The Ballad Of Hollis Brown
The Neville Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He lived on the outside of town
Hollis Brown
He lived on the outside of town
With his wife and five children
And his cabin brokin' down.
You looked for work and money
And you walked a rugged mile
And you walked a rugged mile
Your children are so hungry
That they don't know how to smile.
Your baby's eyes look crazy
They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve
Your baby's eyes look crazy
They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve
You walk the floor and wonder why
With every breath you breathe.
The rats have got your flour
Bad blood it got your mare
The rats have got your flour
Bad blood it got your mare
If there's anyone that knows
Is there anyone that cares ?
You prayed to the Lord above
Oh please send you a friend
You prayed to the Lord above
Oh please send you a friend
Your empty pocket tell you
That you ain't a-got no friend.
Your babies are crying louder now
It's pounding on your brain
Your babies are crying louder now
It's pounding on your brain
Your wife's screams are stabbin' you
Like the dirty drivin' rain.
Your grass is turning black
There's no water in your well
Your grass is turning black
There's no water in your well
Your spent your last lone dollar
On seven shotgun shels.
Way out in the wilderness
A cold coyote calls
Way out in the wilderness
A cold coyote calls
Your eyes fix on the shortgun
That's hangin' on the wall.
Your brain is a-bleedin'
And your legs can't seem to stand
Your brain is a-bleedin'
And your legs can't seem to stand
Your eyes fix on the shortgun
That you're holdin' in your hand.
There's seven breezes a-blowin'
All around the cabin door
There's seven breezes a-blowin'
All around the cabin door
Seven shots ring out
Like the ocean's pounding roar.
There's seven people dead
On a south Dakota farm
There's seven people dead
On a south Dakota farm
Somewhere in the distance
There's seven new people born.
The Ballad of Hollis Brown by The Neville Brothers is a powerful song, reminiscent of traditional folk ballads, that tells the story of a struggling, impoverished man named Hollis Brown. The song describes the desperate circumstances of Hollis Brown's life, living on the outside of town in a broken-down cabin with his wife and five children, struggling to find work and provide for his family. The opening lines of the song immediately set the tone, painting a bleak and hopeless picture of the singer's life. The repetition of the phrase "Hollis Brown" further emphasizes the sense of isolation and desperation.
As the song progresses, the listener is taken on a journey through Hollis Brown's inner turmoil. The lyrics describe the hunger and suffering of his family and the emotional turmoil that comes with it. The imagery of his baby's crazy eyes tugging at his sleeve and his wife's screams stabbing him like the dirty driving rain add to the overall sense of despair. The chorus of the song, with its haunting melody and repetition of the line "your eyes fix on the shotgun that you're holding in your hand," foreshadows the tragic ending of the song. The final verse describes Hollis Brown's descent into madness, culminating in the brutal murder of his family.
Overall, The Ballad of Hollis Brown is a powerful and haunting tale of poverty and despair, capturing the pain and hopelessness that can come with poverty and the extreme lengths some people will go to in order to escape it.
Line by Line Meaning
Hollis Brown
The singer of the song is named Hollis Brown
He lived on the outside of town
He lived in a remote location outside the town
With his wife and five children
He had a wife and five children to support
And his cabin brokin' down.
His cabin was in a state of disrepair
You looked for work and money
Hollis searched for employment and money
And you walked a rugged mile
He had to endure harsh conditions in his search for work
Your children are so hungry
Hollis's children were starving and desperate for food
That they don't know how to smile.
Their situation was so dire that they could not find happiness
Your baby's eyes look crazy
One of Hollis's children was exhibiting erratic behavior due to hunger
They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve
The child was so desperate for food that they were clinging to Hollis's arm
You walk the floor and wonder why
Hollis was consumed with anxiety and confusion
With every breath you breathe.
His struggle was all-consuming and affected him constantly
The rats have got your flour
Rats had eaten Hollis's supply of flour
Bad blood it got your mare
His horse was sick and possibly infected with a deadly disease
If there's anyone that knows
Hollis was desperate for someone to understand his plight
Is there anyone that cares?
Hollis was desperate for someone to help him
You prayed to the Lord above
Hollis turned to religion in his moment of desperation
Oh please send you a friend
He asked God to send him a savior
Your empty pocket tell you
He had no money and no resources
That you ain't a-got no friend.
Hollis had no one to turn to for help
Your babies are crying louder now
The children's cries for food were growing more desperate
It's pounding on your brain
Hollis was mentally and emotionally exhausted from the children's cries
Your wife's screams are stabbin' you
His wife's distress was affecting him deeply and painfully
Like the dirty drivin' rain.
Her screams were like a torrent of rain beating down on him
Your grass is turning black
The grass and crops were dying due to lack of water
There's no water in your well
Hollis had no access to water
Your spent your last lone dollar
Hollis had run out of money and resources
On seven shotgun shels.
He spent his last dollar on ammunition for his shotgun
Way out in the wilderness
Hollis was living in a remote, isolated area
A cold coyote calls
The howl of a coyote could be heard in the distance
Your eyes fix on the shortgun
Hollis begins contemplating suicide with his shotgun
That's hangin' on the wall.
The shotgun was mounted on the wall near him
Your brain is a-bleedin'
Hollis is dealing with intense emotional turmoil
And your legs can't seem to stand
He is physically weak and struggling to stand
There's seven breezes a-blowin'
The wind is picking up and becoming intense
All around the cabin door
The blowing wind is rattling and shaking the doors and walls of the cabin
Seven shots ring out
Hollis shoots his family and himself with the shotgun
Like the ocean's pounding roar.
The sound of the shots is deafening and reminiscent of the waves crashing on the shore
There's seven people dead
Hollis has killed his wife and children, along with himself
On a south Dakota farm
The song takes place in South Dakota
Somewhere in the distance
A new life begins somewhere else, unbeknownst to Hollis
There's seven new people born.
Seven new lives are born, signifying the ongoing cycle of life and death
Contributed by Jason G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.