Silver Dagger
Silver Dagger: Cautionary Tales of Love and Heartbreak
Lyrics
Don't sing love songs
Caution against singing love songs
You'll wake my mother
Concern about waking the speaker's mother
She's sleeping here, right by my side
Explanation of the mother sleeping beside the speaker
And in her right hand, a silver dagger
Description of a silver dagger in the mother's right hand
She said, that I can't be your bride
Mother's statement that the speaker cannot be a bride
All men are false, said my mother
Mother's belief that all men are untrustworthy
They'll tell you wicked, lovin' lies
Warning about men telling deceitful and loving lies
And the very next evening, they'll court another
Prediction that men will court others soon after
Leave you alone to pine and sigh
Anticipation of being left alone with sorrow
My daddy, he's a handsome devil
Description of the speaker's handsome but unfaithful father
He's got a chain five miles long
Details about the father's long chain with hearts representing betrayed maidens
And on every link, a heart does dangle
Every link on the chain has a heart symbolizing love and betrayal
Of another maid, he's loved and wronged
Reference to another maiden wronged by the father's love
So court another tender maiden
Advice to court another maiden in hopes of marriage
And hope that she will be your wife
Encouragement to seek a wife in another maiden
For I've been warned and I've decided
Speaker's decision to heed warnings and remain single
To sleep alone all of my life
Resolution to sleep alone throughout life
Don't sing love songs
Reiteration of caution against singing love songs
You'll wake my mother
Repeated concern about waking the mother
She's sleeping here, right by my side
Repetition of the mother sleeping beside the speaker
And in her right hand, a silver dagger
Reiteration of the silver dagger in the mother's hand
She says, that I can't be your bride
Repetition of the mother's statement that the speaker cannot be a bride
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