The Two of Us Together lyrics and meaning
Second version
Meaning
This song, with its repeated "together, the two of us," can be understood as a song about two people creating a shared life. Throughout the song, the repeated dual phrase stresses that everything is done by the pair, together. At the beginning they both go into the green forest and cut the green linden.
Then they both saw thin boards, make a new little bed, lay a white sheet, and weave a green cradle. This chain of tasks can be interpreted as the making of a home and family nest, from tree to sleeping place. Every step is done together, emphasizing the harmony of the couple.
At the end they both lay down and rock the little child. This image can be understood as family fullness, when shared work leads to the care of a child. The whole song, grounded in the repeated "both of us," praises the companionship of two people. That is one possible meaning, but the motif of making a shared life and family is clear.
Symbols
- "Mudu abudu"
- The repeated motif of doing everything as two. It stresses the couple's togetherness and harmony.
- Green linden
- The linden cut in the forest, from which boards are sawn. It is the beginning of home-making.
- Little bed and sheet
- The bed made from boards and the sheet laid over it. They mark the creation of a shared sleeping place and home.
- Cradle and little child
- The cradle that is woven and the little child laid in it. They mark family fullness and care for new life.
History
"The Two of Us Together" belongs to family songs about creating a shared life and household nest. The whole song rests on the constant repetition of "mudu abudu" - the two of us, both together - and on a sequential chain of work: both go to the forest, cut the linden, saw boards, make a bed, lay a sheet, weave a cradle, and finally lay down and rock the little child. This cumulative, step-by-step structure is typical of songs performed as a pair and of songs that stress the harmony of a couple.
The steady repetition of the dual "mudu abudu" turns the song into a praise of togetherness, where every task is done jointly, while the sequence from tree to child marks the fullness of family life. The exact place and time of recording for this version are not stated on the page, so the song is presented by genre features; other variants also exist, including the second version included in the base page.
Sources
- Lietuvių liaudies dainynas, t. 1-23, Vilnius 1980-2011 (LLTI)
- Lietuvių liaudies dainų katalogas, 6 t., Vilnius 1972-1986
- Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia: Lithuanian folk songs
- Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia: family songs
- LLTI: Lithuanian Folk Songbook
Common questions
The Two of Us Together: what kind of song is this?
It is a family song about two people creating a shared life and home, built around the repeated phrase "mudu abudu," the two of us together.
What does the repeated "mudu abudu" mean?
It is the motif of doing things as a pair. Everything, from cutting wood to rocking the child, is done together, praising the couple's harmony.
What does the work chain from linden to cradle mark?
Cutting the linden, sawing boards, making a bed, laying a sheet, and weaving a cradle mark the making of a household and family nest from tree to resting place.
The Two of Us Together: are there variants of this song?
Yes. The base page includes a second version with dual verb forms (eisva, kirsva, pjausva) and a slightly different vocabulary and order of tasks, but the same family-making sequence.