Undone
Robert Earl Keen; Jr. Lyrics
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Everybody knows you been downtown
Been downtown late last night
Busted your head in a barroom fight
Fightin' with your brother fightin' with your wife
Seems you been fightin' every day of your life
Can't stand still, still can't run
You put it all together but it came undone
Your soul is junk, your brain is dust
All your memories are eaten up with rust
Your nightmares real, dreams too stark
You love the night but you hate the dark
Your mother your daddy little sister too
Told you a secret they were countin' on you
You were dying to tell but your dad said son
Button your lip but it come undone
So they turned you out when you turned them in
They told you don't come back again
Now the years stack up like old beer cans
Dead end jobs payment plans
Broke down trucks welfare checks
Child support and back-seat sex
You'd kill yourself but you hocked your gun
You built a noose but it come undone
So you're livin' in a shack bu you wanna be rich
And you would if it wasn't for the son of a bitch
The son of a bitch the dirty old whore
The butcher the baker the grocery store
You hate them they hate you
What in the world are you gonna do
It ain't your fault but they need someone
To blame it on when they come undone
Now the storm's comin' in the sky's turned black
It's too late now you can't turn back
Lightnin' strikes on the telephone wire
You're drunk as a skunk your shack's on fire
The wife took the baby and the other two kids
The dogs are a-howlin' and the chickens are dead
It's your last night out and you're gonna have fun
They'll read it in the papers when you come undone
The lyrics of Robert Earl Keen's song "Undone" tell the story of a man who seems to have lived a life of struggles, mistakes, and misfortunes. The opening lines "Fire one up and you toss one down, everybody knows you been downtown" quickly introduce the image of a man who seeks solace in drugs and alcohol, and whose reputation as a troublemaker precedes him. The subsequent lines reveal that his behavior is rooted in deep-seated issues, such as ongoing familial conflict and a burden of secrets he can't divulge. He's haunted by his past and thwarted at every turn, unable to escape the cycles of poverty and desperation that fuel his downward trajectory.
The chorus "put it all together but it came undone" serves as a refrain, echoing throughout the song and emphasizing the recurring theme of things falling apart. The lyrics depict a character who is determined to make a better life for himself but is consistently thwarted by external forces and his own inner demons. The final verse hints at a looming disaster, with a literal storm on the horizon serving as a metaphorical representation of the character's impending doom.
Line by Line Meaning
Fire one up and you toss one down
You light a joint and smoke until it's burnt out, then throw it down.
Everybody knows you been downtown
Everyone knows you've been out to the town or city center.
Been downtown late last night
You were out in the town center till late last night.
Busted your head in a barroom fight
You got into a physical fight in a bar and got injured.
Fightin' with your brother fightin' with your wife
You fight with your family members regularly and with your spouse too.
Seems you been fightin' every day of your life
It appears you've been fighting with someone every day of your life so far.
Can't stand still, still can't run
You can't stay in one place for long, but you also can't move fast enough either.
You put it all together but it came undone
You tried to arrange everything in your life perfectly, but it all fell apart anyway.
Your soul is junk, your brain is dust
Your soul feels worthless, and your mind seems empty and useless.
All your memories are eaten up with rust
Your memories have faded and become useless like metal corroded with rust.
Your nightmares real, dreams too stark
Your nightmares are actual and your dreams are too vivid.
You love the night but you hate the dark
You like being awake at night, but the darkness itself scares you.
Your mother your daddy little sister too
Your mother, father, and younger sister - all were close to you.
Told you a secret they were countin' on you
They entrusted you with a confidential matter that depended on you.
You were dying to tell but your dad said son
You badly wanted to disclose it, but your father asked you to be quiet.
Button your lip but it come undone
Your father asked you to keep quiet, but you couldn't.
So they turned you out when you turned them in
They expelled you when you informed against them.
They told you don't come back again
They warned you to never come back again after betraying them.
Now the years stack up like old beer cans
Years have been passing by uselessly, just like old beer cans pile up.
Dead end jobs payment plans
You're caught in low-paying jobs and debt repayment plans.
Broke down trucks welfare checks
You have only broken-down trucks and welfare checks for income.
Child support and back-seat sex
You need to pay child support, and you have sex in the back seat of your car.
You'd kill yourself but you hocked your gun
You would have killed yourself, but you pawned your gun.
You built a noose but it come undone
You tried to prepare a noose, but even that failed.
So you're livin' in a shack bu you wanna be rich
You're living in a hut, but you aspire to become wealthy.
And you would if it wasn't for the son of a bitch
If it wasn't for one individual, you could have made the fortune.
The son of a bitch the dirty old whore
The person responsible for your poverty is worthless and untrustworthy.
The butcher the baker the grocery store
You hate the people who run basic businesses in your locality.
You hate them they hate you
You despise them, and they reciprocate your feelings.
What in the world are you gonna do
You're clueless about what to do next.
It ain't your fault but they need someone
It's not entirely your fault, but they must blame someone.
To blame it on when they come undone
They need someone to blame when something goes wrong.
Now the storm's comin' in the sky's turned black
There is a storm coming, and the sky has turned dark.
It's too late now you can't turn back
It is too late, and you can't do anything to change the situation.
Lightnin' strikes on the telephone wire
Lightning strikes the telephone wire.
You're drunk as a skunk your shack's on fire
You're highly intoxicated, and your hut is on fire.
The wife took the baby and the other two kids
Your wife took the children and left.
The dogs are a-howlin' and the chickens are dead
The dogs are howling, and the chickens are dead.
It's your last night out and you're gonna have fun
It's your last night on this planet, and you want to enjoy it.
They'll read it in the papers when you come undone
Your final act will make it to the news headlines.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROBERT EARL KEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind