Who Do You Love
Ronnie Hawk Lyrics
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Got a brand-new house on the roadside, made from rattlesnake hide
Got a brand-new chimney made on top, made from a human skull
Come on, Robbie, let's take a little walk, tell me who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Arlene took me by the hand,
Says "Who are you, Ricky? I understand"
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Come on, Robbie! I got a tombstone hand and a graveyard mind
I've turned I don't mind dyin'
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
I ride around the county and use a rattlesnake whip
Take it easy, Garth, don't you give me no lip
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
The lyrics to Ronnie Hawkins / The Band's song "Who Do You Love?" are a blues-inspired tale of a man who is bragging about his wild and dangerous lifestyle. He speaks of walking for miles over barbed wire and donning a cobra snake as a necktie. He sings of his new rattlesnake hide house and his chimney, made of a human skull. He then tells Robbie, one of his accomplices, to take a walk with him and asks him, "who do you love?" This phrase is repeated multiple times throughout the song, driving home the theme of love as a competition between men.
The song takes a turn when Arlene enters the scene and takes him by the hand, asking him who he is and saying that she understands him. The singer then declares that he has a "tombstone hand and a graveyard mind" and is not afraid to die. He rides around with a rattlesnake whip and even threatens Garth, warning him not to give him any lip.
Overall, "Who Do You Love?" is a classic blues tune that paints a picture of a dangerous and free-spirited man who lives life on the edge. The repetition of the title phrase highlights the competitive nature of love, and the lyrics showcase the singer's fearless and wild nature.
Line by Line Meaning
I walked miles of barbed wire, use a cobra snake for a necktie
I've been through a lot of rough stuff and I'm a tough guy with a dangerous edge.
Got a brand-new house on the roadside, made from rattlesnake hide
I'm not afraid to use or display skins and hides from dangerous animals.
Got a brand-new chimney made on top, made from a human skull
I'm not afraid to use or display human remains.
Come on, Robbie, let's take a little walk, tell me who do you love?
Let's go out and do some crazy stuff and see who's the baddest dude around.
Who do you love?
Who do you admire or fear?
Arlene took me by the hand, Says "Who are you, Ricky? I understand"
Even the women want to know who I am and what I'm all about.
Come on, Robbie! I got a tombstone hand and a graveyard mind, I've turned I don't mind dyin'
I don't care if I die because I'm already living like I'm dead, and I have a deadly hand.
I ride around the county and use a rattlesnake whip, Take it easy, Garth, don't you give me no lip
I have a whip made of rattlesnakes and I'm not afraid to use it, so don't mess with me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Ellas McDaniel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind