Sugaree
Read the lyrics
One of Robert Hunter’s strength as a lyricist is in being concrete enough that a story is being painted but abstract enough that people can read different meanings into it. The definitive example of that is ‘Sugaree.’ There’s enough intrigue there to make people wonder why exactly the protagonist wants his companion to forget his name, but there are no definitive answers to be found in the lyric.
My first attempt to unravel this lyric was marred by a misinterpretation in the pronoun in, ‘Just don’t tell them that you know me.’ Hearing that as ‘him’ instead of ‘them,’ led me to the theory that our singer was talking to a woman who was having an affair. He was begging her to not tell her husband. It was a good first stab, but even if that were the correct pronoun, it doesn’t fit the verses that well. Being forced to retire that theory is a good thing.
After many readings and careful analysis, I have come to the conclusion that there are two great interpretations for this song. The keys to creating a narrative are the two lines, ‘When they bring that wagon round,’ and, ‘I’ll meet you at the Jubilee.’ Swing them one way and this is a song about death. Look at them slightly differently and this is a crime story.
- The death theory*
- The crime theory*
- The verdict*
