Lay Me Down
The Oh Hellos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As their throats of open graves recited fear
Like the bullets of a gun they drove my tears
And my feet to run the hell out of here
See, I was born a restless, wayward child
I could hear the whole world calling me outside
Of the masses I routinely sat behind
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
That I'm a weathered stone
But I owe it to my brothers
To carry them home
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
It's a heavy load
But we'll carry our brothers
Oh, we'll carry them home
And oh, there is no power on Earth or below
That could ever break our hearts or shake our souls
And when you lay me down, you'll only bury bones
'cause oh, my heart and soul are going home
In "Lay Me Down," The Oh Hello's blend bluegrass and folk influences to create a haunting meditation on mortality, love, and the search for meaning. The song begins with the singer recalling a traumatic experience, in which they are confronted by a group of people reciting messages of fear and condemnation. The language of "fire and brimstone" calls to mind the Biblical concept of eternal damnation, suggesting that the singer may have been exposed to a particularly intense form of religious rhetoric. Nonetheless, the singer is able to find a way out of this situation ("my feet to run the hell out of here"), indicating that they are not entirely disillusioned by the world.
From there, the song shifts into a more introspective mode, as the singer reflects on their own sense of restlessness and the desire to venture beyond the boundaries of everyday life. The image of the "living oak" suggests a natural world that is both beautiful and enduring, contrasting with the temporal nature of human existence. There is a clear sense that the singer is on a quest for something greater than themselves, and that this quest involves a sense of responsibility towards others ("But I owe it to my brothers / To carry them home"). Even as the song confronts the inevitability of death (the closing line "you'll only bury bones"), there is an undercurrent of hope and resilience that makes the song feel like a celebration of life rather than a lament for its passing.
Overall, "Lay Me Down" is a powerful and evocative song that touches on themes of mortality, transcendence, and the search for meaning. The Oh Hello's are able to blend elements of various genres to create a uniquely compelling sound, anchored by powerful vocals and infectious melodies.
Line by Line Meaning
Fire and brimstone fell upon my ears
I heard terrifying things that made me feel like I was in hell
As their throats of open graves recited fear
People were speaking about their fears in a way that sounded like they were already dead
Like the bullets of a gun they drove my tears
Their words were so hurtful that it made me cry as if I got shot
And my feet to run the hell out of here
Their words made me want to escape from that place immediately
See, I was born a restless, wayward child
I was always curious and wanted to explore the world around me
I could hear the whole world calling me outside
I felt like the world had so much to offer and I didn't want to miss out on anything
Of the masses I routinely sat behind
I didn't want to be like everyone else and follow the crowd
And Lord, I had to see with my own eyes
I needed to experience everything myself to truly understand it
Take me home
I want to go back to where I belong
I want to go
I need to leave this place
Down the road that will take me
I want to follow the path that leads me
To the living oak
To a place of comfort and stability
And Lord, I know
I am aware
That I'm a weathered stone
I've been through a lot and am strong because of it
But I owe it to my brothers
I have a responsibility to help those around me
To carry them home
To support and guide them to where they need to be
It's a heavy load
Helping others can be difficult and burdensome
But we'll carry our brothers
We'll support each other no matter what
Oh, we'll carry them home
We'll guide each other to where we belong
And oh, there is no power on Earth or below
No force can break the bond we have with each other
That could ever break our hearts or shake our souls
Our connection runs deep and cannot be destroyed
And when you lay me down, you'll only bury bones
My physical body will be buried, but my spirit will live on
'cause oh, my heart and soul are going home
I am at peace knowing that I am going back to where I truly belong
Contributed by Mackenzie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@DawnStarLightning
"Lay Me Down" lyrics
Fire and brimstone fell upon my ears
As their throats of open graves recited fear
Like the bullets of a gun they drove my tears
And my feet to run the hell out of here
See, I was born a restless, wayward child
I could hear the whole world calling me outside
Of the masses I routinely sat behind
And Lord, I had to see with my own eyes
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
That I'm a weathered stone
But I owe it to my brothers
To carry them home
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
It's a heavy load
But we'll carry our brothers
Oh, we'll carry them home
And oh, there is no power on Earth or below
That could ever break our hearts or shake our souls
And when you lay me down, you'll only bury bones
'cause oh, my heart and soul are going home
@y-._.-k
Fire and brimstone fell upon my ears
As their throats of open graves recited fear
Like the bullets of a gun they drove my tears
And my feet to run the hell out of here
See, I was born a restless, wayward child
I could here the whole world calling me outside
Of the masses I routinely sat behind
And Lord, I had to see with my own eyes
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
That I'm a weathered stone
But I owe it to my brothers to carry them home
(x2)
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
It's a heavy load
But we'll carry our brothers
And we'll carry them home
And oh, there is no power on Earth, or below
That could ever break our hearts or shake our souls
And when you lay me down you'll only bury bones
'Cause oh, my heart and soul are going home
@anamargulescu3170
I'm writing a book and I can only say that I'm using only their, The Paper Kites', Mumford and Sons's, Of Monster and Men's, The Lumineers', The Crane Wives' and Sea Wolf's music. Oh, and one song from Cosmo Sheldrake.
@idontneedaname318
that is a very specific vibe. sounds dope.
@Emma-sj6wp
That's is very specific and I love it. Looking forward to that vibe.
One important question.
Will I cry?
@Jessicathebright
Drop us a reply when you're done! Best of luck!
@dewwyarchived283
I love all of those bands so very much!! Tell us when it's released! (ps I think you'd like First Aid Kit)
@grimr.599
You have my exact music taste lol, may I ask which Cosmo song?
@DawnStarLightning
"Lay Me Down" lyrics
Fire and brimstone fell upon my ears
As their throats of open graves recited fear
Like the bullets of a gun they drove my tears
And my feet to run the hell out of here
See, I was born a restless, wayward child
I could hear the whole world calling me outside
Of the masses I routinely sat behind
And Lord, I had to see with my own eyes
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
That I'm a weathered stone
But I owe it to my brothers
To carry them home
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
It's a heavy load
But we'll carry our brothers
Oh, we'll carry them home
And oh, there is no power on Earth or below
That could ever break our hearts or shake our souls
And when you lay me down, you'll only bury bones
'cause oh, my heart and soul are going home
@michaelmatsoukas222
:)
@theboythatsayshootyhoo3865
I love how this references second child, restless child god I just love their music so much
@a.morphous66
This song came out a year before Second Child, Restless Child so you’ve got the order wrong; Second Child referenced this song.