In the late 1960s he led a blues-rock trio called Love Sculpture, who scored a quasi-novelty hit by reworking Khachaturian's classical piece "Sabre Dance" as a speed-crazed rock number. "Sabre Dance" became a hit after garnering the enthusiastic attention of British DJ John Peel.
After Love Sculpture split, Edmunds had a number one single with "I Hear You Knocking", a Smiley Lewis cover. His only acting role followed, as a band member in the David Essex movie Stardust (1974 movie). After learning the trade of producer, culminating in a couple of singles in the style of Phil Spector, "Baby I Love You" and "Born To Be With You", he became linked with the pub rock movement of the early 1970s, producing Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, and also The Flamin' Groovies, using a stripped down, grittier sound.
His own solo LP from that era, Subtle As A Flying Mallet, was similar in style. In 1977, the Brinsley Schwarz connection brought about a collaboration with Nick Lowe under the name Rockpile, with Billy Bremner and Terry Williams. For contractual reasons they could not record as Rockpile until 1980, but contemporary solo LPs (such as Nick Lowe's Labour of Lust and Edmunds' own Repeat When Necessary) were in fact group recordings. Dave Edmunds had more hits during this time, including Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk", Nick Lowe's "I Knew The Bride", Hank DeVito's "Queen of Hearts" ), Graham Parker's "Crawling From The Wreckage", and Melvin Endsley's "Singing The Blues" (originally a hit for Guy Mitchell).
Unexpectedly, after Rockpile relased their first LP under their own name (1980's Seconds Of Pleasure), the band split, generally attributed to tensions between Edmunds and Lowe. Edmunds spent the 1980s collaborating with and producing an assortment of artists, from Paul McCartney to King Kurt, and from The Stray Cats to Status Quo. He recorded the soundtrack for Porky's Revenge, supplying the main theme, "High School Nights", and was the musical director for a television special starring Carl Perkins, with assorted guests including George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Rosanne Cash.
On his 1983 and 1984 releases, Information and Riff Raff, Edmunds collaborated on two songs with Jeff Lynne, the lead musician of Electric Light Orchestra. He recorded less frequently after the mid 1980s.
Edmunds now lives in Wales in semi-retirement, touring Scandinavia infrequently, after surviving a quadruple bypass several years ago.
Promised Land
Dave Edmunds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
California on my mind.
We straddled that Greyhound, rode him into Raleigh,
On across Caroline.
We stopped at Charlotte and bypassed Rock Hill,
We never was a minute late.
And we was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown,
We had motor trouble it turned into a struggle,
Half way 'cross Alabam,
When that 'hound broke down and left us all stranded
In downtown Birmingham.
So right away I bought me a through train ticket,
Right across Mississippi clean
And I was on that midnight flyer outa Birmingham
Smoking into New Orleans.
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
Just help me get to Houston town.
Well 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;
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, an cool your wings,
And let me make it to the telephone.
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia,
Dial forty four ten O nine
And tell the folks back home this is the promised land
Callin'
And the poor boy's on the line.
The Promised Land by Dave Edmunds is a song that deals with the theme of a journey, both geographically and emotionally. It is a classic tale of someone who leaves their home in Norfolk, Virginia, with the goal of finding a better life in California. The song takes us along the journey of the singer as he travels across the country, from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Atlanta, Georgia, through Alabama and Mississippi, and finally to New Orleans, Louisiana. Along the way, he encounters several obstacles, including a breakdown of the Greyhound bus that he's riding, but he persists and eventually reaches his destination.
However, the song's significance goes beyond just the physical journey. It is also a story of self-discovery and the realization that the promised land is not necessarily a tangible place, but rather a state of mind. The singer is searching for something more fulfilling than what he has in Norfolk, and he hopes to find it in California. But in the end, he realizes that what he was looking for was within him all along. The people who care about him and won't let him down are not just in Houston, but also back home in Norfolk.
