Glory
The Hill Country Devil Lyrics
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And the worshiped songs of a well-worn throat
All cradle me as I waste alone
On a fool's gold throne
With my troubles all in tow
It's $86 upfront for the key
Tack on another hundred for the company
We fk all night
For a moment I'm alright
Home is where I ought to be
Out in the gentle country breeze with my family
But cold in a casket I lie
Bare knuckle boxing polished wood and I've grown so tired
I've grown so tired
The rounders shine their sawtooth grins
With every page I burn for them
As I sign myself away to grieve
Through bloodstained sleeves
In the ashes of my needs
As I stand within a makeshift ring
Of follies, lies, and broken things
And I shout and howl and I cry and I sing
Counting blessings down
Crossing the X's of my doubts
Oh Glory won't lay her hands on me
Oh how it used to break me down but I'm finding peace
Lord knows I cannot look back now
So I try and swallow pride but it's awful going down
It's so awful going down
The Hill Country Devil's song "Glory" is a melancholy reflection on a life lived in pursuit of fleeting pleasures and the heartbreak that comes with the realization that one's choices have led them astray. The chorus, "Oh Glory won't lay her hands on me/Oh how it used to break me down but I'm finding peace/Lord knows I cannot look back now/So I try and swallow pride but it's awful going down," describes a sense of resignation and acceptance of one's fate. The first verse, "The tortured howls of a motel ghost/And the worshiped songs of a well-worn throat/All cradle me as I waste alone/On a fool's gold throne/With my troubles all in tow," sets the tone for the rest of the song: a desolate, lonely existence lived in the shadows of temporary fixes and empty promises.
Line by Line Meaning
The tortured howls of a motel ghost
The sounds of agony and despair from a restless spirit haunting a motel
And the worshiped songs of a well-worn throat
The revered music of a seasoned performer with a lot of experience singing
All cradle me as I waste alone
The sounds of the ghost and the singer give me comfort and solace while I'm lonely
On a fool's gold throne
I'm in a false sense of power and prestige, clinging to something that's worthless
With my troubles all in tow
I carry all my problems and burdens with me wherever I go
It's $86 upfront for the key
I paid $86 upfront to have the key to the motel room
Tack on another hundred for the company
I spent an additional $100 for the company of a woman in the room
It's on my dime, but she holds me tight
I'm paying for everything, but she's providing emotional comfort by holding me tight
We fk all night
We have sex all night long
For a moment I'm alright
For a brief moment, I feel okay and forget about my problems
Home is where I ought to be
I should be home with my loved ones
Out in the gentle country breeze with my family
I should be enjoying the fresh air and spending time with my family in the countryside
But cold in a casket I lie
If I keep living this way, I'll end up dead and buried in a casket
Bare knuckle boxing polished wood and I've grown so tired
I'm fighting a losing battle alone, as if I'm bare-knuckle boxing polished wood, and I'm exhausted
The rounders shine their sawtooth grins
The people around me, who aren't trustworthy, have wicked smiles on their faces
With every page I burn for them
I sacrifice myself more and more for their benefit or enjoyment
As I sign myself away to grieve
I'm resigning myself to suffer and mourn alone
Through bloodstained sleeves
My wounds and scars are visible and evident to those around me
In the ashes of my needs
I'm left with nothing after everything I've given to them and sacrificed for them
As I stand within a makeshift ring
I'm surrounded by a temporary or improvised arena
Of follies, lies, and broken things
I'm in the midst of people's mistakes, deceits, and shattered objects
And I shout and howl and I cry and I sing
I express my feelings and emotions loudly and with great intensity
Counting blessings down
I'm recognizing the positives in my life, one by one
Crossing the X's of my doubts
I'm resolving my uncertainties and fears by crossing them out
Oh Glory won't lay her hands on me
I won't let death come and take me away just yet
Oh how it used to break me down but I'm finding peace
Fear of death used to haunt me, but now I'm accepting it and finding peace
Lord knows I cannot look back now
I can't change the past, so there's no point dwelling on it
So I try and swallow pride but it's awful going down
I'm trying to overcome my arrogance and ego, but it's difficult to accept my faults
Writer(s): Hayden Allen Karchmer
Contributed by Adrian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Mr.DerekReese
That's why I love Music, or the arts in general... Creative types in general tend to be tragically empathetic people. Thank God 🙌 I mean hell, ain't that what it's all about? A Truly shared human experience... That's the ultimate, man.
Leonard Cohen said it best:
"Love is not a Victory March!
