Cut Bank Montana
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴It was colder than a well digger's ankles in Cutbank, Montana.
But my heart was on fire as I saw her step down from the train.
I'd been up there forever, but her arms were finally around me.
All my icicles melted away at the sound of her name.
I held her to me as tightly as I held her letter,
That said "I don't love him. I'm leaving this cold mean man."
As the train pulled away from the platform
With her head on my shoulder, God knows I was one happy man.
And I went to heaven that night in her arms in my cabin.
In the winter of '94 there burned such a powerful flame.
They still hear her voice in the cabin in Cutbank, Montana.
And the icicles all melt away at the sound of her name.
Hell rode into town one night on a Wyoming stallion.
His heart full of hate and his eyes full of cold jealousy.
"One way or another," he said,
"partner, I'm taking back my woman."
With my hand on my gun, I said, "Don't bet your life.
The lady says she's staying with me."
His knife was a flash in the light of the kerosene lantern
That fell as we tangled and fought in the fire on the floor.
He was a dead man, but I have been too since I lost her.
From the fire that burned me so bad as I crawled through the door.
But I went to heaven that night in her arms in my little cabin.
In the winter of '94, there burned one hell of a flame.
They still hear her voice in the cabin in Cutbank, Montana.
And the icicles all melt away at the sound of her name.
They still hear her voice from the cabin in Cutbank, Montana,
And the icicles all just melt away at the sound of her name.
Overall Meaning
In the song "Cut Bank Montana" by Hank Williams Jr., the singer reminisces about a past love affair that bloomed in the midst of the harsh winter of '94. The lyrics depict the singer's initial meeting with his love interest, and how her arrival brought warmth to his otherwise cold and insulated existence in Cutbank, Montana. The chorus refers to the transformative powers of this love, how the singer's icicles (representing his emotional numbness and disconnect) melted away at the mere sound of his lover's name.
The second half of the song takes a darker turn, as the singer comes into conflict with his lover's abusive ex-partner. The lyrics describe a violent confrontation, where the singer is set on defending his love, despite the danger that this poses to his own life. Ultimately, both the abuser and the singer sustain severe burns and injuries in a fire, but the singer is content with his sacrifice as he spent his last moments cherishing his lover's embrace. The final lines of the song suggest that the memory of this romance lingers on in Cutbank, with the sound of the lover's voice continuing to melt away the snow and ice of the harsh winter.
Line by Line Meaning
It was colder than a well digger's ankles in Cutbank, Montana.
The weather in Cutbank, Montana was extremely cold.
But my heart was on fire as I saw her step down from the train.
Despite the cold weather, the singer was filled with passion when he saw his love interest arrive in Cutbank, Montana.
I'd been up there forever, but her arms were finally around me.
The singer had been waiting for his love interest to arrive for a long time, but felt content when she finally embraced him.
All my icicles melted away at the sound of her name.
The presence of the artist's love interest warmed his heart and caused him to forget about the cold weather.
I held her to me as tightly as I held her letter,
The artist held his love interest close to him with the same intensity he held onto her letter.
That said 'I don't love him. I'm leaving this cold mean man.'
The letter expressed the singer's love interest's desire to leave a previous partner and be with the singer.
As the train pulled away from the platform
The train that brought the singer's love interest departed from the station.
And I put her in the wagon,
The artist placed his love interest in a wagon to transport her.
With her head on my shoulder, God knows I was one happy man.
The artist was filled with joy when his love interest rested her head on his shoulder in the wagon.
And I went to heaven that night in her arms in my cabin.
The artist felt immense pleasure when he spent the night with his love interest in his cabin.
In the winter of '94 there burned such a powerful flame.
In the winter of 1894, the singer and his love interest shared a strong passion and love for each other.
They still hear her voice in the cabin in Cutbank, Montana.
The voice of the artist's love interest is still a presence in his cabin in Cutbank, Montana.
And the icicles all melt away at the sound of her name.
The presence of the singer's love interest causes him to forget the cold weather and feel warmth in his heart.
Hell rode into town one night on a Wyoming stallion.
An ominous figure arrived in town on a powerful horse.
His heart full of hate and his eyes full of cold jealousy.
The ominous figure was angry and jealous.
"One way or another," he said, "partner, I'm taking back my woman."
The ominous figure threatened to take his love interest back from the artist.
With my hand on my gun, I said, "Don't bet your life.
The artist warned the ominous figure to not take action or face the consequences.
The lady says she's staying with me."
The singer's love interest chose to stay with him and not return to the ominous figure.
His knife was a flash in the light of the kerosene lantern
The ominous figure pulled out his knife and it glimmered in the light of the kerosene lantern.
That fell as we tangled and fought in the fire on the floor.
The fight between the artist and the ominous figure caused a fire to break out on the floor and the kerosene lantern to fall.
He was a dead man, but I have been too since I lost her.
Although the artist won the fight and killed the ominous figure, he feels dead inside since losing his love interest.
From the fire that burned me so bad as I crawled through the door.
The artist suffered burns from the fire as he escaped the cabin through the door.
They still hear her voice from the cabin in Cutbank, Montana,
The singer's love interest still has a presence in the cabin in Cutbank, Montana through her voice.
And the icicles all just melt away at the sound of her name.
The sound of the artist's love interest's name causes him to forget the cold weather and feel warmth in his heart.
Lyrics © COPYRIGHT SOLUTIONS, Universal Music Publishing Group, WRITE! ON MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DONALD EWING II, MAX BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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