Well I killed a man in Birmingham
I hit him with a tire iron
He did not move and I do not give a damn
I’ve been working here like a slavein’ mule
Sucking the earth of dry crude
Looking for a way out of it all
Cops are coming
I can feel em’ here
My back is crawling with standing hair
Wouldn’t mind to see a few pigs fall
So take me down to the river
My blood all on the floor
‘Cause I don’t know if I can carry this weight much longer anymore
Take me up the mountain
On a cloud bound for the sky
Don’t go prayin’ for me because tonight I’m prepared to die
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
That night out there in Birmingham that boy he tried to rob me
I did not want to but I had to show that boy the real me
That night I often wonder what my tombstone would say
Would it mention any of my good or just evil in my days?
The dust has not settled from those boys who busted in
I am not a bad man but there’s bullets in my skin
Take me down to the river
My blood all on the floor
‘Cause I don’t know if I can carry this weight much longer anymore
Take me up the mountain
On a cloud bound for the sky
Don’t go prayin’ for me because tonight I’m prepared to die
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Well I killed a man in Birmingham that boy he tried to rob me
I did not want to but I had to show that boy the real me
Exploring Guilt and Survival in “Birmingham”
Zach Bryan’s “Birmingham” delves into the turmoil of a man haunted by violence and survival. The song opens with a stark confession—a killing born of desperation and self-defense. Bryan’s storytelling shines as he paints the protagonist’s struggle, laboring tirelessly while feeling trapped by his circumstances. The sense of paranoia is palpable, with the law closing in and the weight of the act pressing down on him. The chorus is a plea for release, whether by water or sky, and a resignation to fate rather than hope for redemption. Through vivid imagery, Bryan captures the moral ambiguity of a man forced into a corner, wrestling with his own actions and the legacy they leave behind.
Song Credits
- Artist: Zach Bryan
- Songwriter: Zach Bryan