It's a Cold, & it's a Broken HALLELUJAH"
I mean, shit. He nailed it. Love is a wonderful, mysterious force, as real as it is unexplainable. But it wouldn't be so meaningful if we weren't so deeply broken. If this is all just one big accident, holy shit was it a doozy! And to get to say we were a part of it, singing & dancing & living in awe of our very own existence??? And the fact that you and I, two complete strangers who come from two completely different worlds, would somehow find our paths intersecting in this very moment & possess the awareness to appreciate just how lucky we are??? It's like a beautifully orchestrated masterpiece that was created just for us. How bout a little gratitude people??! No, we aren't immortal. Death & loss are part of life. But without them life would seem like such a terrible waste of time.
Keep trucking along on this journey brother, & may you find whatever it is you're looking for. I don't know you, but I love you, & I mean that. Life's too short not to live the fuck out of it & love like it's been outlawed.
@EwigWinterreich
The tortured howls of a motel ghost
And the worship songs of a well-worn throat
All cradle me as I waste alone
On a fools gold throne
With my troubles all in tow
It's 86 dollars up front for the key
Tack on another hundred for the company
It's on my dime but she holds me tight
Yeah we fuck all night
For a moment I'm alright
Oh home is where i ought to be
Out in the gentle country breeze with my family
But cold, in a casket I lie
Bare knuckle boxing polished wood
And I've grown so tired
I've grown so tired
All the rounders hide their saw-tooth grin
With every page I burn for them
As I sign myself away to grieve
Through blood stained sleeves
In the ashes of my needs
As I stand within a makeshift ring
Of follies, lies and broken things
And I shout and howl and I cry and I sing
Counting blessings down
And crossing the x's of my doubts
Oh glory, won't lay your hands on me
Oh how it used to break me down but I'm finding peace
Lord knows I can't look back now
So I try and swallow pride, but it's awful going down
It's awful going down
@Blueswailer
Couldn't spot the lyrics in the comments anymore and wanted to sing so I transcribed them. Hopefully there's not too many fuckups:
The tortured howls of a motel ghost
and the worship songs of a well-worn throat
all cradle me as I waste alone
on a Fool's Gold throne
with my troubles all in tow
It's 86 dollars up front for the key
Tack on another 100 for the company
It's on my dime but she holds me tight
yeah we fuck all night
For a moment, I'm alright
Oh, home is where I ought to be
out in the gentle country breeze
with my family
But cold in a casket I lie
Bare-knuckle boxing polished wood
And I've grown so tired
I've grown so tired..
All the rounders shine their sawtooth grin
With every page I burn for them
as I sign myself away to grieve
Through bloodstained sleeves
In the ashes of my needs
As I stand within a makeshift ring
of follies, lies and broken things
and I shout and I howl and I cry and I sing
Counting blessings down
Crossing the Xs of my doubts
Oh Glory, won't lay your hands on me
How it used to break me down
But I'm finding peace
Lord knows I can't look back now
So I try and swallow pride
But it's awful going down
it's so awful going down..
@joshuamadsen5433
I started listening to this song last March when my wife decided she didn't want to be with me anymore. I remember one morning specifically, I was out of state working, it was 3am and I was running the edge of the San Francisco bay just trying to clear my head, this song came up in a playlist on my phone. It brought me to my knees, i dropped and cried harder than i ever have before.
Hayden I hope you have peace brother, thank you for this song.
@Mr.DerekReese
That's why I love Music, or the arts in general... Creative types in general tend to be tragically empathetic people. Thank God 🙌 I mean hell, ain't that what it's all about? A Truly shared human experience... That's the ultimate, man.
Leonard Cohen said it best:
"Love is not a Victory March!
It's a Cold, & it's a Broken HALLELUJAH"
I mean, shit. He nailed it. Love is a wonderful, mysterious force, as real as it is unexplainable. But it wouldn't be so meaningful if we weren't so deeply broken. If this is all just one big accident, holy shit was it a doozy! And to get to say we were a part of it, singing & dancing & living in awe of our very own existence??? And the fact that you and I, two complete strangers who come from two completely different worlds, would somehow find our paths intersecting in this very moment & possess the awareness to appreciate just how lucky we are??? It's like a beautifully orchestrated masterpiece that was created just for us. How bout a little gratitude people??! No, we aren't immortal. Death & loss are part of life. But without them life would seem like such a terrible waste of time.
Keep trucking along on this journey brother, & may you find whatever it is you're looking for. I don't know you, but I love you, & I mean that. Life's too short not to live the fuck out of it & love like it's been outlawed.
@sabotagesabotage9697
This is the common theme I see as I’m sure we all do. I think this is a better form of group therapy that you won’t find anywhere else.
@lyallarblaster3416
I hope you found happiness, brother ✌
@kilo-watt
Sorry for your pain, I know you came out stronger on the other side. We always do. Keep moving forward. Much love.
@liamthomson219
Beautiful story man, thanks for sharing.
@wesleycooper7159
One of the best songs I've ever heard.
@davidfarr1949
Simply put is sometimes the best. I Totally agree with you.
@jaytaylor5700
That's a fact my friend
@brandonstephens7877
Song saved my life…..Literally.