Promised Land
Berry (Chuck) Lyrics
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California on my mind
I Straddled that Greyhound,
and rolled in into Raleigh and all across Carolina
Stopped in Charlotte and bypassed Rock Hill
And we never was a minute late
We was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown
We had motor trouble it turned into a struggle,
Half way 'cross Alabam
And that 'hound broke down and left us all stranded
In downtown Birmingham
Right away, I bought me a through train ticket
Ridin' cross Mississippi clean
And I was on that midnight flier out of Birmingham
Smoking into New Orleans
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
Just help me get to Houston town
There are people there who care a little 'bout me
And they won't let the poor boy down
Sure as you're born, they bought me a silk suit
Put luggage in my hands,
And I woke up high over Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised land
Workin' on a T-bone steak a la carte
Flying over to the Golden State
Oh when The pilot told me in thirteen minutes
We'd be headin' in the terminal gate
Swing low chariot, come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines, cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater four ten O nine
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin'
And the poor boy's on the line
The lyrics of Chuck Berry's song 'Promised Land' are about a man leaving his home in Norfolk, Virginia and traveling to California. He tells the story of his journey traveling by bus and train, encountering some motor trouble along the way, and eventually catching a jet to the 'promised land.' He remembers his home and the people who care about him, but he is determined to pursue a better life in California.
The lyrics connect to the American Dream, as they tell the story of a man who is willing to leave his home to pursue his goals and aspirations, even if it means facing challenges along the way. The song portrays the idea that with hard work and determination, a person can achieve their dreams and find success.
Line by Line Meaning
I left my home in Norfolk Virginia
I left the comfort of my hometown in Norfolk, Virginia.
California on my mind
I had California in my thoughts and dreams.
I Straddled that Greyhound, and rolled in into Raleigh and all across Carolina
I hopped on a Greyhound bus and traveled across North Carolina, making stops in Raleigh and other towns.
Stopped in Charlotte and bypassed Rock Hill, And we never was a minute late
I stopped in Charlotte but didn't stop in Rock Hill, and was always punctual.
We was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown, Rollin' out of Georgia state
By the end of the day, we had gone 90 miles from Atlanta and left the state of Georgia.
We had motor trouble it turned into a struggle, Half way 'cross Alabam
We had car trouble in Alabama, which turned into a big problem for us.
And that 'hound broke down and left us all stranded, In downtown Birmingham
The Greyhound bus broke down, leaving us stuck in downtown Birmingham.
Right away, I bought me a through train ticket, Ridin' cross Mississippi clean
I bought a train ticket that would take me across Mississippi without any issues.
And I was on that midnight flier out of Birmingham, Smoking into New Orleans
I caught a midnight flight out of Birmingham and arrived in New Orleans while smoking a cigarette.
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana, Just help me get to Houston town
I needed someone to help me leave Louisiana and make my way to Houston.
There are people there who care a little 'bout me, And they won't let the poor boy down
I knew that there were people in Houston who cared about me and would help me out.
Sure as you're born, they bought me a silk suit, Put luggage in my hands
Those people in Houston even bought me a fancy suit and helped me carry my luggage.
And I woke up high over Albuquerque, On a jet to the promised land
I fell asleep on a plane and woke up flying over Albuquerque, on my way to California, the promised land.
Workin' on a T-bone steak a la carte, Flying over to the Golden State
I was enjoying a delicious T-bone steak on my flight to California.
Oh when The pilot told me in thirteen minutes, We'd be headin' in the terminal gate
The pilot informed me that we would be landing in the airport terminal in just 13 minutes.
Swing low chariot, come down easy, Taxi to the terminal zone
The plane started to descend and taxied to the airport terminal.
Cut your engines, cool your wings, And let me make it to the telephone
The plane turned off its engines and I was eager to get off and find a telephone to call home.
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia, Tidewater four ten O nine
I wanted to call Norfolk, Virginia from Los Angeles, asking for Tidewater 410-09.
