Underground
Tom Waits Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Rattle big black bones in the danger zone
There's a rumblin' groan down below
There's a big dark town, it's a place I've found
There's a world going on underground

They're alive, they're awake
While the rest of the world is asleep
Below the mineshaft roads it will all unfold

There's a world going on underground

All the roots hang down
Swing from town to town
They are marching around down under your boots
All the trucks unload

Beyond the gopher holes
There's a world going on underground

Overall Meaning

Tom Waits's song Underground is a poetic representation of the world that exists beneath our feet. The lyrics depict a vivid picture of a world that is alive and awake, while the rest of the world is asleep. The singer describes a big dark town that he has found, which lies in the danger zone. The town is a representation of the underground world that is bustling with life.

The lyrics portray the activity that happens in the underground world. The roots of trees hang down and swing from town to town, while trucks unload their cargo beyond the gopher holes. The world beneath our feet is in constant motion, with life thriving in every corner. The singer urges the listeners to pay attention to the world that is going on underground, reminding us that it is an essential part of our existence.

Overall, the song is a reminder to appreciate the beauty that is hidden beneath the surface and to acknowledge the significance of the underground world. The song encourages us to take notice of the world we often ignore and highlights the importance of the interconnectedness of all things in our environment.

Line by Line Meaning

Rattle big black bones in the danger zone
Something ominous and unsettling is moving with force in a hazardous area

There's a rumblin' groan down below
A deep, unsettling noise is coming from beneath

There's a big dark town, it's a place I've found
Somewhere hidden and unspoken of is a large and foreboding settlement

There's a world going on underground
An entire life and society exists below the surface, unknown to most

They're alive, they're awake
The hidden community is active and energetic, in contrast to the sleeping world above

While the rest of the world is asleep
The outside world is unaware and uninterested in what's happening beneath them

Below the mineshaft roads it will all unfold
The secrets and happenings will reveal themselves in the network of subterranean passages

All the roots hang down
The roots of plants above ground dangle as if connected to something below

Swing from town to town
These roots seem to be moving from place to place underground

They are marching around down under your boots
The society is active and moving right beneath the feet of those above

All the trucks unload
Goods and supplies are brought into the underground city

Beyond the gopher holes
Even beyond small openings in the ground, there's a larger world being hidden

There's a world going on underground
The song reiterates the fact that something complex and intricate exists beneath the earth's surface.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, JALMA MUSIC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Thomas Alan Waits

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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