Best known as founding members of the spirited and unpredictable rock trio The Slip, brothers Andrew and Brad Barr had spent most of the 90s criss-crossing North America. In the spring of 2004, the band was playing a small club in Montreal, QC when a fire broke out in the venue. They grabbed a few guitars/drums and rushed out onto the rainy street with the rest of the concert goers. As the club's mezzanine was swallowed by flames, Andrew offered his coat to one of the waitresses from the bar. One year later, Brad and Andrew Barr were living in Montreal. That waitress is now one of their managers.
In his first apartment in the new city, Brad shared an adjoining wall with Sarah Page, a classically-trained harpist from Montreal, whose melodies would seep through the cracks of the wall and into the music Brad was writing. From this nebulous relationship, a friendship developed and the brothers, with Sarah, began recording and performing around Montreal. Soon, their friend and multi-instrumentalist Andres Vial was brought in to lend his wide array of expertise to the outfit, playing keyboards, bass, vibes, percussion, and singing. In 2006 they began to call themselves The Barr Brothers.
Lord I Just Can't Keep From Cryin'
The Barr Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said I would accomplish, but trust in God and pray,
I come on the King′s Highway, I'm travelin′ everyday.
But I just can't keep from cryin' sometimes,
No I just can′t keep from cryin′ sometimes,
When my heart is full of sorrow,
When my eyes fill with tears,
My mother, she's in glory, thank God I′m on my way.
Father, he's gone too, and sister she could not stay,
I′m trusting Him everyday, to bear my burdens away.
But I just can't keep from cryin' sometimes,
Oh I just can′t keep from cryin′ sometimes,
When my heart is full of sorrow,
And my eyes are filled of tears,
Well I just can't keep from cryin′ sometimes.
I thought when you first left, I'd grieved for a little while,
Soon it all would be over, and I′d journey on with a smile,
But the thought as I get older, I think of what I told her.
'Cause I′m on the King's Highway, travelling everyday/
But I just can't keep from cryin′ sometimes,
No I just can′t keep from cryin' sometimes,
When my heart is full of sorrow,
And my eyes fill with tears,
I just can′t keep from cryin' sometimes.
The Barr Brothers' "Lord I Just Can't Keep From Cryin'" is a poignant and emotional song that explores the struggles of grief, loss, and faith. The lyrics evoke a profound sense of sadness and melancholy as the singer reflects on the passing of loved ones and the challenges of carrying on in their absence. The song opens with a reference to the singer's mother's belief that angels guide one's path in life, and that faith in God is essential to achieving success. Despite these encouraging words, however, the singer is still grappling with the pain of loss and the difficulty of moving forward.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "I just can't keep from cryin' sometimes," emphasizing the singer's ongoing struggle with grief. The verses focus on the singer's family and their passing, with references to the singer's mother, father, and sister. The singer's deep faith in God is also evident throughout the song, with multiple references to trusting in the divine to bear one's burdens and guide one's way.
Line by Line Meaning
My mamma often told me, angels bonded your life away,
My mother frequently reminded me that my life had a divine purpose and was watched over by angels.
She said I would accomplish, but trust in God and pray,
She believed I would fulfill my purpose, but only if I had faith in God and prayed.
I come on the King′s Highway, I'm travelin′ everyday.
I am on a life journey, constantly moving forward on the path that God has set before me.
But I just can't keep from cryin' sometimes,
Despite my faith and purpose in life, there are moments when I am overwhelmed with sorrow and cannot help but cry.
No I just can′t keep from cryin′ sometimes,
This is a recurring feeling that I have, and it is something that I cannot control.
When my heart is full of sorrow,
The reason I cry is because my heart is heavy with sadness.
When my eyes fill with tears,
This sadness often results in my tears falling from my eyes.
Well I just can't keep from cryin′ sometimes.
This sadness is so overwhelming that I cannot help but cry.
My mother, she's in glory, thank God I′m on my way.
My mother has passed away, but I am grateful that she is in a better place and that I am on my own journey toward my divine purpose.
Father, he's gone too, and sister she could not stay,
My father and sister have also passed away, and their absence adds to my sadness.
I′m trusting Him everyday, to bear my burdens away.
Despite my sadness, I continue to trust in God and have faith that he will help me carry the weight of my burdens.
I thought when you first left, I'd grieved for a little while,
When someone first leaves or dies, I initially believed that I would only grieve for a short period of time.
Soon it all would be over, and I'd journey on with a smile,
I thought my grief would pass quickly, and I would be able to continue on my life journey with a sense of happiness and contentment.
But the thought as I get older, I think of what I told her.
However, as I grow older, I realize that I was wrong to think that my grief would pass easily, and instead, I think of what I told my mother about having faith and trust in God in times of sorrow.
'Cause I′m on the King's Highway, travelling everyday/
Despite my sadness, I am still journeying on the path that God has set before me.
I just can't keep from cryin′ sometimes.
Even though I am moving forward in life, there are still moments when my sadness overwhelms me and I cannot help but cry.
Contributed by Alexander T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@elgros114
I heard it today on the radio. And i was amazed on how the guitar amd the singing follow the melody. One of the first for me.
@barrbrother
thank you
@saratogachris1
Sometimes simple is best.........and old is 'new'. Brilliant in all ways. Thanks for sharing God-given talents with us.
@loutube03
One word describes this song: INDELIBLE. "Best Got-dang song I've heard in a long dang while!" One of things I love about it is how my man on the drums is creatin' that much dang sound w/hardly any body movement. These cats are simply jammin!
@Ashr1138
Saw these guys in Manchester last night - they were fantastic.
@beelimited1467
My favorite version of this song, thanks for playing.. ♥ Seems to me the acoustics are pretty cool, the alley maybe???
@JGFilmworks
Your music is amazing. Seriously, my friend was showing me at dinner the other night and I fell in love instantly. Amazing stuff.
@a.l.saylor8914
One of my two or three most favorite Blind Willie Johnson covers ever. Beautifully performed and filmed. Thank you very much.
@harmonicamanrandy
Great sound guys
@KarinaLicursi
Wonderful show at the Montreal Jazz Fest the other night! It was a great experience hearing real music.