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin', And the poor boy's on the line
I wanted to tell those back home that I had reached the promised land (California) and that I was doing well.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@francescomorabito3048
The Promised Land (C. Berry)
I left my home in Norfolk Virginia
California on my mind
I straddled that Greyhound,
And rolled in into Raleigh and all across Carolina
Stopped in Charlotte and bypassed Rock Hill
And we never was a minute late
We was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown
Rollin' out of Georgia state
We had motor trouble it turned into a struggle,
Half way 'cross Alabam
And that 'hound broke down and left us all stranded
In downtown Birmingham
Right away, I bought me a through train ticket
Ridin' cross Mississippi clean
And I was on that midnight flier out of Birmingham
Smoking into New Orleans
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
Just help me get to Houston town
There are people there who care a little 'bout me
And they won't let the poor boy down
Sure as you're born, they bought me a silk suit
Put luggage in my hands,
And I woke up high over Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised land
Workin' on a T-bone steak a la carte
Flying over to the Golden State
Oh when the pilot told me in thirteen minutes
We'd be headin' in the terminal gate
Swing low chariot, come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines, cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater four ten o nine
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin'
And the poor boy's on the line
@scouseronthewirral
Chuck Berry Wrote Promised Land, he got the melody from “Wabash Cannonball” and recorded the song on 20 February 1964, it peaked at #41 on Pop chart in January 1965.
Notable Covers:
Johnny Rivers (Jan 1965)
Freddie Weller (1971) #3 Country
Dave Edmunds (June 1972)
The Band (Oct 1973)
Elvis Presley Recorded a Great Rockin version on 15 December 1973, it was released as single on 27 September 1974 and peaked at #14 on Pop chart and was also released on his “Promised Land” Album released on his 40th Birthday on 8 January 1975.
@plasteredbastard
God help the person doing the vocals on this classic...
I left my home in Norfolk Virginia
California on my mind
I straddled that Greyhound,
And rolled in into Raleigh and all across Carolina
Stopped in Charlotte and bypassed Rock Hill
And we never was a minute late
We was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown
Rollin' out of Georgia state
We had motor trouble it turned into a struggle,
Half way 'cross Alabam
And that 'hound broke down and left us all stranded
In downtown Birmingham
Right away, I bought me a through train ticket
Ridin' cross Mississippi clean
And I was on that midnight flier out of Birmingham
Smoking into New Orleans
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
Just help me get to Houston town
There are people there who care a little 'bout me
And they won't let the poor boy down
Sure as you're born, they bought me a silk suit
Put luggage in my hands,
And I woke up high over Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised land
Workin' on a T-bone steak a la carte
Flying over to the Golden State
Oh when the pilot told me in thirteen minutes
We'd be headin' in the terminal gate
Swing low chariot, come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines, cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater four ten o nine
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin'
And the poor boy's on the line
@MadAnthonyWayne
I left my home in Norfolk Virginia
California on my mind
I straddled that Greyhound
And rode into Raleigh
And on across Caroline
We had motor trouble that turn into a struggle
Halfway across Alabam'
And that hound broke down and left us all stranded
In downtown Birmingham
Right away I brought me a through train ticket
Ridin' across Mississippi clean
And I was on that midnight flyer out of Birmingham
Smoking into New Orleans
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
Just to help me get to Houston Town
There are people there who care a little about me
And they won't let the poor boy down
Sure as you're born brought me a silk suit
Put luggage in my hand
And I woke up high over Alberquerque
On a jet to the promised land
Working on a T-bone steak a la carte
Flying over to the golden state
Ah when the pilot told us in thirteen minutes
He would set us at the terminal gate
Swing low chariot come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines and cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater four ten o nine
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land calling
And the poor boy is on the line
Working on a T-bone steak a la carte
Flying over to the golden state
Ah when the pilot told us in thirteen minutes
He would set us at the terminal gate
Swing low chariot come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines and cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater four ten o nine
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land calling
And the poor boy is on the line
http://youtu.be/h-46hyvEV5k
@maxLeifermann
No rock musician of any era can get my foot tapping and my head nodding more assuredly than Chuck Berry. Just something irresistible to his songs, a driving, pulsing rhythm...
@shellybastion9974
And..he never made a single "bummer" song.. Contemplate that.
@ianjohnson458
One of the greatest songs ever
@mnakadai9106
The lyrics are pure genius.
@mrbelcherful
Totally agree.
@MedicinalRock
Yep
@damienwilson5633
Not to mention the guitar sheeeeeeeeeew
@andregreen8040
M Nakadal@ You said it !
@willkittwk
You gotta be talented to put together and sing the lyrics has a lot of tricky curves to it and the humor and visuals are amazing.
@jjwalker3243
Absolutly one of the best,he's been rocking me fifty years.
What a legend.