Broken Bones - Kaleo (Letra-Lyrics)
Broken Bones
"Broken Bones" is a song sung by Kaleo. This is a slave song that JJ wrote from a slave’s perspective.
The artist is saying instead of being brought to salvation through a God, that he looks to The Devil instead and is going to be set free by the Devil and the sin that comes through it.
At the second verse, the protagonist has killed his owner that enslaved him, thereby setting himself free.
Lyrics
[Chorus]
The devil's going to make me a free man
The devil's going to set me free
Oh, the devil's going to make me a free man
The devil's going to set me free
[Verse 1]
I went down, deep Texas, Mississippi state
Hoping things might go my way
For every hard-earned dollar I make
There stands a white man just to take it away
Some might say I talk loud, see if I care
Unlike them, don't walk away from my fear
I've busted bones, broken stones, looked the devil in the eye
I hope he's going to break these chains, oh yeah
[Chorus]
The devil's going to make me a free man
The devil's going to set me free
The devil's going to make me a free man
The devil's going to set me free
(Yeah, set me free)
[Verse 2]
Another hard day, no water, no rest
I saw my chance, so I got him at last
I took his six-shooter, put two in his chest
He'll never say a word no more
Oh, he'll never say a word no more
The devil got him good for sure
[Bridge]
Ain't got no place to call a home
Only chains and broken bones
Ain't got no place to call a home
So come on Lord, won't you take me now?
Ain't got no place to call a home
Only chains and broken bones
Ain't got no place to call a home
So come on Lord, what you waiting for?
[Chorus]
Oh, the devil's going to make me a free man
The devil's going to set me free
The devil's going to make me a free man
The devil's going to set me free
[Outro]
Ain't got no place to call a home
(The devil's going to make me a free man)
Only chains and broken bones
(The devil's going to set me free)
Ain't got no place to call a home
(The devil's going to make me a free man)
So come on Lord, won't you take me now?
(The devil's going to set me free)
Ain't got no place to call a home
(The devil's going to make me a free man)
Only chains and broken bones
(The devil's going to set me free)
Ain't got no place to call a home
(The devil's going to make me a free man)
So come on Lord, what you waiting for?
(The devil's going to set me free)
Gallery
Trivia
- The Line "I went down, deep Texas, Mississippi state, Hoping things might go my way" explains that in the deep south, Mississippi especially, was considered the worst place to be sold into if you were a slave in the United States. Most of the truly horrific accounts of slavery came from these parts of the country.
- The line "For every hard-earned dollar I make, There stands a white man just to take it away" suggests Kaleo talking how the plantation owner takes all the profit (even though the slave is the one working hard).
- "Some might say I talk loud, see if I care; Unlike them, don't walk away from my fear" refers to the protagonist speaking out against his oppressors, while every other slave is too scared and turns away and does what they’re told.