Donald bond

I love those ol boys

Angell R

The best ever

Jitter Havik

top of the bill!

rustkingswv

ha. awesome!

Savage_ One

Did anyone else notice the fiddle player had a cowboy hat on, then off back and forth?

buggzo

Probably just one camera guy so they had to shoot multiple takes to cover everyone, or they just took footage from a different song

Jordan Lewis Lee

He’s just that good

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