Rockabilly Blues
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And from Waco I called you
But day by day, no answer
And I'm Big Bluebonnet blue
I'm singing and they're dancing
But I'm feeling Big D bad
I'm Sweetwater beat
And I'm Texas City sad
The rhythm keeps me living
But have you heard the news
There's a sad song singer coming
With the rockabilly blues
It's hard to keep on singing
When you're lonesome to the bone
Ten thousand happy people but I'm San Antone alone
One night stands and the man demands
That I get up and go
I'm Odessa desperate
And San Angelo low
The rhythm keeps me living
But have you heard the news
There's a sad song singer coming
With the rockabilly blues
It's the same old tune in Temple
About the loving I ain't had
I'm getting Beaumont bitter
And Amarillo mad
I'm giving up on calling you
'Cause you're evading me
I'm coming home and if you're gone
I'm gonna be Tennessee free
The rhythm keeps me living
And have you heard the news
There's a sad song singer coming
With the rockabilly blues
In Johnny Cash's song "Rockabilly Blues," he sings about his experiences on tour in Texas, feeling lonely and blue while performing for audiences. He calls his lover back home in Waco, but she doesn't answer, making him feel even lonelier. The catchy rhythm of the music keeps him going, but he can't help feeling sad and heartbroken in different cities throughout Texas, from San Angelo to Amarillo.
Despite the crowds cheering him on, Johnny feels utterly alone, as he sings about the same old topic of lost love in Temple. He's become so desperate to hear from his lover that he considers giving up calling her entirely. He even contemplates the idea of returning home and starting over again, free from the heartache of his current state. The song portrays the emotions of a musician on the road, performing in different cities, yet feeling alone and disconnected with everyone around him.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a tour to Texas
I went on a trip to Texas for entertainment.
And from Waco I called you
I tried contacting you from Waco.
But day by day, no answer
You didn't answer my calls every day.
And I'm Big Bluebonnet blue
I'm feeling emotional and down.
I'm singing and they're dancing
I'm singing while others dance to my music.
But I'm feeling Big D bad
I'm feeling unhappy in Dallas.
I'm Sweetwater beat
I'm feeling upbeat in Sweetwater, Texas.
And I'm Texas City sad
I'm feeling sad in Texas City.
The rhythm keeps me living
My music keeps me alive and keeps me going.
But have you heard the news
Have you heard the latest gossip?
There's a sad song singer coming
A musician who sings sad songs is coming.
With the rockabilly blues
He's going to play rockabilly-styled, mournful songs.
It's hard to keep on singing
It's difficult to keep singing when I feel so lonely.
When you're lonesome to the bone
It's unbearable to feel so alone.
Ten thousand happy people but I'm San Antone alone
There may be thousands of people around me, but I still feel alone in San Antonio.
One night stands and the man demands
I have random performances, and the audience has high expectations from me.
That I get up and go
They expect me to perform, then quickly leave.
I'm Odessa desperate
I'm feeling anxious and worried in Odessa.
And San Angelo low
I'm feeling depressed and down in San Angelo.
It's the same old tune in Temple
It's the same old story in Temple, Texas.
About the loving I ain't had
I'm singing about love and relationships that I haven't experienced.
I'm getting Beaumont bitter
I'm feeling bitter and resentful in Beaumont.
And Amarillo mad
I'm feeling angry and frustrated in Amarillo.
I'm giving up on calling you
I'm giving up trying to reach you.
'Cause you're evading me
You're avoiding me and not responding to my calls.
I'm coming home and if you're gone
I'll return home, and if you're not there, I'll be free from this heartache.
I'm gonna be Tennessee free
I'll be free and able to move on in Tennessee.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: J R CASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Argie Moshbangers
I took a tour to Texas
And from Waco I called you
But day by day, no answer
And I'm Big Bluebonnet blue
I'm singing and they're dancing
But I'm feeling Big D bad
I'm Sweetwater beat
And I'm Texas City sad
The rhythm keeps me living
But have you heard the news
There's a sad song singer coming
With the rockabilly blues
It's hard to keep on singing
When you're lonesome to the bone
Ten thousand happy people but I'm San Antone alone
One night stands and the man demands
That I get up and go
I'm Odessa desperate
And San Angelo low
The rhythm keeps me living
But have you heard the news
There's a sad song singer coming
With the rockabilly blues
It's the same old tune in Temple
About the loving I ain't had
I'm getting Beaumont bitter
And Amarillo mad
I'm giving up on calling you
'Cause you're evading me
I'm coming home and if you're gone
I'm gonna be Tennessee free
The rhythm keeps me living
And have you heard the news
There's a sad song singer coming
With the rockabilly blues
Caesar G B
This Johnny Cash song is massively underrated and under appreciated!
Barney Fyfe
Great Johnny Cash song! He's got one on the best voices of early rock and country singers of the 50's and 60's.
Chris Shearer
Cash was one of the greats! His music was simple and from the heart like it should be!!
Guillermo Brown
Very nice and beautiful song. Mix of country and rock and roll.
fortecomposealex
Indeed! This is one of my many favorite Johnny Cash songs!! Thank you so much for posting this!
50sRockabilly
Johnny Cash are one of the best Rockabilly singers ever!
XU10J4R
That's what we call music!
CK SONGS
great!!!!!! what a voice!!
mrdan24
Those days were so awesome!! Johnny Cash, Elvis, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee, Little Richard, etc. It was the best.
Led Floyd
mrdan24 it's crazy to look at the evolution of rock isn't it?