Boll Weevil
Punch Brothers Lyrics


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Boll weevil told the farmer
"You better treat me right
I'll eat up all of your cotton
Sleep in your grain rail tonight"

Boll weevil told the farmer
"You don't need no Ford machine
I'll eat up all of your cotton
Can't buy no gasoline"

Yon comes the spider
Crawled up and down the wall
He must've been going
To get his hash's haul

I don't see no water
But I'm about to drown




I don't see no fire
But I'm burning down

Overall Meaning

The first two stanzas of Punch Brothers’ song Boll Weevil describe a narrative of a boll weevil talking to a farmer, warning him that he will devour up all of his cotton if he’s not treated right. The boll weevil also convinces the farmer that he doesn't need any Ford machines, as he alone can take care of his crops. The boll weevil represents a destructive force that cannot be quenched, a theme present in most blues lyrics, in which an outside force threatens to destroy something that is essential to a person's livelihood. The song can also be interpreted to allude to the Great Depression in which many farmers lost their crops and homes, leading to poverty and destitution.


The rest of the lyrics introduce a spider who is trying to catch a bug. The lyrics suggest that the spider is selling drugs or smoking marijuana, and the “bug” is a symbol for a customer. The lyrics continue with “I don't see no water, but I'm about to drown” and “I don't see no fire, but I'm burning down,” suggesting that the character is consumed by his vices, which are overpowering him slowly. The lyrics give a distinct feeling of unease and disorder, describing a world of chaos, confusion, and distrust, presenting the listener with a gritty vision of America's rural past.


Line by Line Meaning

Boll weevil told the farmer
The boll weevil said to the farmer


"You better treat me right
"You better treat me well


I'll eat up all of your cotton
Or else it will destroy all your cotton


Sleep in your grain rail tonight"
And rest comfortably in your grain rail tonight"


Boll weevil told the farmer
Again, the boll weevil spoke to the farmer


"You don't need no Ford machine
"You don't need a Ford machine


Can't buy no gasoline"
And cannot buy gasoline to operate it"


Yon comes the spider
Here comes a spider


Crawled up and down the wall
Climbing up and down the wall


He must've been going
It is assumed that the spider is moving


To get his hash's haul
Perhaps to collect his food


I don't see no water
There is no water in sight


But I'm about to drown
But the singer feels they are about to drown


I don't see no fire
There is no fire in sight


But I'm burning down
But the singer feels as if they are burning down




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRIS BALLEW, DAVID MICHAEL DEDERER, JASON S. FINN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

banjoblast

Great tune! That haunting melody could go on and on. The words conjure up endless dreams. Tommy J was onto something.

Shnalf

It is so ingenious how they shifted part of the melody! Listen how the bass sometimes seems like it is playing off the beat, but then straight again. But the bass isn't the one changing.

Shnalf

They are also repeating the melody a beat earlier and combined with the shifting, the first note really has this rushing "in your face" energy.

Shayne Green

so good!

Andrew Stenberg

Awesome Song!

Nour El Feki

Nice 👍 dancing đŸ•ș 💃

Alex

Thanks for this.

Front Row Boston

alex0589 thanks for watching!

StellardruĂ­d

Quality shiyyyt

Michael Barat

The singer needs to sing louder, he's to hear.

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