Waits, Tom - Don't Go Into That Barn Lyrics

Poetry! He writes soooo well you can literally see the scene he’s painting. You can actually feel the terror and shivers. He recorded the background sounds in his bathroom for the echoing effect! He’s a genius! Also my dad introduced me and my little sister to Mr Waits at a young age and we have such fond memories of this song in particular. He used to also call himself “Everett Lee” on social media 😂

Tom Waits I the best !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

davkul awaits

I went to the barn. Now im here

Goddamn between this and Murder In The Red Barn, Tom really doesn't trust barns.

I'M WAITING IN THAT BARN...

"On the coattails of a dead gentleman " tom waits/les claypool track..similar feel

just put it on before going to office work

This song really pulls you into the world it inhabits. In this case, some sort of gnarled, gothic Americana.

Is this about Ed Gein ?

sounds like Beefhearts "Gimme That Harp Boy".

31 people in the barn.

Don't go into that barn, yea
I said: don't go into that barn, yea

Black cellophane sky at midnite
A big blue moon with three gold rings
I called Champion to the window
I pointed up above the trees

That's when I heard my name in a scream
Coming from the woods, out there
I let my dog run off the chain
I locked my door real good with a chair

Don't go into that barn, yea
I said: don't go into that barn, yea

Everett Lee broke loose again,
It's worse than the time before
Because he's high on potato and tulip wine
Fermented in the muddy rain, of course

A drunken wail, a drunken train
Blew through the birdless trees
Oh, you're alone alright
You're alone alright
How did I know
How did I know

Don't go into that barn, yea
I said: don't go into that barn, yea

An old black tree, scratching up the sky
With boney, claw like fingers
A rusty black rake
Digging up the turnips of a muddy cold grey sky

Shiny tooth talons
Coiled for grabbing a stranger happening by
And the day went home early
And the sun sank down into the muck of a deep dead sky

Don't go into that barn, yea
I said: don't go into that barn, yea

Back since Saginaw Calinda was born,
It's been cotton and soyabeans, tobacco and corn
Behind the porticoed house of a long dead farm
They found the falling down timbers
Of a spooky old barn

Out there like a slave ship upside down
Wrecked beneath the waves of grain
When the river is low
They find old bones and 
When they plow they always dig up chains

Don't go into that barn, yea
I said: don't go into that barn, yea

Did you bury your fire?
Yes sir!
Did you cover your tracks?
Yes sir!
Did you bring your knife?
Yes sir!
Did they see your face? 
No sir!
Did the moon see you?
No sir!
Did you go cross the river?
Yes sir!
Did you fix your rake?
Yes sir!
Did you stay down wind?
Yes sir!
Did you hide your gun?
Yes sir!
Did you smuggle your rum?
Yes sir!
I said: how did I know
How did I know
How did I know

Don't go into that barn, yea
I said: don't go into that barn, yea
Don't forget that I warned you
I said: don't go into that barn, yea
Don't go into that barn, yea
I said: don't go into that barn, yea

No shirt, no coat
Take me on a flat boat
Dover down to Covington 
Covington to Louisville
Louisville to Henderson
Henderson to Smithland
Smithland to Memphis
Memphis down to Vicksburg
Vicksburg to Natchez
Going down to Natchez 
Take me on a flat boat 
Dover Dam to Covington
Covington to Louisville
Louisville to Henderson
Henderson to

i quite youtube

People throw around the word genius waaay too much in music, but this is absolutely brilliant songwriting.

Pure Genius!!!!

Awesome

is it a tribute to Screamin Jay Hawkins

I totally thought the same! Totally hear Screamin Jay Hawkins influence. Amazing!

23 ppl went into the barn

And they were never heard from again.

There was a murder in that red barn

ThatHauntFreak2 It's actually inspired by a newspaper article he read about an old slave jail concealed in a tobacco barn in Northern Kentucky, so yeah, multiple murders... and much worse. This song is absolutely fucking brilliant, and equally as chilling. I remember the feeling first time I listened to it, being covered in chill bumps after... and not sleeping a damn wink that night. Intense and incredibly poignant stuff!

@Douglas Patrick Wow, that's nice to know. I always like to comprehend what Tom is referring to but sometimes he gets very cryptic

playing this from a bluetooth speaker in the shape of pusheen the cat, because my laptop speakers are too decent to properly play tom waits

i live in covington i think i saw thomas waits screaming at the river fish once

Whoever disliked this went into the barn

AND NEVER CAME OUT!!! >:D

this is an old slave song. wtf tomwaits... white people cant sing black slave songs... why would they want to anyway?

