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.
Lilli Schull
Uncle Tupelo Lyrics
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All around the jail today
To see me executed
And hear what I do say
Now I must hang this morning
For the murder of Lilli Schull
Whom I so cruelly murdered
The fire where I burned her
Is again now within my sight
Her lovely face recovering
And the fire that burned so bright
The cries of poor Lilli
Again I can almost hear
As she begged me not to kill her
Her life alone to spare
Now I bow down to Jesus
In penitential grief
And I beg him now to save me
Like he did the dying thief
God bless my aged parents
Who mourn for me alone
And my wife and baby
Who will be left alone
It was then that I heard a whisper
In a most gentle tone
My grave is one sufficient
To save the vilest one
The song "Lilli Schull" by Uncle Tupelo is a haunting song about a man who is about to be executed for the murder of Lilli Schull. The lyrics are written from the perspective of the murderer, who reflects on his crime and expresses his regret for what he has done. The opening lines of the song describe the scene outside the jail where he is being held, with a crowd of people gathered to witness his execution and hear what he has to say. The murderer then describes the brutal way in which he killed Lilli Schull and burned her body, and how he can still see the fire in his mind.
As the song continues, the murderer reflects on his feelings of guilt and remorse for what he has done. He begs Jesus to save him, comparing himself to the dying thief who was saved by Jesus on the cross. He also thinks about his parents, wife, and baby, who will be left alone when he is gone. In the final verse of the song, the murderer hears a whisper that his grave will be sufficient to save him, no matter how vile his crime.
The lyrics of "Lilli Schull" are powerful and evocative, and the song is a powerful commentary on the nature of sin, redemption, and forgiveness. It is a reminder that even the worst sinners may find salvation if they repent and turn to God.
Line by Line Meaning
A great crowd has now gathered
A large group of people have come together
All around the jail today
They are located in close proximity to a prison
To see me executed
In order to witness the singer's punishment by death
And hear what I do say
They want to listen to the things the artist has to express
Now I must hang this morning
The artist has to be hung very soon
For the murder of Lilli Schull
The singer has been sentenced to death due to killing Lilli Schull
Whom I so cruelly murdered
The singer killed Lilli Schull in a particularly brutal manner
And her body shamefully burned
The artist set Lilli Schull's body on fire, which was a disgraceful act
The fire where I burned her
The fire that the artist used to burn Lilli Schull
Is again now within my sight
The artist can now see the fire again
Her lovely face recovering
Lilli Schull's beautiful face is visible to the singer once more
And the fire that burned so bright
The fire that was once bright and strong
The cries of poor Lilli
Lilli Schull's screams and pleas for mercy
Again I can almost hear
The singer is able to visualize and imagine the sounds she made
As she begged me not to kill her
Lilli Schull pled with the singer to not end her life
Her life alone to spare
She asked for mercy and hoped to preserve her own life
Now I bow down to Jesus
The artist is praying and submitting to Jesus
In penitential grief
The singer is expressing profound sorrow and remorse
And I beg him now to save me
The singer is pleading with Jesus to rescue him
Like he did the dying thief
The artist is hoping that Jesus will grant him the same forgiveness that he gave the thief on the cross
God bless my aged parents
The artist is asking for God's blessing upon his elderly parents
Who mourn for me alone
The artist's parents are currently grieving for their son
And my wife and baby
The singer's spouse and infant child
Who will be left alone
They will be left behind without the artist
It was then that I heard a whisper
The singer is describing a mysterious sound he heard
In a most gentle tone
The whisper was very soft and quiet
My grave is one sufficient
The singer hears a voice saying that his grave is enough to save even the most wicked sinner
To save the vilest one
The voice is saying that salvation is available to those who are considered the most loathsome and sinful
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAY STUART FARRAR, JEFF TWEEDY, JEFFREY SCOTT TWEEDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind