Looka yonder
Looka yonder
Looka yonder
A big black cloud come
A big black cloud come
Oh, comes to Tupelo
Comes to Tupelo

Yonder on the horizon
Yonder on the horizon
Stopped at the mighty river
Stopped at the mighty river and
Sucked the damn thing dry
Sucked the damn thing dry
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
In a valley hides a town called Tupelo

Well, distant thunder rumble
Distant thunder rumble
Rumble hungry like the Beast
The Beast it cometh, cometh down
The Beast it cometh, cometh down
The Beast it cometh, cometh down
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Tupelo bound
Tupelo
Yeah, oh, Tupelo
The Beast it cometh, Tupelo bound

Why the hen won't lay no egg
Can't get that cock to crow
The nag is spooked and crazy
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo

Ya can say these streets are rivers
Ya can call these rivers streets
Ya can tell ya self your dreaming buddy
But no sleep runs this deep
No, no sleep runs this deep
No, no sleep runs this deep
Women at their windows
Rain crashing on the pane
Writing in the frost
Tupelo's shame
Tupelo's shame
Tupelo's shame
Tupelo's shame
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo

Oh, go to sleep little children
The sandman's on his way
Oh, go to sleep little children
The sandman's on his way
But the little children know
But the little children know
They listen to the beating of their blood
Listen to the beating of their blood
Listen to the beating of their blood
Listen to the beating of their blood
Sandman's mud
The sandman's mud
The sandman's mud
The sandman's mud
And black rain come down
The black rain come down
The black rain come down
Oh, water, water everywhere
Water, water everywhere
Where no bird can fly, no fish can swim
No bird can fly, no fish can swim
No fish can swim
Until The King is born
Until The King is born (Tupelo)
In Tupelo
'Til The King is born in Tupelo

In a clap-board shack with a roof of tin
Where the rain crashed down and leaked within
A young mother frozen on a concrete floor
And a bottle, and a box, and a cradle of straw
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
And a bottle, and a box, and a cradle of straw

Well Saturday gives what Sunday steals
And a child is born on his brothers heels
Sunday morn and the first-born dead
In a shoebox tied with a ribbon of red
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
In a shoebox buried with a ribbon of red

Oh mama rock you little one slow
Mama rock your baby
Mama rock your little one slow
God help Tupelo
God help Tupelo
Mama rock your little one slow
Mama rock your little one slow
The little one will walk on Tupelo
The little one will walk on Tupelo
Black rain come down
Black rain come down
Twenty years of litter and a burner phone
Years of litter and a burner phone
What does Nirvana do?
Ripped up, buried, and given away
And the King will walk on Tupelo
The King will walk on Tupelo
And carry the burden of Tupelo (Tupelo)
And carry the burden of Tupelo
And carry the burden of Tupelo
Yeah, carry the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
Yeah, The King will walk on Tupelo
Tupelo
Tupelo, Tupelo
Yeah, The King will walk on Tupelo
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
Yeah, The King will walk on Tupelo
Tupelo
Yeah, oh, Tupelo
He carried the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Yeah, yeah Tupelo
He carried the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Hey, hey, hey Tupelo
He carried the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Yeah, yeah, yeah Tupelo
You will reap just what you sow
Oh, oh, yeah
Oh, Tupelo


Lyrics submitted by delial

Tupelo Lyrics as written by Michael Harvey Barry Adamson

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Mute Song Limited

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Tupelo song meanings
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16 Comments

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  • +4
    General Comment
    fractured_sanityon July 11, 2006   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    This song, and his early albums until Tender Prey, dealt in a large way with a few themes. In his novel "And the Ass Saw the Angel" he brought most of them together in one statement. As the person before me said, this song deals with Elvis's birth, but as presented it closely resembles Euchrid's birth--the bottle, the box full of straw, the twin dying not long after birth. The Preacher of doom also is embodied and fleshed out in Abie Poe, the pistol wielding, self-anointed prophet.

    Also, throughout the novel, and the songs from this period, are echoes of Jesus' birth and religious language, things Nick has long made a part of his artistic repertoire. I find it fascinating to see all these strains developing, even so early, in an writer of Nick Cave's caliber. I would say that we need more like him, but he has done his job so well, another like him would only detract from his work. Nick Cave is a true artist.

    daseinsameon February 18, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    obviously about the end of the world, similar to jhonny cash's "when the man comes around," only more creepy.

    GravityAlwaysWinson February 27, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    is tupelo just planet earth? "he carried the burden outa tupelo" - he being Jesus? yeh end of the world. or the begining of....

    psychophysicson May 31, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This kind of preacher man, which it obviously is who preaches, would be interesting to watch as audience. I guess he would scare me shitless.

    JASGripenon September 24, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The song actually is a frightening take on the story of Elvis's birth. He was born in the town of Tupelo, and it describes how his twin brother died at birth ("firstborn is dead"). Also, it is somewhat based on the lyrical themes of John Lee Hooker, who also wrote a song called "Tupelo."

    DollarShorton October 13, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I always thought this was a take on Elvis too, what with the references to 'King' and him being born in Tupelo and all that. When I read 'And The Ass Saw The Angel' I was very surprised at how 'Tupelo'-esque this was, actually.

    Prisoner.I.Wason March 05, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The "water water everywhere" line is a play on the Samuel Coolidge poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

    samwaltonon August 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I've always thought that the song was the preacher preaching to his people to repent for their sins before the Second Coming of Christ and warning them of a great flood washing over the Mississippi and drowning their town if they don't. Fantastic imagery.

    beezlebardon October 05, 2007   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning

    ITS ABOUT ELVIS AT A YOUNG AGE AND HIS MOTHER DURING THE GREAT TUPELO TORNADO ATTACK ON APRIL 5 1936. TAKE ACCOUNT HIS TWIN BROTHER DIED AT BORTH ALSO.

    making anysense to people?

    FecesSouffleon January 09, 2009   Link

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