Although Uncle Tupelo broke up before it achieved commercial success, the band is renowned for its impact on the alternative country music scene. The group's first album, No Depression, became a byword for the genre and was widely influential. Uncle Tupelo's sound was unlike popular country music of the time, drawing inspiration from styles as diverse as the hardcore punk of The Minutemen and the country instrumentation and harmony of the Carter Family and Hank Williams. Farrar and Tweedy lyrics frequently referenced Middle America and the working class of Belleville.
I Wish My Baby Was Born
Uncle Tupelo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you, poor girl, were dead and gone green grass growing over thee
I'm not no saint, nor I never shall be
'Til the sweet apple grows
From the sour apple tree
I still hope the day will come
When you and I will walk as one
"I Wish My Baby Was Born" is a traditional American folk song that has been covered by various artists, including Uncle Tupelo. The lyrics are about a man who wishes his baby was born sitting on his lap while his lover is dead and buried. He also acknowledges that he is no saint, but hopes that one day they can walk together as one.
The first two lines of the song express the man's desire to have his baby born while he is still alive so that he can hold them on his lap and bond with them. However, the next line takes a darker turn where he wishes that his lover was dead and gone while the grass grows over her. This line may signify that he cannot be with both his lover and his baby, and he has to choose between them.
As he contemplates these conflicting feelings, the man reflects on his own shortcomings and acknowledges that he is no saint. He then uses a metaphor of a sour apple tree to express his hope that he can improve himself and become a better person. The final line indicates that he still wants to be with his lover and hopes that one day they can be reunited.
Overall, the song speaks to the complex emotions of love, loss, and redemption. It captures the longing for connection and the struggle to overcome personal flaws in order to find happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish, I wish my baby was born sitting on his papa's knee
I long for the simple life, sitting with my newborn child on my father's lap.
And you, poor girl, were dead and gone green grass growing over thee
I mourn the love lost between us and imagine a world where my former partner has passed away and nature has taken over her resting place.
I'm not no saint, nor I never shall be
I understand that I have faults and limitations and do not expect to be perfect.
'Til the sweet apple grows from the sour apple tree
Perhaps in the distant future, things will change for the better, despite the negative surroundings of the present.
I still hope the day will come when you and I will walk as one
I hold onto the possibility of reconciliation between us and dream of a future where we can be united again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAY STUART FARRAR, JEFF TWEEDY, JEFFREY SCOTT TWEEDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind