The band's name derives from banjoist Leonard Podolak's earlier band Scruj MacDuhk (pronounced Scrugg MachDuke). MacDuhk was a warrior chieftain who fought with William Wallace, resisting English occupation of Scotland, during the reign of King Edward I. The entire name is a wordplay on the Disney character Scrooge McDuck created by Carl Barks.
In March of 2007 lead singer and budding songwriter Jessee Havey left the band to pursue other interests. Singer Sarah Dugas joined the band in July of 2007 and is on the road with The Duhks.
In late 2007, percussionist Scott Senior left the band to spend more time with his family, as his partner, Tara Beckta, was expecting their second child. Christian Dugas, Sarah's brother and a former bandmate of Leonard Podolak, has since joined The Duhks. Other members are fiddler Tania Elizabeth and guitarist Jordan McConnell.
In October 2007 The Duhks Sustainability Project http://www.greenduhks.com was launched to raise awareness about ways to live a more economically-viable and ecologically-sustainable lifestyle. In April 2008, The Duhks performed a post Earth Day benefit in Nederland, Colorado.
In spring 2016, the band announced that they would no longer be touring. They have not released any new music since 2014.
http://www.duhks.com
Heaven's My Home
The Duhks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My Daddy said I was broken
The beginning of the end
Of a life I hadn't chosen
He taught me how to give up
He taught me how to work the system
But I never had the time
I never had the luxury
Life's hard, I've always known that
I've never been handed no welcome mat
When I die, please don't cry
'Cause heaven's my home anyhow
Shining my shoes
Seems like time for wasting
'Cause this bright sun
Is the only shine I need
They say you only live once
And the lot you get's for keeping
But glory's gonna come
And make a new man out of me
Life's hard, I've always known that
I've never been handed no welcome mat
When I die, please don't cry
'Cause heaven's my home anyhow
When I was born
My face was like the angels
I took my father by the hand
He said life won't be hard now
No, life's hard, I've always known that
I've never been handed no welcome mat
When I die, please don't cry
'Cause heaven's my home anyhow
Life's hard, I've always known that
I've never been handed no welcome mat
When I die, please don't cry
'Cause heaven's my home anyhow
When I die
When I die
When I die
Please don't cry
Life's hard, I've always known that
I've never been handed no welcome mat
When I die, please don't cry
'Cause heaven's my home
The Duhks's "Heaven's My Home" is a song that reflects on the struggles of life and the hope for a better life beyond this world. The opening lines, "When I was born / My Daddy said I was broken" present a feeling of inadequacy and despair from the very beginning of life. The father's words set the tone for a hard life, with no easy paths to take. The next line, "The beginning of the end / Of a life I hadn't chosen," characterizes the singer's feeling of helplessness in the face of his father's expectations. The singer is taught how to "give up" and "work the system," but these are not actions taken by choice. Instead, they are necessary to survive.
The singer reflects on the difficulty of life, but he never complains. He knows that life is tough and understands that it is not always fair. The lines, "Life's hard, I've always known that / I've never been handed no welcome mat" assert that the singer has always understood the challenges ahead of him. Despite all of his struggles, the singer does not wish for any pity or tears when he dies. He knows where he is going, and that is "heaven's my home anyhow."
The last lines of the song, "When I die / Please don't cry," reinforce the singer's conviction that death is not the end. He believes in a better life after this one, and he is not afraid to die. For him, death is just a doorway to a new and better life.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was born
From birth, I was considered flawed
My Daddy said I was broken
My father saw me as damaged
The beginning of the end
This marked the start of a downward spiral
Of a life I hadn't chosen
I didn't have control over my life
He taught me how to give up
My father instilled in me a sense of defeatism
He taught me how to work the system
He showed me how to exploit the loopholes in the system
But I never had the time
I was too busy to truly live
I never had the luxury
I couldn't afford to take a break
Life's hard, I've always known that
I've always been aware of life's difficulties
I've never been handed no welcome mat
I've never been given an easy start
When I die, please don't cry
Don't mourn me when I'm gone
'Cause heaven's my home anyhow
I know where I'm going after death
Shining my shoes
This seems like a waste of time
Seems like time for wasting
I should be doing something more meaningful
'Cause this bright sun
The sun is already shining on me
Is the only shine I need
I don't need material possessions to be happy
They say you only live once
I know that life is short
And the lot you get's for keeping
The hand you're dealt is yours to play
But glory's gonna come
There's something better waiting for me
And make a new man out of me
It will transform me into a better version of myself
When I was born
From the moment I was born
My face was like the angels
I was a beautiful baby
I took my father by the hand
My father and I had a special bond
He said life won't be hard now
He promised me an easy life, which never came
When I die
At the end of my life
Please don't cry
Don't grieve for me
Life's hard, I've always known that
I've always been aware of life's difficulties
I've never been handed no welcome mat
I've never been given an easy start
When I die, please don't cry
Don't mourn me when I'm gone
'Cause heaven's my home anyhow
I know where I'm going after death
Life's hard, I've always known that
I've always been aware of life's difficulties
I've never been handed no welcome mat
I've never been given an easy start
When I die, please don't cry
Don't mourn me when I'm gone
'Cause heaven's my home
I know where I belong
Contributed by Lauren P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.