The narrator, living in the Midwest, discovers his partner cheating with a man who plans to run away with her using stolen cash. A confrontation leads to the narrator being shot and killed, with the cheaters meeting a similar fate. The twist comes when a seemingly incriminating note turns out to be a harmless grocery list.

Meaning of "Wood Chipper" by John Hiatt

The lyrics tell a dark and tragic story of betrayal and violence, highlighting the lengths some people will go to in order to break up a happy home. It explores themes of trust, deception, and the consequences of one's actions. The setting in the Midwest adds a sense of isolation and desperation to the situation, with the wood chipper symbolizing a gruesome and unexpected end to the narrator's life. The twist with the grocery list serves as a commentary on misinterpretation and the fallibility of assumptions, showing how things are not always what they seem at first glance.