I wrote a song about him and handed it to a woman to sing.
Not a man. Not me. A woman.
The song is a verdict and she delivers it. Weathered alto, Bonnie Raitt phrasing, Ruthie Foster gravity. She sits down, resonator in open-G, and the first line out of her mouth is:
Nobody loves him.
Caged in hate. Caged in greed. Caged in pride. Caged in the knowledge that history opens every file.
A cage isn’t something that happens to a man. He welds it. One bar at a time, out of every bitter need — every woman’s cry, every alibi, every name he left behind. By the time he hunts for the door, there isn’t one.
The fence in the photograph comes down tomorrow. The fence he built stands.
Sparse production. National resonator, bottleneck slide. Upright bass walking root to fifth. Brushed snare, soft kick, low. No reverb — she’s in the room, close-mic’d, saying it slow.
68 BPM. Funeral pace. The speed truth travels.
The slide is the long memory. It bends when he bends. It won’t answer him. It remembers.
No one coming. No one came.
Strike the A minor. Let it ring. Mute.
She looks once. Walks away.
Play “Caged” after midnight. That’s when verdicts sound true.
Got the tower with his name in gold
Got the plane, the gate, the hold
Got the men who kiss the ring
Got the crowd that stands and sings
Won’t feel a single thing
Chorus
Caged in hate, caged in greed
Caged in every bitter need
Caged in everything he fed
Caged in all the world will know
The saddest man alive tonight
Got the whole world and not one light
Verse 2
Got the guard, got the wall
Got a list outlives them all
Got a wife who turns her face
Got a son who walks away
Got no arm in that cold place
Chorus 2
Caged in lies he swallowed whole
Caged in the man he chose
Caged in every woman’s cry
Caged in every alibi
The saddest man alive tonight
Got the whole world and not one light
Bridge
Fence between him and the sun
Fence between him and everyone
Built it high, built it long
Nobody loves him — and he knows
Nobody loves him — and he knows
Verse 3
History opens every file
Sits him down a good long while
Tapes and ledgers, oaths and dates
Women speaking through the gates
Every page his hand has signed
Every name he left behind
Final Chorus
Caged in hate, caged in greed
Caged in every bitter need
Caged in pride, caged in shame
Caged forever in his name
The saddest man alive tonight
Got the whole world and not one light
No one coming, no one came
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
Caged
Caged: The Saddest Man Alive
Has everything. Enjoys nothing.
I wrote a song about him and handed it to a woman to sing.
Not a man. Not me. A woman.
The song is a verdict and she delivers it. Weathered alto, Bonnie Raitt phrasing, Ruthie Foster gravity. She sits down, resonator in open-G, and the first line out of her mouth is:
Nobody loves him.
Caged in hate. Caged in greed. Caged in pride. Caged in the knowledge that history opens every file.
A cage isn’t something that happens to a man. He welds it. One bar at a time, out of every bitter need — every woman’s cry, every alibi, every name he left behind. By the time he hunts for the door, there isn’t one.
The fence in the photograph comes down tomorrow. The fence he built stands.
Sparse production. National resonator, bottleneck slide. Upright bass walking root to fifth. Brushed snare, soft kick, low. No reverb — she’s in the room, close-mic’d, saying it slow.
68 BPM. Funeral pace. The speed truth travels.
The slide is the long memory. It bends when he bends. It won’t answer him. It remembers.
No one coming. No one came.
Strike the A minor. Let it ring. Mute.
She looks once. Walks away.
Play “Caged” after midnight. That’s when verdicts sound true.
Listen
Caged
Open audio in a new tab
Lyrics
Verse 1
Got the tower with his name in gold Got the plane, the gate, the hold Got the men who kiss the ring Got the crowd that stands and sings Won’t feel a single thing
Chorus
Caged in hate, caged in greed Caged in every bitter need Caged in everything he fed Caged in all the world will know The saddest man alive tonight Got the whole world and not one light
Verse 2
Got the guard, got the wall Got a list outlives them all Got a wife who turns her face Got a son who walks away Got no arm in that cold place
Chorus 2
Caged in lies he swallowed whole Caged in the man he chose Caged in every woman’s cry Caged in every alibi The saddest man alive tonight Got the whole world and not one light
Bridge
Fence between him and the sun Fence between him and everyone Built it high, built it long Nobody loves him — and he knows Nobody loves him — and he knows
Verse 3
History opens every file Sits him down a good long while Tapes and ledgers, oaths and dates Women speaking through the gates Every page his hand has signed Every name he left behind
Final Chorus
Caged in hate, caged in greed Caged in every bitter need Caged in pride, caged in shame Caged forever in his name The saddest man alive tonight Got the whole world and not one light No one coming, no one came
Michael E Scott