Day of Reckoning
Robbie Robertson Lyrics


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In this dusty little railroad town
Smack in the heart of the bible belt
Where nothing ever changes
While nothing remains the same
When first I saw the raven
Lean against the wind
I said who's the girl
With the tattoo on her skin
I followed her home
She lives down by the water
My friend Teddy told me
She's the Frenchman's daughter

On this day of reckoning
I'm riding shotgun with you
Tangled twisted strands of love
Hanging from above

I'm burnin for you
Burnin for you
We were first time lovers
In a secret rendezvous
Burnin, burnin
Burnin for you

When I come knocking on her front door
The neighbour said she don't live there no more
Well she moved from the country
Down to the city
Where the scene was dark
And the street was gritty
In the hustle and bustle and all the commotion
She got addicted to the locomotion

On this day of reckoning
By the old wooden bridge
I wait for you
Tangled twisted strands of love
Hanging from above

I'm burnin for you
Burnin for you
We were first time lovers
In a secret rendezvous
Burnin, burnin
Burnin for you

I remember the smell of the burning leaves
And we were making love
She was like a young Georgia O'Keefe
From another time
In an old abandoned railroad shack
On should never go
Where anything can happen
When the zephyr blows

On this day of reckoning
I'm calling to you
Tangled twisted strands of love
Hanging from above

I'm burnin for you
Burnin for you
We were first time lovers
In a secret rendezvous
Burnin, burnin
Burnin for you

The phone rings she said
I can't tell you where I'm calling from
Cause my papa's on the lam
For something shady that he's done
There hangs a tale of love




For the first time
For the first time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Robbie Robertson's "Day of Reckoning" center around a narrator's memory of a brief but intense romantic encounter with a young woman from a small railroad town. The lyrics suggest that the couple's tryst was passionate and forbidden, taking place in an abandoned railroad shack - a location that is dangerous and thrilling. The woman's origins add to the sense of forbidden desire, as she is referred to as "the Frenchman's daughter," suggesting that she comes from a family that is not well-liked by the conservative town. As the song moves on, the woman disappears, leaving the singer alone with his memories of their time together.


Overall, "Day of Reckoning" is a meditation on memory and loss, reflecting on how the fleeting connections we make with others can become defining moments in our lives. The imagery is full of nostalgia, as the singer remembers the scent of burning leaves, the sight of a raven, and the sound of a train whistle. But these are also images of transience - the leaves eventually burn out, the raven flies away, and the train passes by. The singer is left alone, waiting for a lover who will not return, but still burning with desire for what they once had. The song is a poignant reflection on the power of memory to shape our emotional lives, even when the people and places that inspired those memories are long gone.


Line by Line Meaning

In this dusty railroad town
The song takes place in a small, unchanging town in the religious South.


Smack in the heart of the bible belt
The town is located in the region with a conservative, Christian mentality.


Where nothing ever changes
The small town is static and unchanging.


While nothing remains the same
Despite the unchanging nature of the town, there are changes that happen.


When first I saw the raven
The artist sees a raven, suggesting change and unbridled freedom in this unchanging town.


Lean against the wind
The singer sees the raven bravely and determinedly defy the forces that oppose it.


I said who's the girl
The singer is intrigued by a girl with a tattoo on her skin.


With the tattoo on her skin
The girl has a visible tattoo that sets her apart from the town's conservative nature.


I followed her home
The artist begins a pursuit of the girl.


She lives down by the water
The girl lives close to the river or ocean.


My friend Teddy told me
The singer learns about the girl from his friend Teddy.


She's the Frenchman's daughter
The girl is the daughter of a Frenchman who may be foreign to the conservative town.


On this day of reckoning
The singer describes the present day/moment as a day of judgment, where things will come to a head.


I'm riding shotgun with you
The singer is metaphorically traveling in the passenger seat next to someone else.


Tangled twisted strands of love
There are complications in the relationship, which could be characterized by knots or tangles.


Hanging from above
The complications in the relationship are beyond the control of the people involved.


I'm burnin for you
The artist has a passion for the other person.


We were first time lovers
The singer and the other person were in love for the first time.


In a secret rendezvous
The relationship between the singer and other person was secret or private.


When I come knocking on her front door
The artist tries to find the girl at her home.


The neighbor said she don't live there no more
The girl moved away from her home, and her new location is unknown.


Well she moved from the country
The girl left her small town.


Down to the city
The girl moved to a big city.


Where the scene was dark
The new location has a shady or dangerous atmosphere.


And the street was gritty
The new location has a rough and tough nature.


In the hustle and bustle and all the commotion
The new city has a frenzied, chaotic atmosphere.


She got addicted to the locomotion
The girl became addicted to the excitement of the city.


By the old wooden bridge
The artist waits for the girl at a specific place.


I wait for you
The artist waits for the girl to arrive.


I remember the smell of the burning leaves
The singer remembers a specific sensory detail related to a past event.


And we were making love
The singer and the girl were intimate with each other.


She was like a young Georgia O'Keefe
The girl is compared to the artist Georgia O'Keefe who lived in the past.


From another time
The girl seems to belong to another era or generation.


In an old abandoned railroad shack
The artist and the girl were intimate in an old, abandoned building.


One should never go
The singer advises against doing something specific.


Where anything can happen
The building is a place of unexpected events and happenings.


When the zephyr blows
The building is affected by the wind or a sudden gust of air.


I'm calling to you
The singer reaches out or contacts the girl again.


The phone rings she said
The girl calls the singer on the phone.


I can't tell you where I'm calling from
The girl is hesitant to reveal her location.


Cause my papa's on the lam
The girl's father is on the run from the law or hiding from something.


For something shady that he's done
The girl's father did something illegal or unethical.


There hangs a tale of love
There is a story of love or a narrative thread that runs through the song.


For the first time
The love story unfolds for the first time in the song.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JEFFREY RICKETTS, ROBBIE ROBERTSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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