My Baby Cares for the Dead
Love Beyond Life: My Baby's Unusual Affection for the Departed
Lyrics
My baby cares for the dead, I said:
Expressing that the speaker's partner is emotionally invested in or sympathetic towards the deceased.
Come join the living baby, the bright sunshine
Encouraging the partner to embrace life, sunlight, and the joy of being alive.
and it's so great to be alive and have a good time
Highlighting the positivity of being alive and enjoying oneself.
but my baby hung around the dead
Reiterating that the partner associates with or spends time around those who have passed away.
making money acting friendly with the funeral family
Describing the partner as making a living by being friendly with the family of the deceased at funerals.
and she was wed
Indicating that the partner was married to someone else, possibly referring to a romantic connection with a deceased person.
My baby married a rich man mama, what can I do?
Sharing that the partner has married a wealthy individual, and the speaker feels helpless in the situation.
she cares for the dead now mama, she'll care for you
Suggesting that the partner is now responsible for the care of the deceased and will extend this care to others.
and my baby had a baby, not by me, but by him
Revealing that the partner has a child from another man, not the speaker, and emphasizing the association with the dead.
her lover who cares for the dead
Identifying the lover as someone who cares for the dead, further emphasizing the theme of death in the relationship.
and that birth meant the death of our love
Explaining that the birth of the child symbolically marked the end of the speaker's romantic connection with the partner.
I know someday my baby will care for me
Expressing hope that someday the partner will care for the speaker in the same way, acknowledging a shift in roles.
she'll [bleed?] and dress me mama, real fancy
Envisioning a future scenario where the partner will attend to the speaker's needs in a luxurious and elaborate manner.
and she'll lay me in a coffin
Imagining the partner placing the speaker in a coffin, symbolizing the speaker's death.
comb my hair, put marbles in my eyes, ey-eye
Describing the partner's meticulous care for the speaker's appearance after death.
I know someday my baby will care for me (x6)
Repeating the hope that the partner will eventually care for the speaker, underscoring the theme of care for the dead.
my baby cares for the dead
Reiterating that the speaker's baby has an affinity for or is concerned with the dead.
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