Guitar Man
Elvis Presley Lyrics
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Left my mama a goodbye note
By sundown I'd left Kingston
With my guitar under my coat
I hitchhiked all the way down to Memphis
Got a room at the YMCA
For the next three weeks I went huntin' them nights
Just lookin' for a place to play
Well, I thought my pickin' would set 'em on fire
But nobody wanted to hire a guitar man
Well, I nearly 'bout starved to death down in Memphis
I run outta money and luck
So I bought me a ride down to Macon, Georgia
On a overloaded poultry truck
I thumbed on down to Panama City
Started pickin' out some o' them all night bars
Hopin' I could make myself a dollar
Makin' music on my guitar
I got the same old story at them all night piers
There ain't no room around here for a guitar man
We don't need a guitar man, son
So I slept in the hobo jungles
Roamed a thousand miles of track
Till I found myself in Mobile Alabama
At a club they call Big Jack's
A little four-piece band was jammin'
So I took my guitar and I sat in
I showed 'em what a band would sound like
With a swingin' little guitar man
Show 'em, son
If you ever take a trip down to the ocean
Find yourself down around Mobile
Make it on out to a club called Jack's
If you got a little time to kill
Just follow that crowd of people
You'll wind up out on his dance floor
Diggin' the finest little five piece group
Up and down the Gulf of Mexico
Guess who's leadin' that five-piece band
Well, wouldn't ya know, it's that swingin' little guitar man, yeah yeah
The lyrics to Elvis Presley's song Guitar Man are about persevering through rejection and hardship as a musician in pursuit of a breakthrough. The singer quits his job and leaves his hometown with his guitar, hoping to find a place to play and make it as a musician. However, he faces constant rejection and difficulty finding gigs, ultimately resorting to sleeping in hobo jungles and hitchhiking to different cities to find work. Despite the setbacks, he continues to play and improve his skills, eventually finding a band to play with at a club called Big Jack's in Mobile, Alabama, where he becomes the "swinging little guitar man" that leads the band to success.
The lyrics capture the struggle and determination of aspiring musicians who face constant rejection and uncertainty in their pursuit of a breakthrough. It's a common theme in music that speaks to the struggles of ordinary people trying to make it in a competitive and often unforgiving industry. The singer's journey is a metaphor for the unpredictable and often challenging path to career success, and his perseverance in the face of hardship is an inspiring lesson for anyone who has faced setbacks or failures in their own life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I quit my job down at the car wash
I resigned from my employment at the vehicle cleaning station
Left my mama a goodbye note
I left a letter to inform my mother that I'm leaving
By sundown I'd left Kingston
I departed from Kingston before sunset
With my guitar under my coat
I had my guitar hidden under my coat
I hitchhiked all the way down to Memphis
I traveled to Memphis by hitchhiking
Got a room at the YMCA
I got accommodation at the Young Men's Christian Association
For the next three weeks I went huntin' them nights
I spent the next 21 nights scouting for opportunities
Just lookin' for a place to play
I searched for a venue to perform as musician
Well, I thought my pickin' would set 'em on fire
I believed my guitar skills would impress people
But nobody wanted to hire a guitar man
Unfortunately, I didn't secure any job as a guitarist
Well, I nearly 'bout starved to death down in Memphis
I almost died due to hunger while in Memphis
I run outta money and luck
I became broke and unlucky
So I bought me a ride down to Macon, Georgia
I paid for transportation to Macon, Georgia
On a overloaded poultry truck
I traveled on a crowded truck carrying domestic fowls
I thumbed on down to Panama City
I hitchhiked to Panama City
Started pickin' out some o' them all night bars
I began performing music in nightclubs
Hopin' I could make myself a dollar
I hoped to earn some money
Makin' music on my guitar
Playing guitar to entertain people
I got the same old story at them all night piers
I received the same response in all nightclubs
There ain't no room around here for a guitar man
There was no vacancy for a guitarist at this time
We don't need a guitar man, son
We don't require a guitarist, young man
So I slept in the hobo jungles
I slept in improvised homeless settlements
Roamed a thousand miles of track
I wandered around for many miles
Till I found myself in Mobile Alabama
I kept moving until I arrived at Mobile, Alabama
At a club they call Big Jack's
I went to a club known as Big Jack's
A little four-piece band was jammin'
There was a small band playing music
So I took my guitar and I sat in
I joined the band with my guitar
I showed 'em what a band would sound like
I demonstrated how the band would play with my guitar
With a swingin' little guitar man
Playing guitar like a cool, jazz musician
If you ever take a trip down to the ocean
If you ever visit a town located by the sea
Find yourself down around Mobile
If you end up at Mobile, Alabama
Make it on out to a club called Jack's
Go to a night club named Jack's
If you got a little time to kill
If you have some leisure time
Just follow that crowd of people
If you see many individuals going to one place
You'll wind up out on his dance floor
You'll eventually be directed to a dance space
Diggin' the finest little five piece group
Enjoying the excellent quintet
Up and down the Gulf of Mexico
In the regions around the Gulf of Mexico
Guess who's leadin' that five-piece band
Guess who is the guitar man leading the quintet
Well, wouldn't ya know, it's that swingin' little guitar man, yeah yeah
It's me, the cool guitarist that plays jazz music
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jerry Reed Hubbard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ronald D
What a showman. There's people who make great music. He made music great.
KingCrimson
True!
Brad rawsner
Showman?
Try artist dummy
Those critically acclaimed studio recordings are second to none.
The soul depth and diversity are second to none.
The actual studio recordings reveal elvis's soul and artistry in the studio.
jainam udani
+Brad rawsner... he was a great showman... and artist too... but look at his swagger in live performances... the fact that you ignore that is funny...
Brad rawsner
@jainam udani
I don't ignore that
I like his showmanship.
BUT, his artistry in the recording studio, was ICONIC.
The critically acclaimed studio recordings are what defines you as an artist.
That's your body of work.
Showman are showman. But what makes you truly timeless and great, is the critically acclaimed body of work that you leave behind.
jainam udani
+Brad rawsner... ok... sorry for goin’ down too hard on you... it’s just that there are too many haters we gotta deal with... I went through almost all comeback videos trying to knock sense into the haters... no hard feelings, right?... sure hope so... peace and love...
deboisblanc
One thing Elvis learned making all those movies was how to make the camera love him and this enhanced his stage presence even more. Saw him in concert twice, just amazing.
Digger Damian
You lucky person wow
K. Tinder
I saw him once in concert. I wasn't suppose to but ran to the stage. He walked from each end, to the center and the other end of that stage. I got about 10-15 ft from him. I may have been too far off the ground at that point, but as he walked(singing throughput) towards where I stood looking up at him, I thought by he actually looked Mr in the eye. I was too young, but the older ladies he'd kiss or take a handkerchief. He was stunning. I've seen a lot of great performers, but none ever have come close to Elvis.
Paul Dark
Lucky you!