The Old Black Hen
Songs: Ohia Lyrics


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Old Black Hen is that you again
Singing the Bad Luck Lullaby
Come right on in, it's midnight again
Time for the Bad Luck Lullaby
You know the one it's the same one you sung
When you wrote down the Revelations
Now sing it over the cradle of the child who's born next
Leave all the truth in so they know what comes next
Leave in the true love that they'll never find
Show how we're looking for it all of our lives
When I saw the Banner hanging over my door
I already knew who the party was for
All of my pain found a partner in that room
And the devil's tail swayed with the tune
Make that Black Record
Roll the tapes all night long
Make that Black Record
And we'll all sing along
Look down the long street
And see who's that crying
Tell them that every day I lived




I was trying to sing the Blues
The way I find them

Overall Meaning

The Old Black Hen by Songs: Ohia is a song that is shrouded in darkness, pain, and mystery. The lyrics suggest a deep sadness and a cry for help. The singer asks the Old Black Hen to come in and sing the Bad Luck Lullaby. This lullaby has been sung before and it seems to be a reminder of the dark and horrible times that the singer has gone through. The lyrics suggest that this lullaby has something to do with the Revelations, possibly the book of Revelations in the Bible, which is a book full of prophecies about the end of the world. The singer asks the Old Black Hen to leave all the truth in, so that the child who is born next will know what comes next. This suggests that the singer is warning the child of what is to come, possibly a reference to the end of the world.


The singer then goes on to talk about a Banner that was hanging over his door, which he already knew was a party for him. However, the party was not a happy one. All of his pain found a partner in that room, and the devil's tail swayed with the tune. This suggests that the singer is surrounded by darkness, and he's not sure if he can get out of it. He then talks about making a Black Record and rolling the tapes all night long, suggesting that he wants to capture the darkness and the pain in his music so that everyone can hear it. However, he also suggests that he's trying to sing the Blues, the way he finds them, which may suggest that he's still searching for the truth.


Line by Line Meaning

Old Black Hen is that you again
Referring to a common symbol of bad luck, acknowledging that misfortune is present


Singing the Bad Luck Lullaby
The sound of pain and sorrow is being communicated through a haunting melody


Come right on in, it's midnight again
Inviting the sorrow to fully envelop the surroundings, acknowledging the continuous presence of hardship


Time for the Bad Luck Lullaby
The recurrence of difficult times is inevitable, and the melody seems to mark these occasions as they arise


You know the one it's the same one you sung
The familiarity of the tune highlights the consistent experience of hardship


When you wrote down the Revelations
The lyrics of the song are steeped in religious allusions, invoking themes of apocalypse and revelation


Now sing it over the cradle of the child who's born next
The song is being imparted onto a new generation, passing down the lessons learned from hardship


Leave all the truth in so they know what comes next
The harsh realities of life should be communicated so that future generations may be prepared for them


Leave in the true love that they'll never find
Although love may be elusive, it's important to hold onto the idea of it as a source of hope


Show how we're looking for it all of our lives
Love, in all its forms, is a constant pursuit throughout the journey of life


When I saw the Banner hanging over my door
The metaphorical banner is a sign of celebration, but the singer knows that hardship is inevitable even amidst moments of happiness


I already knew who the party was for
Despite this knowledge, the artist continues to partake in life's festivities


All of my pain found a partner in that room
The singer is surrounded by people who can relate to the struggles that have been experienced


And the devil's tail swayed with the tune
The devil, representative of hardship, seems to be present even in times of celebration


Make that Black Record
The singer wishes to document the struggles experienced in a permanent and meaningful way


Roll the tapes all night long
The artist desires to fully capture the range of emotions and experiences through music


And we'll all sing along
Others are invited to join in the expression of pain and hardship through music


Look down the long street
Taking a moment to observe the journey that has been taken thus far


And see who's that crying
Observing others going through their own difficult experiences and empathizing with their pain


Tell them that every day I lived
Communicating that life is a struggle, but there's beauty in the experience of living through it


I was trying to sing the Blues
The music serves as a way to process and express the pain experienced in life


The way I find them
The artist's personal way of expressing the blues is unique and serves as a reflection of their individual experience




Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jason Molina

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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