Southern Gothic
Tyminski Lyrics

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Woo
Woo

Blackbird on the old church steeple
Spanish moss hangin' in the settin' sun
Every house house has got a Bible and a loaded gun
We got preachers and politicians
'Round here it's kinda hard to tell which one

Is gonna do more talkin' with a crooked tongue

This town's got the good lord shakin' his head
Lookin' down thinkin' we ain't heard a word he said
A word he said

Baptized in Southern Gothic
In the garden of good and evil
Devil right here, who would've thought it?
In a town full of God-fearin' people
Dogs and deadbolts guard the night
Nothin' left to do but kneel and pray
We got a church on every corner
So why does heaven feel so far away?
Far away (ooh)

Must be somethin' in the muddy water
Turns the whisky 'bout as sweet as sin
Every drunk in town can sing a brown bag hymn
Good fences make good neighbors
But good neighbors make good lovers too
And when your man ain't home any man will do

This town's got the good lord shakin' his head (shakin' his head)
Lookin' down thinkin' we ain't heard a word he said
A word he said
Word he said

Baptized in Southern Gothic
In the garden of good and evil
Devil right here, who would've thought it?
In a town full of God-fearin' people
Dogs and deadbolts guard the night
Nothin' left to do but kneel and pray (kneel and pray)
We got a church on every corner
So why does heaven feel so far away? (Feel so far away)
Far away

High on homegrown, smokin' that brimstone
Mama ain't stoppin', poppin' that cotton
No happy ever after, waitin' on the rapture now

Baptized in Southern Gothic
In the garden of good and evil
Devil right here, who would've thought it? (Who would've thought it?)
In a town full of God-fearin' people
Dogs and deadbolts guard the night (guard the night)
Nothin' left to do but kneel and pray
We got a church on every corner (every corner)
So why does heaven feel so far away? (Far away)
Far away

Southern Gothic

Southern Gothic
Southern Gothic

Overall Meaning

The song "Southern Gothic" by Tyminski is a commentary on the contradictions and cultural complexities present in the American South. He starts by painting a picture of a small town, with blackbirds on church steeples and Spanish moss hanging in the sun. However, he notes that "every house has got a Bible and a loaded gun," and it's hard to tell the difference between preachers and politicians. The town's residents--who Tyminski calls "God-fearing people"--are distrustful of outsiders, as evidenced by the dogs and deadbolts guarding the night.

Tyminski also describes a hedonistic side to the town, with muddy water turning whiskey sweet as sin and drunks singing "brown bag hymns." Good fences make good neighbors, but good neighbors make good lovers, and when the man of the house is away, any man will do. The song ends with the repeated lyric "Baptized in Southern Gothic," which suggests that the culture in this town is both steeped in religion and deeply flawed.

Overall, "Southern Gothic" is a commentary on the dual nature of the American South, which can be simultaneously beautiful and ugly, religious and hypocritical, welcoming and xenophobic. By highlighting these contradictions, Tyminski is able to suggest that there is much more to the region and its people than meets the eye.

Line by Line Meaning

Blackbird on the old church steeple
A common sight in the town is a blackbird sitting on an old church steeple

Spanish moss hangin' in the settin' sun
The sun is setting and the Spanish moss is hanging from the trees

Every house has got a Bible and a loaded gun
In every home, there is a Bible and a loaded gun

We got preachers and politicians
The town has both a religious community and a political community

'Round here it's kinda hard to tell which one / Is gonna do more talkin' with a crooked tongue
It is difficult to determine whether the religious or political community is more deceitful

This town's got the good lord shakin' his head / Lookin' down thinkin' we ain't heard a word he said / A word he said
The town's sinful behavior causes God to be disappointed in them and question if they have even listened to His teachings

Baptized in Southern Gothic / In the garden of good and evil / Devil right here, who would've thought it? / In a town full of God-fearin' people / Dogs and deadbolts guard the night / Nothin' left to do but kneel and pray / We got a church on every corner / So why does heaven feel so far away? / Far away (ooh)
The town and its inhabitants are steeped in a culture of Southern Gothic, where good and evil coexist alongside hypocritical religious beliefs. Despite this, they continue to fear God and take extreme measures to protect themselves, but still feel distant from Heaven.

Must be somethin' in the muddy water / Turns the whisky 'bout as sweet as sin / Every drunk in town can sing a brown bag hymn
The water in this town is contaminated and the whiskey tastes sinful. Additionally, even the heavy drinkers in the town know the hymns and religious songs.

Good fences make good neighbors / But good neighbors make good lovers too / And when your man ain't home any man will do
While fences are good for creating boundaries between homes, having good relationships with neighbors can lead to infidelity when one's spouse is away.

High on homegrown, smokin' that brimstone / Mama ain't stoppin', poppin' that cotton / No happy ever after, waitin' on the rapture now
The people in town are regularly using drugs and participating in sinful activities. Additionally, they are hopeless and are only waiting for the end of the world.

Southern Gothic / Southern Gothic / Southern Gothic
This chorus continues to reinforce the idea of the town's Southern Gothic culture.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAN TYMINSKI, JESSE FRASURE, JOSH KEAR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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