Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
Baby love me now that you are born
Oh! Baby!
Baby in your cradle look at me
Baby speak in rhythms now you're three
Ride your German Shepherd 'till you're five
Baby think the TV is alive
Baby spend the night out you're thirteen
Bending for a wish your candles leaned
Baby bang erasers and wash the board,
Think just yesterday you wore a sword
Watch your new years evening wash away
You're on the floor, can you hear me troubadour?
Alvin row tangled in your broken kite
It's hard to be Ben Franklin but,
Try staying against the light
Old clapper you can step inside
Accustomed to the rust your silver child
Alvin Row, we're glad to see that you can't fake it
White corn grow on every side
But you can't take it, the yellow wardrobes suits you fine
Alvin all these visions smile
Let them do your makeup I know
Alvin Row, half of them are on your side
The other figments all are being completely unselfish
And all behind the right man here
My mind is not unkind it's just not open
Alvin Row, I watched the mime cryin' his winches
Brown black bag, we'll let you be until you'll fade
Now fade, now fade,
Now fade, now.......
Tired of reaching for the lampshade
Baby reading, baby love me
Ruuuuuuuun! Ruuuuuuuuun!
Ruuuuuuuun! Ruuuuuuuuun!
Ruuuuuuuun! Ruuuuuuuuun!
Ruuuuuuuun! Ruuuuuuuuun!
I told the baker's daughter that I didn't want the water
She only likes it when I beg, so I expect she's waiting
I told the baker's daughter that I didn't want their water
She only likes it when I beg, so I expect she's waiting
Row, Alvin Row, Alvin Row, Alvin Row, Row Alvin
I remember the day that I walked away from this empty flight
Cause the demons are really the ones when there's nothing on
Would slip by when I'm silent I have to let so many people down
But the bell from the ice cream man comes to save the day
The winter comes we do not wander, I belong
The chocolate shakes, the sun awakes, I play ping pong
The autumn clouds distort and crowd the petal lawn
I pulled the glass it dripped too fast for second dawn
Since we passed through the maze as we unlock the stage of my other ride
I remember the shining, the spot on the day she played
Though I never knew Moses I know many noses with thoughts like me
Take a drive to the Jacksonville pharmacy and pretend
But a new apartment and a heart don't make me old
This is spinal rage and lit a page and I've been told
But I'm walking on a wire with eight other eyes
Be sure to play the best of you eight other sides
I'll stay shy, you stay shy
Dear Alvin
I'll say bye, you say bye
Dear Alvin
I'll say go, you say go
Dear Alvin
I'll sing Row, you sing Row
Dear Alvin
I'll stay shy, you stay shy
Dear Alvin
I'll say bye, you say bye
Dear Alvin
I'll say go, you say go
Dear Alvin
I'll sing Row, you sing Row
Dear Alvin
I'll say go, you say go
Dear Alvin
Oh! Baby!
Baby in your cradle look at me
Baby speak in rhythms now you're three
Ride your German Shepherd 'till you're five
Baby think the TV is alive
Baby spend the night out you're thirteen
Bending for a wish your candles leaned
Baby bang erasers and wash the board,
Think just yesterday you wore a sword
Watch your new years evening wash away
You're on the floor, can you hear me troubadour?
Alvin row tangled in your broken kite
It's hard to be Ben Franklin but,
Try staying against the light
Old clapper you can step inside
Accustomed to the rust your silver child
Alvin Row, we're glad to see that you can't fake it
White corn grow on every side
But you can't take it, the yellow wardrobes suits you fine
Alvin all these visions smile
Let them do your makeup I know
Alvin Row, half of them are on your side
The other figments all are being completely unselfish
And all behind the right man here
My mind is not unkind it's just not open
Alvin Row, I watched the mime cryin' his winches
Brown black bag, we'll let you be until you'll fade
Now fade, now fade,
Now fade, now.......
Tired of reaching for the lampshade
Baby reading, baby love me
Ruuuuuuuun! Ruuuuuuuuun!
Ruuuuuuuun! Ruuuuuuuuun!
Ruuuuuuuun! Ruuuuuuuuun!
Ruuuuuuuun! Ruuuuuuuuun!
