Dave Edmunds (born April 15, 1944) is a singer, guitarist and producer from… Read Full Bio ↴Dave Edmunds (born April 15, 1944) is a singer, guitarist and producer from Cardiff, Wales. Though he was primarily associated with pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the late 70's and early 80's, he was steadfastly devoted to pre-Beatles rock and roll. An infrequent songwriter, Edmunds has largely relied on cover songs or custom-written material to sustain his career.

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.

on the road again
Dave Edmunds Lyrics

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Well, I'm so tired of crying
But I'm out on the road again
I'm on the road again
Well, I'm so tired of crying
But I'm out on the road again
I'm on the road again
I ain't got no woman
Just to call my special friend

You know the first time I traveled
Out in the rain and snow
In the rain and snow
You know the first time I traveled
Out in the rain and snow
In the rain and snow
I didn't have no payroll
Not even no place to go

And my dear mother left me
When I was quite young
When I was quite young
And my dear mother left me
When I was quite young
When I was quite young
She said "Lord, have mercy
On my wicked son"

Take a hint from me, mama
Please don't you cry no more
Don't you cry no more
Take a hint from me, mama
Please don't you cry no more
Don't you cry no more
'Cause it's soon one morning
Down the road I'm going

But I ain't going down
That long old lonesome road
All by myself
But I ain't going down
That long old lonesome road
All by myself

I can't carry you, baby
Gonna carry somebody else

Overall Meaning

The song "On The Road Again" by Dave Edmunds is a classic blues track that depicts the life of a traveler who is tired of his loneliness but has to continue his journey. The song starts with the artist expressing his weariness with crying and sings about being on the road once again. He has no woman or special friend to call, and he is forced to continue traveling despite his exhaustion.

He then recounts his first experience traveling in the rain and snow, with no payroll or place to go. He reveals that his mother left him when he was young and pleaded with God to have mercy on him. The artist then addresses his mother, asking her not to cry anymore and giving her hope that he will return soon.

The chorus then begins with the artist refusing to travel down the long, lonesome road by himself, and he expresses his inability to carry his baby with him. He is determined to carry somebody else, indicating that he has found a companion on this journey. The song is melancholic but hopeful, with the artist looking forward to finding someone to share his journey with.

Line by Line Meaning

Well, I'm so tired of crying
The singer is exhausted from feeling sad and emotional

But I'm out on the road again
However, he is currently traveling once more

I'm on the road again
He is emphasizing his current state of being on the move

Well, I'm so tired of crying
The singer reiterates how drained he is from tears and sorrow

But I'm out on the road again
Despite this, he is still traveling

I'm on the road again
He emphasizes his current state of movement once again

I ain't got no woman
He has no female companion

Just to call my special friend
He has no one he can confide in or turn to

You know the first time I traveled
The singer is reflecting on his initial journey

Out in the rain and snow
He first traveled during harsh weather conditions

In the rain and snow
He repeats the weather conditions to emphasize the difficulty of the journey

You know the first time I traveled
He again draws attention to his beginnings as a traveler

Out in the rain and snow
He repeats the line again for emphasis

In the rain and snow
He again stresses the harsh conditions he faced

I didn't have no payroll
He didn't have any money

Not even no place to go
He had no destination or home

And my dear mother left me
The singer's mother abandoned him

When I was quite young
She left him when he was still a child

When I was quite young
He repeats the line to emphasize how young he was when he was left

She said "Lord, have mercy
His mother prayed for his safety and guidance

On my wicked son"
But she also recognized his mischievous or troubled behavior

Take a hint from me, mama
The singer addresses his mother

Please don't you cry no more
He urges his mother to stop crying

Don't you cry no more
He repeats the line for emphasis

'Cause it's soon one morning
He predicts that someday soon

Down the road I'm going
He will be traveling again

But I ain't going down
However, he will not be alone

That long old lonesome road
He is referring to the difficult and lonely journey he has been on

All by myself
He will not be facing it alone anymore

But I ain't going down
He emphasizes that he will not be alone

That long old lonesome road
He repeats the difficulty of the journey for emphasis

All by myself
He repeats that he will not be alone anymore

I can't carry you, baby
He cannot carry his mother or anyone else with him

Gonna carry somebody else
He will, however, be carrying someone else in their place

Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENNETH L. HICKSON, NATHAN B. MORRIS, RICKIE KENNETH FAMBRO, WANYA JERMAINE MORRIS, SHAWN PATRICK STOCKMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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