Mother
Ricky Skaggs Lyrics


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Mothers not dead, she's only a sleeping
Just patiently waiting for Jesus to come
The birds will be singing while Mother is sleeping
They will sing o'er as the grave sinks away.

Well I left my old home way back in the mountains
For mother and father had both passed away
We followed our mother up to the graveyard
For mother was called to heaven that day.

Oh, how we miss her around the old home place
Everything seems so lonesome since she went away




Mother is sleeping way back the mountains
Yes mother is sleeping way back in the hills...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Ricky Skaggs's song "Mother" depict a sentimental reflection on the loss of a mother. The opening lines, "Mother's not dead, she's only a sleeping / Just patiently waiting for Jesus to come," speak to the belief that even though the physical body may have passed away, the spirit lives on in the afterlife. The lyrics then move on to describe the burial of the mother and the emotions that come with it. The line "We followed our mother up to the graveyard / For mother was called to heaven that day" highlights the idea that passing away is often seen as a call to reunite with God.


The chorus, "Oh, how we miss her around the old home place / Everything seems so lonesome since she went away," conveys the sense of emptiness that lingers after a loved one's passing, where something is not quite as it used to be. There's a clear sense of the significance of the Mother's presence in the home, and the subject's words and memories revolve around her. The final verse, "Mother is sleeping way back the mountains / Yes mother is sleeping way back in the hills," seems to convey a longing feeling that makes the subject remember the hills in which his mother sleeps.


Overall, the song tells a story of love and loss, capturing the emotional turmoil that often accompanies grieving with a bittersweet style of country music.


Line by Line Meaning

Mothers not dead, she's only a sleeping
Although our mother has died, we believe she is just sleeping and waiting for Jesus to come.


Just patiently waiting for Jesus to come
We believe that our mother is at peace and waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ.


The birds will be singing while Mother is sleeping
As our mother is laid to rest, the birds will keep singing and nature will continue on without her.


They will sing o'er as the grave sinks away.
The birds will sing over our mother's grave as her body is slowly lowered into the ground.


Well I left my old home way back in the mountains
I had to leave my childhood home in the mountains because both my parents had passed away.


For mother and father had both passed away
Both of my parents had already died, leaving me and my siblings to mourn them both.


We followed our mother up to the graveyard
We escorted our mother's body to the graveyard for her final resting place.


For mother was called to heaven that day.
Our mother was taken to heaven on the day of her passing.


Oh, how we miss her around the old home place
Our mother's absence is deeply felt, especially in the place we grew up in and called home.


Everything seems so lonesome since she went away
Our mother's passing has left a void in our lives and everything feels empty and lonely without her.


Mother is sleeping way back the mountains
Our mother's final resting place is in the mountains, where she lived her life and raised her family.


Yes mother is sleeping way back in the hills...
She rests peacefully in the hills, surrounded by nature that she loved so much.




Lyrics © Kanjian Music
Written by: BILL MONROE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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