I told the baker's daughter that I didn't want the water
She only likes it when I beg, so I expect she's waiting
I told the baker's daughter that I didn't want their water
She only likes it when I beg, so I expect she's waiting
Row, Alvin Row, Alvin Row, Alvin Row, Row Alvin
I remember the day that I walked away from this empty flight
Cause the demons are really the ones when there's nothing on
Would slip by when I'm silent I have to let so many people down
But the bell from the ice cream man comes to save the day
The winter comes we do not wander, I belong
The chocolate shakes, the sun awakes, I play ping pong
The autumn clouds distort and crowd the petal lawn
I pulled the glass it dripped too fast for second dawn
Since we passed through the maze as we unlock the stage of my other ride
I remember the shining, the spot on the day she played
Though I never knew Moses I know many noses with thoughts like me
Take a drive to the Jacksonville pharmacy and pretend
But a new apartment and a heart don't make me old
This is spinal rage and lit a page and I've been told
But I'm walking on a wire with eight other eyes
Be sure to play the best of you eight other sides
I'll stay shy, you stay shy
Dear Alvin
I'll say bye, you say bye
Dear Alvin
I'll say go, you say go
Dear Alvin
I'll sing Row, you sing Row
Dear Alvin
I'll stay shy, you stay shy
Dear Alvin
I'll say bye, you say bye
Dear Alvin
I'll say go, you say go
Dear Alvin
I'll sing Row, you sing Row
Dear Alvin
I'll say go, you say go
Dear Alvin
Lyrics submitted by couldBanyone
Track duration: 12:40
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
We may never know the real meaning, but that's what the song makes me feel, and it's incredibly powerful. Amazing song.
Knowing this fact the meaning of the song poses the question whether or not the child version of Alvin likes who he has become as an adult “Baby love me now that you are born" and later "Baby love me?”. The latter seems to recieve no answer which is why Alvin screams "RUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNN" as if to escae this pparent problem. Obviously there is alot more content here, but im not really sure if anyone will ever read this so...
As for the lyrics, I think maybe some of you are trying to take these lyrics a little too literally? Avey's early lyrics were always very metaphorical and it takes a lot before they even come together to one meaning. Hell, his lyrics up until quite recently have been very abstract- look at his songs on Sung Tongs and a lot of them are even stranger than this.
I mean, we don't have Avey on here so none of us really know what it's about, but here's some ideas I've come up with about the song:
-for one, I really don't think Alvin Row is literally about a baby. It makes a lot of the lyrics about being old and dying a little difficult. I think if Alvin even is a character- which might be a stretch itself- then Avey is maybe trying to describe a person's entire life through the medium of them being a baby.
-secondly, the song doesn't even cover one lifetime. The references are often ancient or historical (just yesterday you wore a sword, it's hard to be Ben Franklin). Considering a lot of these are in the past, then we could consider that he's using the past in a very exaggerated way. If that's true, then Alvin isn't even a person- he could be a nation or empire, which would make the personal references like "new year's evening" interesting- in that case he's either describing a nation in terms of personal landmarks or a person in terms of national ones.
-thirdly, I don't think Alvin is even the same character throughout the story. Sometimes he seems like the narrater's son (baby in your cradle, look at me), next the narrater's lover (baby love me), next a friend, next a lost one (I remember the day that I walked away). I think these ambiguities really emphasise that fact that Alvin represents something rather than actually exists as any person in the song.
So overall, the song doesn't really adhere to any strict plot or timeline: Alvin isn't one age, he doesn't exist in any one lifetime, and he doesn't even exist as one person. Which I suppose means that Alvin represents some kind of influence, or factor, in Avey's life- or anyone's, really.
I couldn't possibly guess what that is, but although it seems a cop-out to say "it's drugs!", this song was written right at the time Avey was on a cocktail of different drugs and some of the lyrics seem to fit that interpretation (Watch your new years evening wash away/alvin all these visions are mine/they are figments of your mind/I remember I watched a man crying his weird chant/she only likes it when i beg so i expect she's waiting/words slip by when i'm silent i have to let so many people down) which imply a combination of hallucinogenics, addiction and guilt.
But at the same time, all the ancient references seem to point towards Alvin being something far more ancient and long-standing, which complicates things a bit. Maybe Alvin represents the Muses, which were both known to create hallucinations and inspire, and were certainly ancient. Well, it's an idea, at least.
What do you guys think?
A great, underrated lyric.
"Watch your New Years evening wash away
youre on the floor
can you hear me troubadour"
I belive the music in the backround represents the dad's state of mind because in the begining it is staticy and hard to listen too almost.
Then he starts talking about Alvin and the music becomes more calm and stable
Until after Alvin dies at New Years Eve? after that the music becomes sparatic again
Then at the end i think he can't take all these thoughts of his lost son/daughter so he commits suicide
"Would slip by when I'm silent but i have to let so many people down"
i know it all may be wrong but thats what the song means to me and reminds me of