Maggie's Farm
Breaking Free: Defiance Against the Status Quo
Lyrics
I ain't gonna' work on Maggie's farm no more
I refuse to work on Maggie's farm any longer.
I ain't gonna' work on Maggie's farm no more
Reiteration of the refusal to work on Maggie's farm.
Well I wake up in the morning,
The narrator wakes up in the morning.
Put my hands and pray for rain,
The narrator prays for rain, possibly metaphorical for change or relief.
I got a head full of ideas,
The narrator has creative ideas causing mental distress.
And they're drivin' me insane,
The creative ideas are driving the narrator insane.
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor,
Maggie forces the narrator to scrub the floor, expressing dissatisfaction with the situation.
I ain't gonna' work on Maggie's farm no more
Reiteration of the decision not to work on Maggie's farm.
I ain't gonna' work for Maggie's brother no more
Refusal to work for Maggie's brother.
I ain't gonna' work for Maggie's brother no more
Reiteration of the refusal to work for Maggie's brother.
He hands you a nickel, and he hands you a dime,
Maggie's brother rewards with small amounts of money, questioning the value of the work.
He asks you with a grin, are you havin' a good time,
Maggie's brother questions the narrator's enjoyment of the work.
And he finds you every time you slam the door,
The brother is attentive even when the narrator expresses discontent.
Well, I ain't gonna' work for Maggie's brother no more
Refusal to work for Maggie's brother.
I ain't gonna' work for Maggie's Pa' no more,
Decision not to work for Maggie's father.
I ain't gonna' work for Maggie's Pa' no more
Reiteration of the decision not to work for Maggie's father.
He puts his cigar out in your face just for kicks
Maggie's father is abusive, symbolized by putting out a cigar in the narrator's face.
His bedroom window is made out of bricks,
Illustrates Maggie's father's callousness with a reference to his bedroom window being made of bricks.
And the national guard stands around his door,
The national guard protects Maggie's father, highlighting his power and authority.
I ain't gonna' work for Maggie's Pa' no more
Refusal to work for Maggie's father.
I ain't gonna' work for Maggie's Ma' no more,
Decision not to work for Maggie's mother.
I ain't gonna' work for Maggie's Ma' no more,
Reiteration of the decision not to work for Maggie's mother.
She talks to the all servants about man and God and law,
Maggie's mother engages in discussions about morality and law with servants.
And everybody says she's the brains behind Pa',
Others believe Maggie's mother is the influential force behind Maggie's father.
She's sixty eight, but she says she's fifty four,
Maggie's mother claims to be younger than she is, possibly revealing a facade or deception.
Well, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's Ma' no more
Refusal to work for Maggie's mother.
I ain't gonna' work on Maggie's farm no more,
Reiteration of the decision not to work on Maggie's farm.
I ain't gonna' work on Maggie's farm no more,
Further refusal to work on Maggie's farm.
I try my best, to be just like I am,
The narrator strives to be authentic but faces pressure to conform.
But everybody wants me to be a little more like them,
External expectations to conform are expressed.
They says sing while you slave, but I just get bored,
The narrator finds the idea of singing while enslaved boring, rejecting societal expectations.
Ahh, I ain't gonna' work on Maggie's farm no more,
Final affirmation of the decision not to work on Maggie's farm.
Farm no more, Farm no more.
Reiteration of the decision not to work on Maggie's farm.
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