Amen
The Clumsy Lovers Lyrics
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Well I'm Jonathan Charles Henry Mckay
I've lived on this farm 30 years and a day
Some folks call me Junior but I don't like it that way
Since the storm of '90 when dad left to stay
Mom passed a year later couldn't bear being alone
It's going on ten years I been head of this home
I work hard, I live clean, I reap what I've sewn
Aint had rain to speak of in round near a year
Crops searching for water but there aint nothing near
We need something soon, but it won't come I fear
My children won't eat, wife'll run out of tears.
So I went to the back forty, said I needed the air
I walked past the fence, through the Johnson share
And when I made right sure no one followed me there
I got down on my knees, cried "Lord, do you care?"
Amen, Amen, Oh Lord, Amen, Amen
Next morning came early sleep still in my eyes
My eldest, John Three, he was the first to rise
He said, "Daddy come quick I got the biggest surprise"
We jumped to our clothes cause we realized
Could hear the rain pounding the patio door
And sneaking through cracks onto the kitchen floor
We danced in the yard til we could stand it no more
Then got down on our knees gave our thanks to the Lord
I sent the boys to their aunts, day before last
Yesterday morning told the wife "get there fast"
The water keeps rising it's already past
The roof of the house but I'm staying pat
Now I'm top of the tree where my daddy once climbed
And I'm thinking I'm done though it don't seem my time
I got living to do, business to mind
Wanna watch the boys grow, see the next in my line
And I can't bow down, cause there's no land for my knees
But I'm crying out loud now, I'm asking you please
Father have mercy, Jesus hear my pleas
Lord up in heaven I'm not ready to leave
Well I'm Jonathan Charles Henry Mckay
And I've lived on this farm my ten years and a day
Some folks call me Three but I don't like it that way
Since daddy done traded his own life for rain
The Clumsy Lovers's song "Amen" is a powerful narrative ballad about the struggles and resilience of a farmer and his family during a severe drought. The lyrics are first-person narration of a man named Jonathan Charles Henry McKay who has been living on his farm for 30 years and is now in charge of his home after losing both his mother and father. The song is divided into three parts, following the farmer's journey of despair, hope, and desperation.
In the first part, the farmer expresses his fear and anxiety about the drought and his inability to provide food and basic necessities for his family. He goes as far as to plead with the Lord to bring rain to his dying crops. The chorus "Amen, Amen, Oh Lord, Amen, Amen" is a representation of his yearning for divine intervention. The second part of the song takes a different turn, as the farmer wakes up to the sound of rain, and his hope is restored. He and his family dance and give thanks to the Lord for the unexpected rain. In the third part of the song, the floods come and put the farmer's life in danger as he clings to the top of a tree. He pleads with the Lord again to spare his life and give him more time to live and watch his children grow.
Overall, the song "Amen" is a powerful and emotional piece that explores the themes of faith, family, resilience, and hope. It's a story of a man who refuses to give up despite facing the most challenging crisis of his life. The song delivers a message of hope and faith in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm Jonathan Charles Henry Mckay
Introducing myself as Jonathan Charles Henry Mckay
I've lived on this farm 30 years and a day
I have spent my entire life of 30 years and one day living on this farm
Some folks call me Junior but I don't like it that way
Although some people call me Junior, I prefer to be called by my full name
Since the storm of '90 when dad left to stay
My dad left us after the storm of '90 and never returned
Mom passed a year later couldn't bear being alone
My mom couldn't handle being alone after my dad left and she passed away a year later
It's going on ten years I been head of this home
For almost a decade, I have been the head of this household
Now I got me a wife and three boys of my own
I now have a wife and three sons of my own
I work hard, I live clean, I reap what I've sewn
I work hard, lead a virtuous life, and enjoy the rewards of my labor
Aint had rain to speak of in round near a year
We haven't had a significant amount of rain in almost a year
Crops searching for water but there aint nothing near
Our crops desperately need water, but there's no source nearby
We need something soon, but it won't come I fear
We need water soon, but I'm afraid we won't receive it
My children won't eat, wife'll run out of tears.
My children won't be able to eat and my wife will cry nonstop if we don't receive water soon
So I went to the back forty, said I needed the air
I went to the back of the farm, needing some fresh air
I walked past the fence, through the Johnson share
I passed the fence and walked through the Johnson family's land
And when I made right sure no one followed me there
After making sure no one was following me, I proceeded
I got down on my knees, cried 'Lord, do you care?'
I knelt down on my knees and asked the Lord if he cares
Amen, Amen, Oh Lord, Amen, Amen
Expressing my agreement and support of prayer to the Lord
Next morning came early sleep still in my eyes
The next morning came quickly, and I was still feeling groggy
My eldest, John Three, he was the first to rise
My first-born son, John Three, was the first to wake up
He said, 'Daddy come quick I got the biggest surprise'
He called out to me to hurry over to him because he had a big surprise to show me
We jumped to our clothes cause we realized
We quickly got dressed, realizing something important must have happened
Could hear the rain pounding the patio door
We could hear the sound of rain loudly hitting the patio door
And sneaking through cracks onto the kitchen floor
The rain was coming in through cracks and finding its way to the kitchen floor
We danced in the yard til we could stand it no more
We danced in the yard out of pure joy until we couldn't do it anymore
Then got down on our knees gave our thanks to the Lord
We knelt down on our knees and thanked the Lord for the rain
I sent the boys to their aunts, day before last
I sent my sons to their aunts the day before yesterday
Yesterday morning told the wife 'get there fast'
Yesterday morning I told my wife to hurry and join the boys
The water keeps rising it's already past
The water level keeps rising and is already past a dangerous level
The roof of the house but I'm staying pat
The water has risen to the roof of the house, but I'm staying put
Now I'm top of the tree where my daddy once climbed
I'm on the top of the tree where my father once climbed
And I'm thinking I'm done though it don't seem my time
I feel like my time is up, but it doesn't seem like the right time
I got living to do, business to mind
I still have a lot of living to do, responsibilities to take care of
Wanna watch the boys grow, see the next in my line
I want to watch my sons grow and see the next generation continue
And I can't bow down, cause there's no land for my knees
I can't kneel down to pray because there's no land for my knees to rest on
But I'm crying out loud now, I'm asking you please
Despite not being able to kneel down, I am crying and pleading with the Lord
Father have mercy, Jesus hear my pleas
I am asking the Father for mercy and asking Jesus to hear my pleas
Lord up in heaven I'm not ready to leave
I'm letting the Lord know that I'm not ready to leave this world and my family yet
Contributed by Cooper K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.