This City
Resilient Echoes: Steve Earle's Anthem to a City Unyielding
Lyrics
This city won't wash away
This city is resilient and won't be easily erased or forgotten.
This city ever drown
It will never be submerged or lost entirely.
Blood in the water and hell to pay
There's conflict and trouble, with consequences and a high cost.
Sky tear open and pain rain down
Imagery of a violent event, with pain metaphorically raining down from the sky.
Doesn't matter 'cause come what may
Regardless of the challenges, the singer is determined to stay in the city.
I ain't ever gonna leave this town
Expressing a strong commitment to remain in the town despite difficulties.
This city won't wash away
Reiteration of the city's enduring nature.
This city won't ever drown
Emphasizing the city's resistance to drowning.
Ain't the river or the wind to blame
Rejecting the idea that natural elements like the river or wind are to blame.
Every around here knows
Local awareness that everyone acknowledges.
Nothin' holdin' back Ponchartrain
Ponchartrain, a reference to a place, is held back only by prayer and the memory of a promise.
Except for a prayer and a promise's ghost
Despite challenges, the city persists with a hint of spiritual influence.
We just carry on diggin' our graves
People continue with their lives, acknowledging their mortality.
In solid marble above the ground
Symbolic graves, possibly referring to monuments or tombs, are constructed above ground.
Maybe our bones'll wash away
Speculation about the possibility of bones washing away but the city enduring.
But this city won't ever drown
Reiteration of the city's resilience to drowning.
This city won't ever die
Asserting that the city will not succumb or fade away.
Just as long as her heart beats strong
The city will survive as long as its spirit remains strong.
Like a second line steppin' high'
Comparing the city's vitality to a lively second line in a parade.
Raisin' hell as we roll along
Causing a disturbance and having a good time as the city continues its journey.
Gently to the Vieux Carre
Moving gracefully through different neighborhoods of the city.
Lower Nine, Central City, Uptown
Naming various districts of the city.
Singin' Jacamo Fee-Nah-Nay
Singing a local phrase, symbolizing the city's cultural identity.
This city won't ever drown
Reiteration that the city will not drown, emphasizing its resilience.
Doesn't matter 'cause there ain't no way
Despite challenges, there's no way the singer will leave the city.
I'm ever gonna leave this town
Underlining the singer's determination to stay in the city.
This city won't wash away
Reiteration of the city's resistance to being washed away.
This city won't ever drown
Emphasizing the city's enduring nature and resilience against drowning.
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