1) a 1960s garage band that r… Read Full Bio ↴More than one band has used this name.
1) a 1960s garage band that released at least one single on Cameo/Parkway Records with a very high energy fuzz guitar version of "Shop Around". Similar to Mitch Ryder.
2) From the late 1980s till their last concert in Berlin in 2001, The Butlers belonged to the German ska scene.
The Butlers were on tour with Die Ärzte in 1998.
Afterwards, they published also some songs in German.
Sold Down the River
The Butlers Lyrics
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Gone like the flowers in the fall
You crossed your heart, now you're double crossing mine
You've been pretending after all
I was sold down the river to a port of broken dreams
Drifting in sorrow down the stream
Sold down the river on a ship that won't return
I never dreamed that your love would grow so cold
Hiding behind the rainbow's end
You must be blind for the glitter of the gold
Gold that can never find a friend
I was sold down the river on the port of broken dreams
Drifting in sorrow down the stream
Sold down the river on a ship that won't return
When it anchors in the sea of broken dreams
You'll never know what it means to sit and cry
After your heart is broken too
Someday you'll learn and your soul will burn and die
When some one double crosses you
I was sold down the river to a port of broken dreams
Drifting in sorrow down the stream
Sold down the river on a ship that won't return
When it anchors in the sea of broken dreams
In The Butlers’ song, “Sold Down the River,” the singer expresses despair over a betrayed love. The lyrics start by asking where the promised love went and likening it to flowers that crumble in the fall. The singer then accuses their lover of deceit, saying that they pretended and double-crossed their heart. The chorus speaks to the theme of hopelessness, with the singer feeling like they’ve been sold down the river to a place of broken dreams. There’s a sense of being stuck in a situation that won’t get better, as the ship on which they’ve been sold won’t return, anchored in a sea of shattered hopes.
The second verse continues the theme of being blinded by the glitter of gold and not seeing the broken promises underneath. The singer never thought that their love would grow cold, and it seems like they’ve been left to suffer alone while their lover goes on with life. The bridge speaks to the idea of karma, with the singer saying that someday their lover will learn what it means to have their heart broken and soul burn and die when someone double-crosses them.
“Sold Down the River” is a bluesy ballad with a haunting melody that captures the sorrow and despair in the lyrics. The use of the phrase “sold down the river” is significant historically as well, referring to a form of betrayal in which African American slaves were sold from the Upper South to the Deep South, where conditions were harsher. This phrase has since become synonymous with being betrayed or misled.
Line by Line Meaning
Where is the love that you promised 'neath the pine?
Asking where the promised love has gone, just like flowers falling in the fall
You crossed your heart, now you're double crossing mine
After promising loyalty, you are now betraying me
You've been pretending after all
It's been a façade all along
I was sold down the river to a port of broken dreams
Betrayed and left helpless in a place where all dreams shatter
Drifting in sorrow down the stream
Helplessly moving along with the flow of life, filled with grief
Sold down the river on a ship that won't return
Sold into despair on a vessel that will never come back
When it anchors in the sea of broken dreams
The ship will stay forever anchored in a sea of shattered aspirations
I never dreamed that your love would grow so cold
Never imagined that affection could turn so frigid
Hiding behind the rainbow's end
Disguising your true intentions with illusions of happiness
You must be blind for the glitter of the gold
Your infatuation with wealth has blinded you
Gold that can never find a friend
Money can never buy true companionship
You'll never know what it means to sit and cry
You cannot understand the pain of heartbreak until it happens to you
After your heart is broken too
Only when you experience betrayal will you empathize with my situation
Someday you'll learn and your soul will burn and die
Eventually, you'll understand the repercussions of deceit and it will eat away at you
I was sold down the river to a port of broken dreams
Once again reiterating the feeling of being sold into a place of hopelessness
Drifting in sorrow down the stream
Continuing to convey the helplessness and sadness that accompanies betrayal
Sold down the river on a ship that won't return
Reiterating the hopelessness of being sold into a state of despair
When it anchors in the sea of broken dreams
The feeling of hopelessness is further emphasized by the metaphor of the ship staying anchored in a sea of shattered aspirations
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: VAUGHN HORTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind