☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a young man named Harlan Howard who flees to the Everglades after a fight.
- The Everglades are described as a dangerous place where Harlan hides from the police.
- Over the years, Harlan's family and friends believe he is dead, but there are always reports from locals who see him running through the Everglades.
- In the end, it turns out that Harlan never learned about the developments in his case and the court ruled it was self-defense.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song "Everglades" by
The Kingston Trio tell the story of Harlan Howard, a young man from Jacksonville. He was peaceful and would never have killed anyone. But after a jealous argument and a knife attack, he had to flee from the police and hide in the Everglades. He runs like a dog through the Everglades. The police go into the Everglades to find him, but they come back without him and say he will die. It is said that he deserves death and that he won't survive long in the Everglades. A man cannot live in the Everglades.
The chorus describes the dangers of the Everglades where Harlan is hiding. He can be safe from the bloodhounds there, but he must keep moving and not stand still. If the mosquitoes don't get him, the alligators will. He runs like a dog through the Everglades. Later, he is even compared to a frog hopping through the muddy swamp and running away from the Everly Brothers.
Over the years, Harlan's family and friends think he is dead and his girlfriend marries someone else. But occasionally, the locals say they see him running through the Everglades. Harlan doesn't know any of this as he is hidden far away in the Everglades.
At the end of the song, it is revealed that Harlan never heard the news on the radio and therefore doesn't know about the developments in his case. Although he ran and hid, it doesn't make sense because the court decided it was self-defense. He runs like a dog through the Everglades.