Shallow Grave
The Roe Family Singers Lyrics


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My poor husband, I lain him low when I cut him with my knife
My husband counted many a foe and among them be his wife

I dragged his body right out the door to bury him in the ground
And as my muscles gettin' sore he was only two feet down
I walked back to my kitchen door when the rain fell from the sky
But I knew that it was just my Lord as the tears fell from his eye
But then there was this terrible sound
All bangin' upon my door
And throwin' open the wooden gates there lie my husband's corpse

His cold, cold eyes they held my own
As I heard him wail and weep
Then I realized that they were my own sayin', "Please, Lord, forgive me"

So if you're gonna dig a grave




Make sure you dig it deep
For a shallow grave will rise then up when the Lord begins to weep

Overall Meaning

The "Shallow Grave" by The Roe Family Singers is a haunting song that tells the story of a woman who murders her husband and buries him in a shallow grave. The lyrics suggest that the husband was not a good man, and that the wife did what she had to do to survive.


The song is essentially about the consequences of our actions and how they can affect us in the afterlife. The wife in the song thinks that she has gotten away with murder, but her conscience begins to haunt her. The tears that fall from the sky are interpreted as the tears of the Lord, indicating that he knows what has happened and is not pleased. The wife is then confronted with the ghost of her husband, who asks for forgiveness.


The song's message is clear: if you're going to do something, be prepared to face the consequences. Even when we think we've gotten away with something, it's only a matter of time before it comes back to haunt us.


Line by Line Meaning

My poor husband, I lain him low when I cut him with my knife
I killed my husband by stabbing him with a knife


My husband counted many a foe and among them be his wife
My husband had many enemies, including me as his wife


I dragged his body right out the door to bury him in the ground
I carried his body out of the house to bury him


And as my muscles gettin' sore he was only two feet down
I got tired easily and stopped burying him after only two feet


I walked back to my kitchen door when the rain fell from the sky
I returned to my house during the rain


But I knew that it was just my Lord as the tears fell from his eye
I believed the rain was a sign from God that he knew what I had done


But then there was this terrible sound all bangin' upon my door
There was a loud noise at my door


And throwin' open the wooden gates there lie my husband's corpse
I opened the door to find my husband's body lying outside


His cold, cold eyes they held my own as I heard him wail and weep
I felt my husband's ghost looking into my own eyes as he cried


Then I realized that they were my own sayin', "Please, Lord, forgive me"
I realized that the voice I heard was my own, begging God for forgiveness


So if you're gonna dig a grave make sure you dig it deep
If you plan on burying someone, make sure the grave is deep enough


For a shallow grave will rise then up when the Lord begins to weep
If the grave is too shallow, the body will rise up when God cries over it




Contributed by Noah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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