Rodeo
Sheryl Crow Lyrics


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There comes a son,
A son of angels
Carrying an empty glass
Trying to fill it to the surface
Well tell your thirst love has passed

You carry on, carry the world
You must get worn with all the weight
I take it in but you won't no where
And no where's where we're headed fast
(past?)

[Chorus]
Oh, oh, Rodeo
Slow turning to and fro
Oh, oh, Rodeo
Where we land (laugh??) no one knows
(no one knows..)

We're not blind to what it is
In other words, the ignorant kind
Well life is short, but oh it's wide
It's wide enough to read your mind
[sometimes she says "to blow my mind"]

Well I believe in ever-after
Just in case what's after that
Don't I love you like the angels
And could you ever love me back?

[Chorus]

Strangers now we are becoming
Stranger now we have become
If any (fiction???) every returns
Returned by the coolest one





[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The song “Rodeo” by Sheryl Crow explores the themes of love, loss, and the passing of time. The opening verse introduces us to a character, “a son of angels,” who is trying to fill an empty glass in an attempt to quench his thirst. The use of “a son of angels” is interesting and may suggest a spiritual or divine presence. This character seems to be searching for something that he can’t find or has lost. The second stanza takes on a more general perspective, talking about the heaviness of the world and how it can weigh us down. The lines “You carry on, carry the world, You must get worn with all the weight” illustrate this idea. The last line “And nowhere's where we're headed fast” suggests a lack of direction or purpose in life.


The chorus introduces the metaphor of a rodeo which represents the unpredictability and instability of life. The lines “Slow turning to and fro, Where we land (laugh??) no one knows” emphasize the idea that life is a journey with many twists and turns and we don’t always know what’s going to happen next. The next verse talks about the fleeting nature of life and how it’s wide enough to read your mind. This could be interpreted as both positive and negative, suggesting that there’s no hiding from the truth, but also that there are infinite possibilities in life. The final verse brings the focus back to the characters in the song, asking if they can ever truly love each other and questioning the reality of an ever-after. The last line “Returned by the coolest one” is somewhat cryptic but could be interpreted as the idea that we will all eventually return to nothingness, the coolest one being death.


Line by Line Meaning

There comes a son,
Someone who may represent hope, is approaching


A son of angels
A person of virtuous character, probably to be helpful or righteous


Carrying an empty glass
Approaching with nothing to offer or empty-handed


Trying to fill it to the surface
Trying to find meaning or purpose


Well tell your thirst love has passed
Being honest that there is no more love to give


You carry on, carry the world
You carry the burdens of the world and it wears you out


You must get worn with all the weight
The weight of everything gets too much to bear


I take it in but you won't no where
I understand what you feel but you won't show me the source of your troubles


And no where's where we're headed fast
Our emotions and connection are taking a turn for the worse


Oh, oh, Rodeo
Expressing a feeling of chaos or turmoil


Slow turning to and fro
Things are happening slowly and feel erratic


Where we land (laugh??) no one knows
Uncertainty about what the future will bring


We're not blind to what it is
Aware of the situation


In other words, the ignorant kind
Acknowledging a lack of knowledge about the situation


Well life is short, but oh it's wide
Life is brief, but vast and full of opportunity


It's wide enough to read your mind
There is room for many interpretations or paths


Well I believe in ever-after
Holding on to a hope for a happy ending


Just in case what's after that
Preparing for what comes after the happy ending


Don't I love you like the angels
Expressing love that is selfless and unconditionally good


And could you ever love me back?
Questioning whether the love is reciprocated


Strangers now we are becoming
Feeling a growing divide or distance


Stranger now we have become
Aware that the divide is growing


If any (fiction???) every returns
If anything ever improves


Returned by the coolest one
Improved by an unlikely source or circumstances




Contributed by Brooklyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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