Promised Land
Billy Newton-Davis Lyrics
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Take me to the show
Take me to the place I want to go
Take me down south and bless my soul
I've been trying hard to understand
What keeps me coming back to this deserted promised land
And I stole my lies from a fellow down in New Orleans
Take me to the river
Take me to the show
Take me to the place I want to go
Take me down south and bless my soul
Sailed to the edge of the world summer of forty-two
Can't believe my baby's got me turned so blue
Don't you hear me calling
Don't you hear my name
Don't you put me down baby
You and I we ain't the same
We ain't the same, no
No we ain't the same
Take me to the river
Take me to the show
Take me to the place I want to go
Take me down south and bless my soul
Won't you bless my soul
We ain't the same, no
No we ain't the same
Bless my soul
The lyrics to Billy Newton-Davis's song "Promised Land" is about the singer's desire to go to a place they want to be. The first verse expresses their desire to go to a river, a show, and a place they want to go, and to be blessed in the South. The singer admits that they have been trying hard to understand why they keep coming back to this promised land that is deserted. They confess that they stole their lies from a man in New Orleans and stole everything they could see from the edge of the world.
The second verse talks about the singer sailing to the edge of the world in the summer of 1942, and how their lover has turned them blue. The following lines are the singer calling out to their lover not to put them down, and that they are not the same. The repetition of "We ain't the same, no" emphasizes the difference and the feeling of separation between the singer and their lover. The song ends with the singer begging to be blessed in the soul, implying that they need some redemption or salvation.
Overall, the song's lyrics seem to be about a person's search for something or someone they need. They are not entirely sure what they are searching for, but they hope to find it in a particular place, maybe in the South, and they need to be blessed or saved to find it.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me to the river
I want to start fresh, leave the past behind and move on
Take me to the show
I want to experience something new and exciting
Take me to the place I want to go
I want to go somewhere where I belong and feel comfortable
Take me down south and bless my soul
I want to go to a place where I can find peace and happiness
I've been trying hard to understand
I have been struggling to comprehend why I keep going back to this place
What keeps me coming back to this deserted promised land
I keep returning to a place which is barren and offers no hope
And I stole my lies from a fellow down in New Orleans
I took lies from someone in a place known for its dishonesty
Ran to the edge of the world and stole all that I could see
I fled as far as I could and took everything I could get my hands on
Sailed to the edge of the world summer of forty-two
I left everything behind and embarked on a journey seeking something new
Can't believe my baby's got me turned so blue
I am surprised that the one I love has caused me so much pain
Don't you hear me calling
Please listen to me and understand my plight
Don't you hear my name
Don't ignore me, acknowledge me and my existence
Don't you put me down baby
Please don't criticize me, uplift me and give me hope
You and I we ain't the same
We are different and do not share the same perspective
We ain't the same, no
We are different, and there's no denying that
Won't you bless my soul
Please grant me peace, happiness, and contentment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Patrick Stevenson, Robert Van Stone, Shaw Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind