You Know the Rest
Steve Earle Lyrics


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Moses went up to the mountain
To see what he could see
Well he come down talking 'bout a burning bush
Says 'This is how it's gonna be'
He's scared to death
You know the rest

Columbus went down to the ocean
In 1492
He said 'Boys, I'm looking for India
But America will do'
Sailed to the west
You know the rest

Davey Crockett went out to Texas
To fight at the Alamo
Old Will Travis never told him
Texas is in Mexico
It's a bloody mess
You know the rest

Robert Johnson went to the crossroads
A guitar in his hands
Well, the devil had him a guitar, too
He says 'This is what you need man,
You can be the best'
You know the rest

Well this song ain't got no reason
Hell this song barely rhymes
Well it come to me when I was asleep
And it wakes me up sometimes




I can't get no rest
You know the rest

Overall Meaning

The song "You Know The Rest" by Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band is a unique take on history. The song is made up of four verses, each one telling a short story about a famous historical figure or event, and ending with the phrase "you know the rest." The song is accompanied by bluegrass music, which mixes perfectly with the historical subject matter of the lyrics.


The first verse is about Moses and his encounter with the burning bush. When he came down from the mountain, he was scared to death, and the rest is history. The second verse tells the story of Columbus, who was looking for India but discovered America instead. The third verse is about Davy Crockett and the Alamo, and how the brave defenders were unaware that Texas was actually in Mexico. The final verse is about Robert Johnson, who went to the crossroads to make a deal with the devil for his amazing guitar playing abilities.


The final lines of the song, "Well this song ain't got no reason, Hell this song barely rhymes, Well it come to me when I was asleep, And it wakes me up sometimes, I can't get no rest, You know the rest," are a nod to the fact that the song itself doesn't have a clear reason or purpose, and that the lyrics don't necessarily follow a strict rhyme scheme. The song seems to be more about the storytelling and the history than anything else.


Line by Line Meaning

Moses went up to the mountain
Moses climbed a mountain to gain insight.


To see what he could see
He wanted to gain knowledge by looking around.


Well he come down talking 'bout a burning bush
When he came down, he had found a strange phenomenon - a burning bush.


Says 'This is how it's gonna be'
He interpreted the burning bush to be a sign of how things will be.


He's scared to death
He is overwhelmed and frightened by what he experienced.


You know the rest
The story of Moses and the burning bush is well known.


Columbus went down to the ocean
Columbus went to the shore.


In 1492
This happened in the year 1492.


He said 'Boys, I'm looking for India
Columbus declared that he was in search of India.


But America will do'
He was willing to settle for America whether or not he found India.


Sailed to the west
He voyaged westward.


You know the rest
The story of Columbus discovering America is well known.


Davey Crockett went out to Texas
Davey Crockett traveled to Texas.


To fight at the Alamo
He went to the Alamo to engage in battle.


Old Will Travis never told him
Davey was unaware of the fact that Will Travis had not communicated the truth.


Texas is in Mexico
Texas was part of Mexico at that time.


It's a bloody mess
The situation was violent and chaotic.


You know the rest
The story of the Alamo is well known.


Robert Johnson went to the crossroads
Robert Johnson visited a crossroad.


A guitar in his hands
He had a guitar with him.


Well, the devil had him a guitar, too
He encountered the devil who had a guitar as well.


He says 'This is what you need man,/ You can be the best'
The devil suggested that he needed the guitar to become great.


You know the rest
The story of Robert Johnson meeting the devil at the crossroads is well known.


Well this song ain't got no reason
The song does not have any purpose or logic.


Hell this song barely rhymes
The song has a weak structure.


Well it come to me when I was asleep
The songwriter created the song when he was asleep.


And it wakes me up sometimes
The song can interrupt his sleep.


I can't get no rest
He can't achieve rest because the song is stuck in his head.


You know the rest
The story of the songwriter creating the song while sleeping is now known as well.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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