Indigo Girls – Chickenman

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I am an only child Born of the wild Riddled to spend my time Defending my land You are the only one Born in the sun Riddled to spend your time Defending my plan Dead dog on the highway Median cats are growling at me I turn my lights on brighter I'm counting through the night ride And it's one more life (For the taker) Chickenman, chickenman One more song (For the maker) Chickenman, chickenman On the road to Athens I saw a dead deer on the highway I slipped into a desert Five prairie dogs and a rabbit I was running down on Queen Street I saw a woman on the sidewalk (Danger danger) She was beaten by a stranger (Danger danger danger danger) Danger danger danger And it's one more life (For the taker) Chickenman, chickenman Chickenman hold my hand One more song (For the maker) Hold my hand Chickenman I was on the road to Austin Met a man on the highway He sold me junk and conversation He was wise and dirty from the weather I said, "Darkness into darkness All the carnage of my journeys Makes it harder to be living" He said, "It's a long road to be forgiven" It's one more life (For the taker) Chickenman, chickenman Chickenman hold my had One more song (For the maker) Chickenman, chickenman Chickenman hold my hand I am an only child Born of the wild Riddled to spend my time Defending my land You are the only one Born in the sun Riddled to spend your time Defending my plan I went looking for a car Found myself beneath the stars I went looking for a girl Found a man and his world Chickenman, chickenman (I went looking for a car) Chickenman hold my hand (Found myself beneath the stars) Chickenman, chickenman (I went looking for a girl) Chickenman hold my hand (Found a man and his world) I am an only child (Chickenman, chickenman) (Chickenman hold my hand) Hold my hand (Chickenman, chickenman) (Chickenman hold my hand) I am an only child (Chickenman, chickenman) (Chickenman hold my hand) Hold my hand (Chickenman, chickenman) (Chickenman hold my hand) Chickenman chickenman Chickenman hold my hand Chickenman chickenman Chickenman hold my hand Chickenman chickenman Chickenman hold my hand Chickenman chickenman Chickenman hold my hand

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Lyrics submitted by aur0ra

Track duration: 05:45

"Chickenman" as written by Amy Elizabeth Ray

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Chickenman song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:ok so the comments about this song being about drifters/homeless and traveling the country and encountering road kill. but I still don't get the chorus. any insight?
    Flag sillynapkinon August 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is a song that the girls play almost always while in Austin. I wish I loved it more but it is indeed about their travels to Austin. I don't get it.
    Flag Nomadgrrlon June 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I wonder if any connection was intended (not saying this is the "meaning", just that they might have had it in mind) with the Bruce Springsteen song "Atlantic City", which is about a man being paid to assassinate someone, and references the killing of a gangster known as the "Chicken Man"; there's certainly a similarity of theme, death and travelling. Er, and chicken. Men. :)
    Flag John Johnstonon February 06, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:When I was delivering pizzas in Austin around about 1995, an old homeless drifter came into our pizza joint and was hanging out talking to us in the kitchen. I happened to have Indigo Girls playing on the house sound system and this sound came on. Out of nowhere, this man turns to me all excited and says "This song is about me!! I met them!! They're gay you know." LOL

    I honestly cannot attest to the truth of his statement, but he did know lots of details about them, including the fact they they were touring in an old van. I kind of like to think that he was telling the truth... :)
    Flag rogerstigerson June 30, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I saw them play this live and Amy explained the song during an instrumental break. It was amazing because it was the first time the song made any sense to me. The chicken man was an old guy selling stuff on the side of the highway. I remember she started her explanation by saying that, when they were first touring, she was driving around in a beat up VW(?) and she was saddened seeing so many dead animals (roadkill: "median" cat(?), dead deer, prairie dogs, rabbit). She said something about the woman who was beaten in Austin; again, another reflection from life on the road at the time, I think. She then said something about how "all the carnage" can upset a person so much that she would end up walking around the street with a loaded gun not knowing what to do but feeling desperate; sounded like something she really did one day ("darkness into darkness/all the carnage of my journey/makes it harder to be living"). But without the explanation, the song would have made no sense.
    Flag kazuon April 03, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Is the chickenman supposed to signify/be a reference to someone in particular? the rest of the song?
    Flag Cryptonite006on December 07, 2005   Link

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