Redwood
Redwood Redemption: A Tale of Vengeance Amidst California Pines
Lyrics
Back in eighteen forty-nine
Refers to the year 1849, setting the historical context.
When the gold was pure and man's heart was not
Describes a time when gold was abundant, and people's hearts were untainted.
Blood for blood
Introduces the theme of revenge and the pursuit of justice.
Revenge was on his mind
Describes the protagonist's intense desire for revenge.
He woke up in the middle of the night
The protagonist wakes up in the night, ready for action with his Winchester rifle.
His Winchester by his side
Emphasizes the importance of the Winchester rifle in the protagonist's quest.
Riding toward those California pines
The protagonist is heading towards California's pine forests.
Took him one month and ten days, sixteen hours, some minute-odd change
Specifies the time it took for the protagonist to reach his destination.
That's how long it took him to get there
Reiterates the duration of the journey.
Well, he road all day and he road all night
Highlights the continuous and determined travel of the protagonist.
Tracked the bastard by the stars' light
The protagonist uses celestial navigation to track the target.
That's what he called living on a prayer
Reflects on the precariousness of the protagonist's situation.
And he sang
The protagonist expresses his emotions through song.
I didn't ride to the west coast to see my baby cry for her brother underneath these Redwood Pines
Denies riding to the west coast for the purpose of witnessing sorrow.
No, I didn't ride to the west coast to bring a man back alive
Rejects the idea of rescuing someone alive; the focus is on revenge.
No, I came to avenge my brother-in-law's life
Clarifies the motive as avenging the brother-in-law's life.
For seven days he waited out, that outlaw to return to town
Describes the protagonist's patient wait for the outlaw's return.
Till one morn he appeared in the town square
Sets the scene of the outlaw's appearance in the town square.
He said, don't you know who I am?
The outlaw questions the protagonist's knowledge of his identity.
You killed my brother-in-law
The protagonist accuses the outlaw of killing his brother-in-law.
He was a good man
Emphasizes the deceased's goodness and the injustice of his death.
You took his life and drained him of his share
Accuses the outlaw of not just taking a life but also stealing his share.
The outlaw said
The outlaw challenges the protagonist to specify the accusation.
You'll have to specify
The outlaw's indifferent response to potential consequences.
Well, he wouldn't be the first to die
Suggests the outlaw's familiarity with death and violence.
The bullets, I carry on this here belt
Details the outlaw's confidence in his gunfighting abilities.
Lightning hands, two thunder cracks, smoke billowed, town stood aghast
Describes the swift and lethal gunfight with thunderous sounds.
As they waited for the hand that fate had dealt
The town anxiously awaits the outcome.
And they sang
Repeats the singing motif as a narrative element.
He didn't ride to the west coast to see his baby cry for her brother underneath these Redwood Pines
Reiterates the protagonist's denial of riding for sorrow.
No, he didn't ride to the west coast to bring a man back alive
Reiterates the rejection of saving a life, emphasizing revenge.
No, he came to avenge his brother-in-law's life
Reiterates the protagonist's motive for avenging his brother-in-law.
As the smoke cleared, both men were dead
Describes the aftermath of the fatal gunfight.
Life trickled to the earth, a trail of red
Depicts the graphic outcome of the confrontation.
And the roots of those old pines drank their fill
Describes the trees absorbing the blood spilled in the conflict.
And that's how the trees got the name
Explains the origin of the term "Redwood Pines" based on the blood-stained trees.
To the core they were redwood stained
Highlights the trees' permanent mark from the violent event.
And that's the way they're known to this day still
Reiterates the lasting association of the trees with bloodshed.
And with his last breath, he croaked
Records the dying words of the protagonist, emphasizing the motive.
I didn't ride to the west coast to see my baby cry for her brother underneath these Redwood Pines
Reiterates the protagonist's denial of riding for sorrow.
No, I didn't ride to the west coast to bring a man back alive
Reiterates the rejection of saving a life, emphasizing revenge.
No, I came to avenge my brother-in-law
Reiterates the protagonist's motive for avenging his brother-in-law.
My brother-in-law's life
Finalizes the narrative with a repetition of the central theme.
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