Overall, The Promised Land is a song that speaks to the universal human experience of seeking a better life and finding one's place in the world. It is a road trip anthem that captures the essence of the American dream and the never-ending quest for happiness and fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
I left my home in Norfolk Virginia, California on my mind.
I left my home in Norfolk, Virginia and although I was physically traveling to California, I was preoccupied with the thought of California even before leaving home.
We straddled that Greyhound, rode him into Raleigh, On across Caroline.
We rode the Greyhound bus into Raleigh, North Carolina, and traveled through South Carolina without stopping.
We stopped at Charlotte and bypassed Rock Hill, We never was a minute late.
We stopped at Charlotte, North Carolina, but didn't stop at Rock Hill. We were on schedule and arrived on time at all our destinations.
And we was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown, Rollin' outa Georgia state.
We had traveled 90 miles from Atlanta and left the state of Georgia by sundown.
We had motor trouble it turned into a struggle, Half way 'cross Alabam, When that 'hound broke down and left us all stranded In downtown Birmingham.
The bus broke down halfway through Alabama, which was a major inconvenience for us, and we were forced to leave the bus and remain stranded in Birmingham.
So right away I bought me a through train ticket, Right across Mississippi clean And I was on that midnight flyer outa Birmingham Smoking into New Orleans.
I purchased a train ticket to travel across the state of Mississippi and caught the midnight train out of Birmingham which took me to New Orleans.
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana Just help me get to Houston town.
I needed help to leave Louisiana and travel to Houston.
Well there are people there who care a little 'bout me And they won't let the poor boy down.
There are people in Houston who care about me and will not let me 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.
The people in Houston were so kind and generous that they bought me a silk suit and gave me luggage. This helped me catch a flight to my dreamed destination.
Workin' on a T-bone steak a la carte Flying over to the Golden State; When the pilot told us in thirteen minutes He would set us at the terminal gate.
On my flight over to California, I was enjoying a luxury T-bone steak. When the pilot announced that we were going to land in just 13 minutes, I became excited to finally see California.
Swing low chariot, come down easy Taxi to the terminal zone; Cut your engines, an cool your wings, And let me make it to the telephone.
As we descend into California, I hope everything goes well and smooth. On the way, I hope to be able to find a way to call my folks back home and tell them that I made it to California safely.
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia, Dial forty four ten O nine And tell the folks back home this is the promised land Callin' And the poor boy's on the line.
I would appreciate it if someone in Los Angeles would let me call my family in Norfolk, Virginia. When I talk to them, I'll tell them that I'm in the Promised Land and I'm doing well.
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rollinajoint9657
Dave Edmunds is the class. He
owns Rock and Roll. Anything he touched was gold. Never
made or produced a marginal
record. Could find and make
almost anything his. Explored
different genres as well. Geez,
Get It a perfect album. Everything he chose to do was
so great. So underrated. So
damn good. He deserves more
credit.πβοΈ
@countrypaul
Dave Edmunds is one of the few later rock & roll artists who really gets the feel of the early rock & roll. This is ageless, timeless and super!
@neilfranklin5644
For sure this old style given a transfusion of modern energy.
@billdunaway8318
Amen
@michaelnawokuali7758
β@@neilfranklin5644aaΓ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ aΓ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ Γ sea
@AndreA-ke2id
β@@billdunaway8318 A bit of Amen Corner too, with ex lead singer Andy Fairweather Low backing Dave on guitar. Great stuff.
@alvarohenriquez8154
This is fantastic ! The accodion solo blows my mind. Geraint and Dave the perfect match.
@jmack619
Yes, too bad the camera people went awol
@douglasjones3105
This must be one of the most life-affirming performances ever. Absolutely wonderful.
@sideshowbob5237
It was. Terrific performance by Geraint Watkins - but I don't think he had much left in the tank by the end!
@ocyvrs
This performance just fires life into you you can`t help but feel euphoric and happy......totaly tremendous