The Stable Song | Gregory Alan Isakov Lyrics, Meaning & Videos

Publish date: 2024-05-09

The Stable Song
Gregory Alan Isakov Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Remember when our songs were just like prayers
Like gospel hymns that you caught in the air?
Come down, come down sweet reverence
Unto my simple house and ring
And ring

Ring like silver, ring like gold
Ring out those ghosts on the Ohio

Ring like clear day wedding bells
Were we the belly of the beast or the sword that fell?
We'll never tell

And come to me clear and cold
On some sea
Watch the world spin in waves
Mad machine

Now I've gone crazy, couldn't you tell?
You threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell
Now I'm covered up in straw, belly up on a table
Well, I drank and sang, and passed in the stable (hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm-hmm)

And that tall grass grows high and brown
Well, I dragged you straight in the muddy ground
And you sent me back to where I roam
Well, I cursed and I cried, but now I know
Oh, now I know

And I ran back to that hollow again
The moon was just a sliver back then
And I ached for my heart like some tin man
When it came, oh, it beat and it boiled and it rang
Oh, it's ringing

Ring like crazy, ring like hell
Turn me back into that wild-haired gale
Ring like silver, ring like gold

Turn these diamonds straight back into coal
Turn these diamonds straight back into coal (hmm-hmm)


Overall Meaning

The Stable Song by Gregory Alan Isakov is a song that explores themes of love, loss, and redemption. The song opens with nostalgic and wistful lines that paint a picture of a time when music was like a prayer or gospel hymn to the singer. The repetition of "ring" in the first verse creates a sense of longing for something lost, and a desire for it to return.


As the song progresses, the lyrics become more cryptic, referencing ghosts on the Ohio and a "mad machine." The chorus serves as a refrain, bringing the listener back to the image of bells ringing, but there is a sense of urgency and chaos in the repetition of "ring like crazy, ring like hell."


The second verse introduces a sense of recklessness and desperation on the part of the singer, who has "gone crazy" and is "covered up in straw." The image of being "belly up on a table" suggests a kind of surrender or defeat. The following lines, "Well, I drank and sang, and passed in the stable," evoke a kind of wild abandon, but with an underlying sadness.


The bridge of the song hints at transformation and renewal, with the singer returning to a "hollow" and feeling their heart "beat and boil and ring." The final lines of the song bring us back to the imagery of bells ringing, but with a new sense of hope and transformation.


Overall, The Stable Song is a beautifully poetic and introspective piece of music, full of rich imagery and open to interpretation.


Line by Line Meaning

Remember when our songs were just like prayers
Back when we were filled with reverence, our songs were like prayers, like gospel hymns.


Like gospel hymns that you caught in the air?
I'm asking if you remember a time when our songs were like things caught in the wind, swirling and beautiful.


Come down, come down sweet reverence
I'm calling out to that sense of reverence again, hoping it will fill my simple house.


Unto my simple house and ring
Please come and surround me with your sound, your ringing presence.


Ring like silver, ring like gold
I'm asking that the ringing be clear and bright, like silver and gold.


Ring out those ghosts on the Ohio
I'm hoping that the ringing will help get rid of bad memories and spirits near the Ohio river.


Ring like clear day wedding bells
I want the ringing to be filled with joy and purity, like wedding bells on a clear day.


Were we the belly of the beast or the sword that fell?
I'm questioning what role we played in past events, whether we were the victim or the perpetrator.


We'll never tell
I know we may never be able to really answer that question truthfully.


And come to me clear and cold
I want that ringing presence to be refreshing and clear, like cold water.


On some sea
I envision this happening on a vast ocean, like a metaphor for the power I'm seeking.


Watch the world spin in waves
I want to see the world's movements echoed in the waves of the sea.


Mad machine
I see the world moving like a chaotic, frenzied machine.


Now I've gone crazy, couldn't you tell?
I'm admitting that I feel like I'm going crazy, lost in this need for something I can't quite find.


You threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell
Maybe the source of my craziness is the realization that something I thought was lofty and safe - the stars - was actually pretty fragile and could come crashing down.


Now I'm covered up in straw, belly up on a table
I'm feeling down and out, like I'm just lying on a table covered with straw.


Well, I drank and sang, and passed in the stable (hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm-hmm)
I'm trying to sing away my pain, maybe even getting drunk to forget it.


And that tall grass grows high and brown
Maybe I've been lying in stinky, tall grass for a while, like a visual symbol of my distress.


Well, I dragged you straight in the muddy ground
Maybe I pulled someone down to join me in my misery.


And you sent me back to where I roam
This person left me, and now I'm back to wandering and not having a clear place to belong.


Well, I cursed and I cried, but now I know
I was really mad at this person for leaving me, but now I understand why they needed to go.


Oh, now I know
I finally have some clarity and understanding of what happened and why.


And I ran back to that hollow again
I went back to a place I know well, but maybe it's not a super positive place to be.


The moon was just a sliver back then
I'm revisiting a memory that happened when the moon was barely visible in the sky.


And I ached for my heart like some tin man
I felt like my heart was rusted and closed off, like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.


When it came, oh, it beat and it boiled and it rang
When I finally felt something again, it felt like it was exploding and ringing out in my chest.


Oh, it's ringing
I'm currently feeling that ringing, swelling sensation in my chest.


Ring like crazy, ring like hell
I'm asking that ringing in my chest to be wild and fiery, like the depth of my emotions.


Turn me back into that wild-haired gale
Asking that the ringing and emotions transform me into a swirling, chaotic storm-like force.


Turn these diamonds straight back into coal
Maybe this is reflecting on how pain and strife can turn something beautiful and valuable into something unremarkable and dull.


Turn these diamonds straight back into coal (hmm-hmm)
Repeating the idea that something wonderful has lost its shine and is now pretty ordinary.


Lyrics © THIRD SIDE MUSIC INC.
Written by: Gregory Alan Isakov

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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