Ever Since The World Began

Song Meaning

Dorsey Burnette's "Ever Since The World Began" isn't a complex philosophical treatise; instead, it operates as a kind of primal observation on the dynamics between men and women. The song meaning circles around the age-old push and pull, the almost transactional nature of love that, according to Burnette, has existed since the dawn of time. It's a blunt, perhaps even cynical, take, but one that resonates with a certain hard-won truth. The lyrics paint a picture of men driven by women's love to "work so hard with his hands," suggesting a deeply embedded, almost instinctual motivation. The cyclical nature of the lyrics, with the recurring line "Ever since the world began, there's been lots of lover men," reinforces the idea that these patterns are not new or unique, but rather a fundamental part of the human experience. The verses touch on the seeming contradictions within these relationships: "We can't understand 'em yet we demand 'em." This line acknowledges the often-bewildering nature of the opposite sex, yet simultaneously highlights the irresistible pull that draws people together. It's a simultaneous admission of confusion and assertion of desire. Burnette also throws in some elemental imagery, comparing love to rain and sunshine. "Rain falls to make the river flow, sunshine makes the flowers grow" positions love as a basic and necessary force, like the weather. The slightly more problematic line, "A women cries and her tears show/'Cause it makes her man love her so" hints at manipulation or emotional display as a means to an end. The song concludes on a note of inevitability – love is as certain as the sky above, and families are the likely outcome. "Ever Since The World Began" presents a vision of love not as a fairytale, but as a fundamental, sometimes messy, and always compelling part of life.