The album's first two singles ("Georgia" and "Complicated") were both Number One hits on the Canadian country music charts, and the latter was a Top Ten hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. Although her next single ("I Don't Want You to Go") was also a Top Ten in the U.S., her chart success there would wane not long afterward, though she has had continued success in her native Canada.
Carolyn Dawn Johnson is a graduate of R.F. Staples Secondary School in Westlock, AB
Georgia
Carolyn Dawn Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then I guess I'll be Alabama bound
There was a time when I'd do anything for ya
But this time baby, I won't turn around
I always wanted to get married, and I thought you were the one
But you never ever asked me and I was tired of hanging on
You know a girl can only be let down so many times before she runs
You always said I'd never leave and if I did I wouldn't go far
So I know how I must look with my tank o' gas and beat up heart
Baby I'm gone for good, you can count on that
I'm gonna keep heading west ?til I'm too far gone to come back
Yeah
And if I'm not over you, by the time I get to Georgia
Then I'll be Alabama bound
There was a time I'd do anything for ya
But this time baby, I won't turn around
I only got ten miles to go before I cross the state line
I can feel my hands shaking, ?cause they usually turn the wheel around about
this time
I heard that same ol' voice inside, I had to drown it out
So I found me a radio station playing something fast and I turned it up real
loud
And if I'm not over you by the time I get to Georgia
Then I'll be Alabama bound
There was a time I'd do anything for ya
But this time baby, I won't turn around
There was a time when I'd do anything for ya
But this time baby, oh I won't turn around
Oh I won't turn around
If I'm not over you by Georgia, then I'll head to Alabama
Roll on to Mississippi, or maybe Louisiana
I'll drive all the way to California
I won't turn around
No I won't turn around
No I won't turn around
No I won't turn around
Carolyn Dawn Johnson’s song, Georgia, is about a woman’s determination to move on from a relationship that has caused her nothing but heartache. The lyrics describe how the singer is leaving town and driving to Georgia. She reflects on how she once thought the person she was leaving behind was the one and how much she had wanted to get married. However, he never asked her, and she eventually realized she deserved more than being strung along. The song's message becomes clear with the repetition of the lines, “if I'm not over you by the time I get to Georgia, then I guess I'll be Alabama bound. There was a time when I'd do anything for ya, but this time baby, I won't turn around.” The lyrics demonstrate the character's determination to move on from a toxic relationship and start a new life wherever her journey takes her, even if it means leaving her hometown behind.
Line by Line Meaning
If I'm not over you by the time I get to Georgia
In case I haven't moved on from our past relationship by the time I reach Georgia
Then I guess I'll be Alabama bound
I will drive towards Alabama
There was a time when I'd do anything for ya
I was once too weak to refuse you anything
But this time baby, I won't turn around
But this time, I am determined to keep moving forward
You always said I'd never leave and if I did I wouldn't go far
You always belittled me and thought I would never leave you, but I am ambitious
So I know how I must look with my tank o' gas and beat up heart
I might look vulnerable, but deep inside, I am stronger than ever
Baby I'm gone for good, you can count on that
I am leaving you for good, and you can trust that it's happening
I'm gonna keep heading west ?til I'm too far gone to come back
I am not stopping until I reach a point beyond which there's no returning
And if I'm not over you, by the time I get to Georgia
And if I haven't moved on from you by the time I'm in Georgia
Then I'll be Alabama bound
I'll still head towards Alabama
I only got ten miles to go before I cross the state line
I am so close to leaving this state behind
I can feel my hands shaking, ?cause they usually turn the wheel around about this time
I am afraid I might succumb to my emotions and turn back around
So I found me a radio station playing something fast and I turned it up real loud
To keep myself going, I found a radio station playing upbeat music and turned up the volume
If I'm not over you by the time I get to Georgia
Again, if I haven't moved on by the time I reach Georgia
Then I'll be Alabama bound
I'll still be driving towards Alabama
There was a time I'd do anything for ya
There was a time when I was blinded by my feelings for you
But this time baby, I won't turn around
But now, I am leaving all that behind and won't look back
No I won't turn around
Absolutely, I am not going to turn back
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLYN DAWN JOHNSON, TROY VERGES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Denise Martin
Why is she so underrated? Her voice and music is so amazing. I love Carolyn 🙂
Netti C
@Sharon DiFronzo So talented and SO nice!
elliot linnington
Shes Niche, shes kind of the last of the old age of country
Shawn Murphy
Agree she’s incredible
Chris Barrett
Shes one of my favs.. loved her for day 1 of hearing this song
Theda Slexic
she is a well-known song writer and only decided to record a few of her own songs. i really enjoy her singing but her lane is writing to be sure. when she performs with some really good singers, it shows...but as I said. I buy her stuff.
Free Fallin'68
Must've been 10 yrs since I heard this song. Such a pretty voice; I can listen to it all day.
BKTube
+Free Fallin'68 nice profile pic
Alan West
Carolyn is such a great talent, such a special voice. From what I heard the music execs tried to make her into something she's not. They should have let her be and do her thing, which was great. Sometimes talent doesn't need to be "managed" it just needs to be shared with the rest of the world as it is, pure, simple and unspoiled.
Tom Billard
She wouldn't bow to the master's so they keep you down.