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Last I saw mother, she rose from a chair
When they caught me I just finished combing my hair
Because the rabbit will run, but a colt doesn't long? with the mare
We've all learned the earth while we've carried the throne
We dove under the rivers and under our clothes
And I still have a prayer, as sure as my settling bones
Last I saw mother, she covered my ears
When they caught me I offered the captain a beer
Because the rabbit will run, and the lion has nothing to fear
We bricked up the garden and know what it means
And we've all kissed a virgin as if she were clean
And I still have a prayer, despite all the colors I've seen
And judgment is just like a cup that we share
I'll jump over the wall and I'll wait for you there
We'll pass the weeds in our vision of things to come
We've all heard the rooster and all been denied
And we've seen through the haze and the spit in our eyes
And I still have a prayer, a well-weathered word to the wise
Last I saw mother, she smelled like a rose
When they caught me, the captain, he opened my nose
Because the rabbit will run, and the wind takes a bird where it blows
We've all traded lovers and woke up alone
And we cloud for the king though our fingers were cold
And I still have a prayer, a hunger I cannot control
Last I saw mother, she acted surprised
When they caught me, the captain, he cried like a child
Because the rabbit will run, good dogs together go wild
We've all lived in grace at the end of the day
And we armed all the children we thought we betrayed
And I still have a prayer, but too few occasions to pray
Judgment is just like a cup that we share
I'll jump over the wall and I'll wait for you there
We'll pass the weeds in our vision of things to come
And we've all found a reason for hiding a gun
And we've helped out a few if we've hurt anyone
And I still have a prayer, and so be it, I've done what I've done
Last I saw mother, she blew me a kiss
When they caught me, the cuffs cut the blood from my wrist
Because the rabbit will run and the pig has to lay in its piss
We've all given half to the hand in our face
We've all taken a stone from the holiest place
And I still have a prayer, and I've furthered the world in my wait
When they caught me I just finished combing my hair
Because the rabbit will run, but a colt doesn't long? with the mare
We've all learned the earth while we've carried the throne
We dove under the rivers and under our clothes
And I still have a prayer, as sure as my settling bones
Last I saw mother, she covered my ears
When they caught me I offered the captain a beer
Because the rabbit will run, and the lion has nothing to fear
We bricked up the garden and know what it means
And we've all kissed a virgin as if she were clean
And I still have a prayer, despite all the colors I've seen
And judgment is just like a cup that we share
I'll jump over the wall and I'll wait for you there
We'll pass the weeds in our vision of things to come
We've all heard the rooster and all been denied
And we've seen through the haze and the spit in our eyes
And I still have a prayer, a well-weathered word to the wise
Last I saw mother, she smelled like a rose
When they caught me, the captain, he opened my nose
Because the rabbit will run, and the wind takes a bird where it blows
We've all traded lovers and woke up alone
And we cloud for the king though our fingers were cold
And I still have a prayer, a hunger I cannot control
Last I saw mother, she acted surprised
When they caught me, the captain, he cried like a child
Because the rabbit will run, good dogs together go wild
We've all lived in grace at the end of the day
And we armed all the children we thought we betrayed
And I still have a prayer, but too few occasions to pray
Judgment is just like a cup that we share
I'll jump over the wall and I'll wait for you there
We'll pass the weeds in our vision of things to come
And we've all found a reason for hiding a gun
And we've helped out a few if we've hurt anyone
And I still have a prayer, and so be it, I've done what I've done
Last I saw mother, she blew me a kiss
When they caught me, the cuffs cut the blood from my wrist
Because the rabbit will run and the pig has to lay in its piss
We've all given half to the hand in our face
We've all taken a stone from the holiest place
And I still have a prayer, and I've furthered the world in my wait
Lyrics submitted by magraber26
Track duration: 05:30
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As the song progresses, we see how the narrators frame of mind changes each time he compares himself to a different animal. At first he's a colt who has to be separated from his mother to work on the field. He's scared, but that's the way things go. Then he's a brave, bold lion with nothing to fear. He believes strongly in what he's doing.
In the middle of the song, the narrator starts to feel less engaged with his cause. It's less him running to fight and more just going where he's commanded to go, the way a bird's path is dictated by the wind.
The next time he visits his mother, she is surprised when she sees him. There is a realization when the captain comes to get him that even though they are good men, the war is changing them, making them cruel and wild, like dogs on a hunt.
The last time the narrator talks about being caught after visiting his mother, he says they take him away in hand cuffs, "Because the rabbit will run, and the pig has to lay in its piss." Perhaps he is being arrested for war crimes? He is sentenced to dwell on his mistakes for the rest of his life? Suddenly the rabbit is praised for running compared to the pig who has to live in its own excrement.
Also, one of the lines in this interpretation is 'a hunger I cannot control', but it's definitely ''cause I love what I cannot control'.
The line that says 'we've cloud for the King though our fingers were cold' is wrong too, I think, and it should be 'we've clapped for the King though our fingers were cold'.
Also, each comparison of animals to the rabbit shows how the other animal is either inferior or superior. Rabbits run freely, but colts stick with their mothers -- which I think is hinting at the brief period of innocence this man had.
'Because the rabbit will run, as the colt does along with the mare.'
John Updike's Rabbit was not a rebel. I've always thought Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart" was inspired by the novel Rabbit, Run, though.
When they caught me I'd just finished combing my hair
'cause a rabbit will run, and the colt hasn't long with the mare
We've all learned the earth while we've carried the throne
We dove under the rivers and under our clothes
And I still have a prayer, as sure as my settling bones
Last I saw mother, she covered my ears
When they caught me I offered the captain a beer
'cause the rabbit will run, and the lion has nothing to fear
We bricked up the garden and know what it means
And we've all kissed a virgin as if she were clean
And I still have a prayer, despite all the colors I've seen
And judgment is just like a cup that we share
I'll jump over the wall and I'll wait for you there
Well past the weeds in our vision of things to come
We've all heard the rooster and all been denied
And we've seen through the haze and the spit in our eyes
And I still have a prayer, a well-weathered word to the wise
Last I saw mother, she smelled like a rose
When they caught me, the captain, he opened my nose
'cause the rabbit will run, and the wind takes a bird where it blows
We've all traded lovers and woke up alone
And we've clapped for the king though our fingers were cold
And I still have a prayer 'cause I love what I cannot control
Last I saw mother, she acted surprised
When they caught me, the captain, he cried like a child
Because the rabbit will run, good dogs together go wild
We've all lived in grace at the end of the day
And we've armed all the children we thought we betrayed
And I still have a prayer, but too few occasions to pray
And judgment is just like a cup that we share
I'll jump over the wall and I'll wait for you there
Well past the weeds in our vision of things to come
And we've all found a reason for hiding a gun
And we've helped out a few if we've hurt anyone
And I still have a prayer, and so be it, I've done what I've done
Last I saw mother, she blew me a kiss
When they caught me, the cuffs cut the blood from my wrist
Because the rabbit will run and the pig has to lay in it's piss
We've all given half to the hand in our face
We've all taken a stone from the holiest place
And I still have a prayer, and I've furthered the world in my wait
First thoughts: could be that the narrator is an outlaw of some sort, the rabbit running and him getting caught could be allegory though.
The beginning of the song starts off with him young: "as sure as my settling bones" (vanity of youth "combing my hair") and the song has 4 main elements: the mother (family?), the prayer (faith?), the rabbit (narrator?) and the captain (antagonist?).
General thoughts:
- I believe the rabbit could signify the narrator
- The mother is always positively mentioned
- There's no hostility towards the captain
- Perhaps it's about coming to terms with your legacy, the things you've done
- Or perhaps he is the outlaw of sorts, pushing against the prevailing forces he's furthered the world. As sometimes the fringes of society are the first to push norms and bring progress
To add to your general thoughts, there's definitely something to the referencing of a king, "we've all learned the earth while we've carried the throne" and "we've all clapped for the king though our finger were cold".
"We've all heard the rooster and all been denied" is a reference to Jesus and Judas.
Therefore, when the mother blows him a kiss, it is resonating with the Judas kiss. This is backed up by the "she acted surprised" line.
Also, I think it should be "furthered the world in my wake" not "wait," no? I've never seen an actual lyric sheet for this song, so I don't know for sure.