Nina Yagual Because he's motherfucking Tom Waits!

Nothing is wrong with cultural appropriation in this case seeing as it's a respected and dignified musician paying honest tribute, not mocking another culture. Led Zeppelin took tons of old blues songs originally written by black people.

"white people can't sing black slave songs..."

Says who?

Tom Waits and his wife wrote this in 2006. It is not an old song.

It's not an old song. Tom Waits and his wife Kathleen Brennan wrote it back in 2006. The song describes the slave trade back in the 1850's, when some barns were used as "slave jails." Black people were held there before they were shipped on flat boats along the river. They were also beaten and punished horribly in those barns.

so let me get this straght you dont want me to go in the barn

Ive been listening to this song for as long as it's been out. 2004 i believe. God, it still gives me shivers just listening to this. My favorite of all his songs. Hoist that rag takes second. I just love his voice.

This and "What's he doing in there" oof so good

Real Gone is just a terrific album.

a mastepiece of a music!!! disconstructing blues while inovating it..AMAZING

Tiago Ribeiro Disconstructing blues...

let's go into that barn sir .

SPOOKY OLD BARN

Spooks my shit out

how'd I know?

mmmh Shotgun Messiah, Les Claypool sounds good,information well spend .

...you guys ought to hear my Grandson and I sing this, he sings the background Whoo Haaa and "Yes Sir" while I make sure the list gets checked off... "Did you cover your tracks?" cutest thing you've ever seen.

You should upload a video of it so that we can experience it. I bet it is pretty cute.

+Mark8395217 what 's the adres ?

Ya know Mark theres a bird that says peek a boo!

You are a hero. Who are you?
#fatheroftheyear

Awww ❤️good taste you raised him right

wow,,,      check the the link on elvis the cultureadvisor,,, 

Hey you guys! Stay outta my shed!

I already live in a barn. So I hear; don't go into that bar, no.
Your hearing may vary.

your a lame!

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/us/in-a-barn-a-piece-of-slavery-s-hidden-past.html?src=pm&pagewanted=1
note the route listed near the bottom of page 1

About 2 years ago a buddy and myself were playing pool next to an obnoxious group of girls who, after the span of about an hour and a half, were on their 5th spin of "Fly like a G6." I went to the jukebox that fortunately had internet search capabilities and searched for any music that would be the polar opposite of that song and unfortunately they didn't have anything extreme. No Throbbing Gristle, Cannibal Corpse or Melt-Banana. Desperate for any song that would get a reaction I searched for The Black Dahlia Murder but alas they did not carry it. They did however suggest I listen to this song based on my search. I was perplexed but I accepted the substitution. I was on a big Waits kick myself so I figured at best I could be a little self-indulgent and listen to something i like. I shelled out the $3.50 to interrupt the current song to play this song but believe me, it was so worth it. You should have seen the mood of the bar instantly change. This song isn't even that weird but it was almost if the bar got just a little bit darker and quieter in one magic moment. The aforementioned girls, confused at the sounds that they were being exposed to, struggled to wrangle up the quarters necessary to interrupt my song. I wondered if they would have to pay more to play their song kinda like a bidding war and I never heard what song they played.. me and my buddy paid our bills and left cracking up while nobody else got whatever joke we were trying to make. To quote a wise man, "Lol, Cool story bro."

Entraya Crosshill thus don’t understand why it’s used as a killjoy. It will at least definitely lit up my party

Entraya Crosshill you just asked a nonsense question

im sorry you seem to speak perfectly fine english so maybe its a cultural thing that makes you completely miss the mark on that one, like, what are you actually talking about lol

Man you shouldnt have even gone into that barn to begin with

christoph davis You’re my hero 🙌🏻

Hilarious !

That is what it is about?

I hate this man because he's such a fucking genius ... why can't I be as good as him? :(

Makes me think a lot of The Wallking Dead tv-serie

hah I'm just waiting for someone to say "2 people went into that barn"

William H. Bonney the past, present and future quarked into a barn, it was tense.

underground railroad

I love the singing of Mr Waits, but in this song the combination of the percussions/drums and the guitar are sounding bodacious!

Love this song and the entire album.

Hooooooooooooooly shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit