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There's a prison on Route 41
A home to my father, first cousin, and son
And I visit on every weekend
Not with my body but with prayers that I send
I've a reason for my absentee
And no lack of love for my dear family
But my savior is not Christ the Lord
But one named Virginia whom I live my life for
Because I owe mine to her
And I'd rot in that prison for sure
If she'd tossed me aside
And not shown me the way to abide
By the creed, the law of the land
So unlike my uncle, grandpa, and great aunt
Whom I'd most likely see every day
If not for the righteous pair of Virginia's legs
There's a prison on Route 41
Home to my mother, stepbrother, and son
And I'd tear down that jail by myself
If not for Virginia who made me somebody else
And I owe all to her
I’d rot in that prison for sure
If she'd tossed me aside
And not shown me the way to abide
By the precepts of her purity
So unlike the habits of my whole family
Whom I only see down on my knees
In prayer by Virginia whom I live for to please
A home to my father, first cousin, and son
And I visit on every weekend
Not with my body but with prayers that I send
I've a reason for my absentee
And no lack of love for my dear family
But my savior is not Christ the Lord
But one named Virginia whom I live my life for
Because I owe mine to her
And I'd rot in that prison for sure
If she'd tossed me aside
And not shown me the way to abide
By the creed, the law of the land
So unlike my uncle, grandpa, and great aunt
Whom I'd most likely see every day
If not for the righteous pair of Virginia's legs
There's a prison on Route 41
Home to my mother, stepbrother, and son
And I'd tear down that jail by myself
If not for Virginia who made me somebody else
And I owe all to her
I’d rot in that prison for sure
If she'd tossed me aside
And not shown me the way to abide
By the precepts of her purity
So unlike the habits of my whole family
Whom I only see down on my knees
In prayer by Virginia whom I live for to please
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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#1 There is an historic prison on route 41 (Marquette Branch Prison) and I'm sure there are many, many other prisons along this road which stretches out 2000 miles.
#2 Route 41 doesn't go anywhere near Virginia and didn't exist until 1926, long after slavery was abolished.
#2 Sam Beam lived in Florida for a period of time which would have made him very familiar with historic Route 41 which runs from The Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Miami, Florida .
maybe a family tragedy that he's blatantly ignoring with the help of Virginia?
could be way off, but that's my loose interpretation
Cuz I owe mine to her
And I'd rot in that prison for sure
If she tossed me aside
and not shown me the way to abide
ANYway, I think Chombis nailed this one...I always heard the song as the speaker claiming his undying love for the woman who supposedly "saved him" from the life of his family, aka in prison.
There's a prison on Route 41
A home to my father, first cousin, and son
And I visit on every weekend
Not with my body but with prayers that I send
I've a reason for my absentee
And no lack of love for my dear family
But my savior is not Christ the Lord
But one named Virginia whom I live my life for
'Cause I owe mine to her
And I'd rot in that prison for sure
If she tossed me aside
And not show me the way to abide
By the creed, the law of the land
So unlike my uncle, grandpa, and great aunt
Whom I'd most likely see every day
If not for the righteous pair of Virginia's legs
There's a prison on Route 41
Home to my mother, stepbrother, and son
And I'd tear down that jail by myself
If not for Virginia who made me somebody else
And I owe all to her
I’d rot in that prison for sure
If she tossed me aside
And not show me the way to abide
By the precepts of her purity
So unlike the habits of my whole family
Whom I only see down on my knees
In prayer by Virginia whom I live for to please
I was thinking that his home was making him a prisoner from his lover, but that's a more resounding explanation.
It's probably the deepest song I've heard yet by Sam Beam.
In the second, the figurative "prison" is the speaker's relationship with Virginia, who has suceeded in completely cutting the speaker off from his family of origin, including his own son (presumably borne by another woman). The speaker's family lives in a house on Route 41, which Virginia has convinced the speaker is somehow akin to a prison.
The latter of these two interpretations stands as a parable against mistaking a lover for a savior (elevated above Christ the Lord), one without whom one would oneself "surely die". It also reminds us of a frequent, and frequently ignored, warning sign in many troubled relationships, i.e. one partner attempting to cut the other off from friends and family in an effort to eliminate competing influences and/or to weaken and disorient one's partner, who will then become more dependent.