Wanted Man
Carl Perkins; Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wanted man in Buffalo
Wanted man in Kansas City,
Wanted man in Ohio
Wanted man in Mississippi,
Wanted man in ol' Cheyenne
I might be in Colorado,
Or Georgia by the sea
Working for some man who may not know at all who I might be
If you ever see me coming and if you know who I am
Don't you breathe it to nobody 'cause you know I'm on the lamb
Wanted man by Lucy Watson,
Wanted man by Jeannie Brown
Wanted man by Nellie Johnson,
Wanted man in this next town
I've had all that I wanted of a lot of things I've had
And a lot more than I needed of some things that turned out bad
I got sidetracked in El Paso,
Stopped to get myself a map
Went the wrong way in Pleura with Juanita on my back
Went to sleep in Shreveport,
Woke up in Abilene
Wonderin' why I'm wanted at some town half way in between
Wanted man in Albuquerque,
Wanted man in Syracuse
Wanted man in Tallahassee,
Wanted man in Baton Rouge
There's somebody set to grab me
Anywhere that I might be
And wherever you might look tonight
You might get a glimpse of me
Wanted man in California,
Wanted man in Buffalo
Wanted man in Kansas City,
Wanted man in Ohio
Wanted man in Mississippi,
Wanted man in ol' Cheyenne
Wherever you might look tonight you might see this wanted man
The song "Wanted Man" by Johnny Cash tells the story of a man who is wanted by the law in different cities across America. The lyrics imply that this man may have led a life of crime, and that he's always on the run from the authorities. The song starts by listing the various places where he's wanted, and goes on to describe his movements and troubles while being on the run. The chorus, which repeats after each verse, emphasizes how he's constantly on the move and how people might catch a glimpse of him anywhere.
The first two verses of the song give a sense of how wide the man's reach is, and how he's wanted by the law in various states. In the third verse, he talks about being in Colorado or Georgia, working for someone who doesn't know who he really is. This shows how he's trying to keep a low profile and not draw attention to himself. The fourth verse talks about how he wants to stay anonymous, asking anyone who recognizes him not to tell anyone else. Towards the end of the song, he talks about how he's been in different towns and states, including El Paso, Pleura, Shreveport, and Abilene, among others, and how he's always on the move.
Overall, the song paints a vivid picture of a man on the run, who's constantly trying to avoid getting caught by the law. It also touches upon the idea of starting afresh and being anonymous, while questioning the need for a life of crime.
Line by Line Meaning
Wanted man in California,
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in California.
Wanted man in Buffalo
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Buffalo.
Wanted man in Kansas City,
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Kansas City.
Wanted man in Ohio
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Ohio.
Wanted man in Mississippi,
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Mississippi.
Wanted man in ol' Cheyenne
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Cheyenne.
Wherever you might look tonight you might see this wanted man
This man is on the run and could be seen in any of the aforementioned locations.
I might be in Colorado,
The wanted man could possibly be hiding out in Colorado.
Or Georgia by the sea
The wanted man could also possibly be hiding out in Georgia by the ocean.
Working for some man who may not know at all who I might be
The wanted man could be laying low and pretending to work for someone in order to stay hidden from those who are searching for him.
If you ever see me coming and if you know who I am
If someone recognizes the wanted man they are not to give away his location.
Don't you breathe it to nobody 'cause you know I'm on the lamb
The wanted man does not want anyone to let authorities know where he is because he is trying to avoid getting caught or arrested.
Wanted man by Lucy Watson,
Lucy Watson is one of the many people who are looking for the wanted man.
Wanted man by Jeannie Brown
Jeannie Brown is also looking for the wanted man.
Wanted man by Nellie Johnson,
Nellie Johnson has joined the search for the wanted man.
Wanted man in this next town
The wanted man is also being searched for in the next town over.
I've had all that I wanted of a lot of things I've had
The wanted man has had enough of a lot of things he has experienced in his life.
And a lot more than I needed of some things that turned out bad
He has had more than enough of some experiences that ultimately didn't turn out in his favor.
I got sidetracked in El Paso,
Something unexpected happened to the wanted man in El Paso.
Stopped to get myself a map
The wanted man had to stop and get directions to his destination.
Went the wrong way in Pleura with Juanita on my back
The wanted man took the wrong route with Juanita (whoever that may be) on his back.
Went to sleep in Shreveport,
The wanted man fell asleep in Shreveport.
Woke up in Abilene
He woke up in the city of Abilene.
Wonderin' why I'm wanted at some town half way in between
The wanted man is questioning why he is being pursued in a town that is halfway between cities.
Wanted man in Albuquerque,
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Albuquerque.
Wanted man in Syracuse
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Syracuse.
Wanted man in Tallahassee,
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Tallahassee.
Wanted man in Baton Rouge
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Baton Rouge.
There's somebody set to grab me
There is someone who is determined to capture or arrest the wanted man.
Anywhere that I might be
No matter where the wanted man goes, he is likely to run into someone who is trying to catch him.
And wherever you might look tonight
No matter where someone looks tonight,
You might get a glimpse of me
They might get a glimpse of the wanted man.
Wanted man in California,
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in California.
Wanted man in Buffalo
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Buffalo.
Wanted man in Kansas City,
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Kansas City.
Wanted man in Ohio
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Ohio.
Wanted man in Mississippi,
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Mississippi.
Wanted man in ol' Cheyenne
There is a man who is being searched for by the authorities or law enforcement in Cheyenne.
Wherever you might look tonight you might see this wanted man
This man is on the run and could be seen in any of the aforementioned locations.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILL SHORE, RICK VINCENT, RICK WEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind