The Hunter's Wife
Pistol Annies Lyrics

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He's got 17 coon dogs out in the pen
Ten 11 point bucks hangin' in his den
If he ain't a'huntin' he's a'watching a show
Teaches things about huntin' that he don't know

And if I was a bettin' woman
I'd lay my money down
I'd bet he spends more time in them woods

Than he spends in this house
I got myself a problem I can't figure no way out
It's like I'm married to a shotgun carryin', tobacco chewin',
No good blue tick hound

Well, I'm sick of squirrel gravy and I'm sick of coon stew
Fence posts, shock collars, chicken wire, too
If he ain't a'huntin' he's out at the lake
Suckin' on a long neck, changin' his bait

And if I was a bettin' woman
I'd lay my money down
I'd bet he spends more time in them woods
Than he spends in this house
I got myself a problem I can't figure no way out
It's like I'm married to a shotgun carryin', tobacco chewin',
No good blue tick hound

Go boys

He may as well be invisible in his Realtree overalls
I can barely see him through the tree stand
Seated underwear and turkey calls
Lord help me with this problem I can't figure no way out

It's like I'm married to a shotgun carryin',
Tobacco chewin', no good blue tick hound

Overall Meaning

In the song "The Hunter's Wife," Pistol Annies tell the story of a fed-up wife who is tired of her husband's obsession with hunting. The lyrics paint a picture of a man who spends all his time in the woods with his coon dogs and deer mounts, leaving his wife alone and frustrated. She complains about the squirrel gravy and coon stew he brings home, the fences and shock collars he uses, and his constant drinking and bait-changing when he's not hunting. She feels like she's "married to a shotgun carrying', tobacco chewin', no good blue tick hound" and can't figure out how to get her husband to pay her more attention.

The song speaks to the struggles of many rural marriages, where hunting and other outdoor activities are a way of life. It can be difficult for spouses to understand each other's interests and hobbies, especially when they seem completely different. The wife in the song isn't against hunting per se, but she wishes her husband would spend more time with her and less time in the woods. By the end of the song, she's resigned to her fate and even finds a bit of humor in her situation: "He may as well be invisible in his Realtree overalls/I can barely see him through the tree stand/Seated underwear and turkey calls."

Line by Line Meaning

He's got 17 coon dogs out in the pen
He has a lot of coon dogs that are kept in his pen

Ten 11 point bucks hangin' in his den
He has ten 11-point bucks hanging in his den as a hunting trophy

If he ain't a'huntin' he's a'watching a show
If he's not hunting, he's watching shows about hunting

Teaches things about huntin' that he don't know
He watches shows about hunting to learn things he doesn't know

And if I was a bettin' woman
If I were a woman who gambles

I'd lay my money down
I'd bet my money

I'd bet he spends more time in them woods
I bet he spends more time hunting in the woods

Than he spends in this house
Than he spends in this house with me

I got myself a problem I can't figure no way out
I have an unsolvable problem

It's like I'm married to a shotgun carryin', tobacco chewin', No good blue tick hound
It feels like I'm married to a hunting-obsessed man who is rough and tough

Well, I'm sick of squirrel gravy and I'm sick of coon stew
I am tired of the same meals made from the animals he hunts

Fence posts, shock collars, chicken wire, too
I am tired of seeing hunting gear everywhere around me

If he ain't a'huntin' he's out at the lake
If he's not hunting, he's out at the lake fishing

Suckin' on a long neck, changin' his bait
He's drinking beer while changing his bait

He may as well be invisible in his Realtree overalls
I can hardly see him since he's wearing camouflaged clothing

I can barely see him through the tree stand
I can only see him slightly through the tree stand

Seated underwear and turkey calls
He's sitting in his underwear and calling turkeys

Lord help me with this problem I can't figure no way out
I pray to the Lord for help to solve this unsolvable problem

It's like I'm married to a shotgun carryin', Tobacco chewin', no good blue tick hound
It feels like I'm married to someone who cares more about hunting than they do about me

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANGALEENA LOLETTA PRESLEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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