Cecilia
The Mulligan Brothers Lyrics

In the south of Alabamy, near the Gulf of Mexico
This song takes place near the Gulf of Mexico in southern Alabama.

On the banks of old Tombigbee
The story in this song takes place on the banks of the Tombigbee River in Alabama.

Walks an old, lost forgotten soul
There is an old man walking along the Tombigbee River who is lost and forgotten.

He was once a man of virtue
The old man used to be a virtuous person.

Sadly less a man of means
However, he is now poor and not as well off as he used to be.

Said, Cecilia I won't let them hurt you
The old man is speaking to a woman named Cecilia and promising to protect her.

I'll set you free, I'll set you free
He promises to set Cecilia free from whatever situation she is in.

Cause my love for you is stronger than these plantation walls
The old man's love for Cecilia is so strong that it can overcome any obstacles in their way.

It howls at the moon at night
The love that the old man has for Cecilia is intense and emotional.

It don't know about the law
The love that the old man has for Cecilia does not care about rules or laws.

And it is at your beg and call
The love that the old man has for Cecilia is available to her whenever she needs it.

I said, Cecilia don't you cry
The old man reassures Cecilia that she has nothing to worry about and she should not cry.

By and by, Cecilia don't you cry
He repeats this comfort to Cecilia and tells her to have patience.

She was born into subjection
Cecilia was born into a life where she was not able to make choices for herself.

She was born without a say
She had no control over her own life and had to do what others told her to.

He was her first and only revelation
The old man was the first person to give Cecilia hope that she could live a better life.

That she might not die that way
The old man offers Cecilia a chance to escape her current situation and not have to live in the same way she has been living.

I will love you all the seasons
The old man promises to love Cecilia forever, no matter what.

What you want is what I'll be
The old man tells Cecilia that he will be whatever she needs him to be.

I'll be your rock, I'll be your reason
He will be a source of strength and comfort for her.

Just set me free, Oh just set me free
The old man pleads with Cecilia to allow him to set her free and be with her.

Cause my heart is so much stronger than these plantation walls
Once again, the old man's love is more powerful than anything else in their way.

And every night I hear it call
The old man hears his heart calling out to Cecilia every night.

I'll set us free
He promises to set them both free from their current situations.

He had never been inclined to help another man to die
The old man had never wanted to help someone else die before.

Until the bossman finally wished to leave
However, when the bossman wanted to leave, the old man saw his chance to help Cecilia escape.

With Cecilia at his side, under that dark October sky
The old man and Cecilia left together on a dark night in October.

They climbed upon their boat and left that man to bleed, bleed
The old man and Cecilia abandoned the bossman and let him bleed to death.

No sooner than the bossman died
As soon as the bossman had died,

His fairy fell out of the sky
Something bad happened to the old man as a result of what they had done.

A racer's storm was on the hunt they say
There was a storm coming that would cause trouble for the old man.

And revenge it what a boat
The storm was seeking revenge for what the old man had done.

And sank his one and only hope
The storm destroyed the old man's boat and his only hope for a better life with Cecilia.

As he heard Cecilia's cries fading away
As the boat was sinking, the old man heard Cecilia crying as she was losing hope.

From those mirky, shallow waters
The old man was lost in murky, shallow waters.

To the Carribean Sea
He somehow ended up in the Caribbean Sea.

You can hear him cry Cecilia come set me free
The old man is still calling out for Cecilia to set him free.

Oh, come set me free
He desperately wants to be with Cecilia and have a better life.

Cecilia, please come set me free
The old man is begging Cecilia to come and save him.

Come set me free, Come set me free
He repeats his plea for Cecilia to come and save him from his situation.

Cecili, please come set me free
The song ends with the old man still calling out desperately to Cecilia to save him and set him free.