Murder In The City Lyrics
Don't go revenging in my name
A person dead from such is plenty
There's no sense in getting locked away
And when I leave your arms
The things that I think of
No need to get over-alarmed
I'm coming home (I'm coming home)
I wondered which of us is better
Which one our parents love the most
I certainly get in lots of trouble
They seemed to let the other go
A tear fell from my father's eyes
I wondered what my dad would say
He'd say I love you both
And I'm proud of you in so many different ways
If I get murdered in the city
Go and read the letter in my desk
Don't bother with all my belongings, darling
Pay attention to the list
Make sure my wife knows that I loved her
Make sure my daughter knows the same
And always remember there's nothing worth sharing
Like the love that let's us share our name
Always remember there's nothing worth sharing
Like the love that let's us share our name
About
This cover of the Avett Brothers' song has been amended slightly to fit Carlile’s family. In an interview with No Depression, Carlile talks about this shift.
Carlile and the twins generally don’t include gender in their songs, but this one was written by the Avett Brothers, though the trio makes it very much their own with a harmony-drenched rendering. But the real truth of it all comes gently to bear at the end of the song, in the subtle, heartfelt shift in Carlile’s voice when she hits the personally amended lyric, “Make sure my wife knows that I loved her. Makes sure my daughter knows the same. Always remember, there is nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.” Just a few years ago, Carlile would have needed to stick with the original sister/mother references. Not now. So how did it feel to give her heart a gendered voice? “I loved it. It was an arrival for me, in a lot of ways,” she admits. “Scott Avett, when he sings that song, he’s customized it to the birth of his son. I feel like that song is a sort of standard for interpersonal human connection. I think more people should sing it and customize that line to who they share their name with.”
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 2.The Eye
- 9.Alibi
- 11.Heroes and Songs
- 12.Murder In The City