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.
Widow's Lawns
The Barr Brothers Lyrics
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I mowed the widow's lawns
And helped my father with the colts in the barn on Sunday morn'
And then the army came
And they called me up
The letter said be at the docks by 6 o'clock sharp
Only knew how hard that'd be
Less than one year beneath our belt still you meant the world to me
You shouldered me
And you took my hand and said
That you would be here waiting no matter how far along I went
And when I returned
We'd build a house by the water
We would take long walks in our old
Age with our many sons and daughters
So I took that wish
And put it in my backpack
And kissed you on the lips and said "Don't worry I'll be back"
And then I turned away
I could not turn away my tears
I didn't know if when I'd see you
Next would be months or would be years
So I fell in line
And they handed me a gun
And the beds were filled with guys like me who would not reach 21
And though the rain was bad
We took solace in our fleet
Happy to have cigarettes and food enough to eat
And then the orders came
That tomorrow we would fight
And if some of you have loves at home then now's the time to write
So I grabbed my pen
And my writing book
But no words would fall upon the page no matter how hard I shook
So I took my shank
And cut off a piece of hair
And imagined you receiving it sitting in your rocking chair
When the boats pulled in
And I could finally see my home
The band was waiting on the pier and the half-mast flags were flown
I wheeled myself
From my hospital room
Trying to accept what kind of life I would resume
Then I saw you there
And you met my eyes
And nothing could prepare for such a terrible surprise
For in your arms
Was a blue-eyed child
And after all the cannons I had faced, this was my greatest trial
In my hometown
I mowed the widow's lawns
And helped my father with the colts in the barn on Sunday morn'
The Barr Brothers' song "Widow's Lawns" is a poignant and powerful ballad about a soldier leaving his hometown and loved one behind to serve in the army during a time of war. The song highlights the soldier's love for his hometown and for the woman waiting for him back home. The soldier talks about how he used to help his father in the barn on Sunday mornings and how he used to mow the lawn of the widows in his hometown. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a simpler and quieter life.
However, everything changes when the army comes calling and the soldier is called up to serve. He is torn between his love for the woman waiting for him back home and his duty to serve his country. Despite his fears and doubts, the soldier is comforted by the love and support of his beloved, who promises to wait for him no matter how far away he goes.
The song takes a tragic turn when the soldier returns home wounded from the war and discovers that his beloved has had a child with another man. The song ends on a bittersweet note with the soldier looking back on his hometown and the memories that he left behind.
Overall, "Widow's Lawns" is a beautiful and heartbreaking song about the sacrifices that soldiers and their loved ones make during wartime. It is a reminder of the toll that war takes on both the soldiers who fight it and the families who are left behind.
Line by Line Meaning
In my hometown
Growing up in my place of birth
I mowed the widow's lawns
I used to tend to the gardens of the widows in my neighborhood
And helped my father with the colts in the barn on Sunday morn'
I worked alongside my father taking care of the young horses in the stables on Sunday mornings
And then the army came
I was drafted into the military
And they called me up
I received a notice to report for duty
The letter said be at the docks by 6 o'clock sharp
The order specified that I report to the docks by 6 o'clock sharp
I didn't know how to tell you
I was unsure how to inform you
Only knew how hard that'd be
It would be a difficult task to tell you
Less than one year beneath our belt still you meant the world to me
We had been together for less than a year, but you meant everything to me
You shouldered me
You supported me emotionally
And you took my hand and said
You held my hand and uttered
That you would be here waiting no matter how far along I went
That you would wait for me no matter how far away I went
And when I returned
Upon my return
We'd build a house by the water
We would construct a home near a body of water
We would take long walks in our old
We would go on long strolls when we were old
Age with our many sons and daughters
Accompanied by our numerous children
So I took that wish
I held onto that dream
And put it in my backpack
I placed it in my bag
And kissed you on the lips and said "Don't worry I'll be back"
I kissed you and reassured you that I would return
And then I turned away
Afterwards, I turned around
I could not turn away my tears
I couldn't restrain my tears
I didn't know if when I'd see you
I wasn't sure when I'd get to see you again
Next would be months or would be years
It could be months or years before seeing each other again
So I fell in line
I joined the ranks
And they handed me a gun
I was given a rifle
And the beds were filled with guys like me who would not reach 21
The bunks were occupied by individuals like me who would not live to see their twenty-first birthday
And though the rain was bad
Despite the torrential downpour
We took solace in our fleet
We found comfort in our naval group
Happy to have cigarettes and food enough to eat
We were grateful for enough food and cigarettes to smoke
And then the orders came
Soon after, we received instructions
That tomorrow we would fight
We would engage in combat the following day
And if some of you have loves at home then now's the time to write
If any of us have lovers back home, now is the time to correspond with them
So I grabbed my pen
I picked up my pen
And my writing book
And my notebook
But no words would fall upon the page no matter how hard I shook
I was unable to compose anything despite my attempts to do so
So I took my shank
I took my makeshift knife
And cut off a piece of hair
And snipped off a tuft of hair
And imagined you receiving it sitting in your rocking chair
I imagined you receiving it while you sat in your rocking chair
When the boats pulled in
As the boats arrived
And I could finally see my home
And I could finally see my homeland
The band was waiting on the pier and the half-mast flags were flown
The band was standing on the dock, and the flags were hoisted at half-mast
I wheeled myself
I pushed myself on a wheelchair
From my hospital room
From my room in the infirmary
Trying to accept what kind of life I would resume
Attempting to come to terms with the life that lay ahead of me
Then I saw you there
At that moment, I saw you standing there
And you met my eyes
Our eyes met
And nothing could prepare for such a terrible surprise
I wasn't ready for such a heartbreaking shock
For in your arms
In your embrace
Was a blue-eyed child
Was a child with blue eyes
And after all the cannons I had faced, this was my greatest trial
This was the most difficult challenge I had encountered despite all the canons I had confronted.
Writer(s): philip bradford barr
Contributed by Carter R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.