Streets Of Bakersfield
Dwight Yoakam & Buck Owens Lyrics
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I couldn't find anywhere else
Hey, I'm not tryin' to be nobody
I just wanna change to be myself
I've spent a thousand miles of thumbin'
Yes, I've worn blisters on my heels
Trying to find me something better
Hey, you don't know me, but you don't like me
Say you care less how I feel
But how many of you have sit and judged me
Ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?
Spent some time in San Francisco
I spent a night there in the can
They threw this drunk man in my jail cell
I took fifteen dollars from that man
Left him my watch and my old house key
Don't want folks thinkin' that I'd steal
Then I thanked him as I was leaving
And I headed out for Bakersfield
Hey, you don't know me, but you don't like me
Say you care less how I feel
But how many of you have sit and judged me
Ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?
Hey, you don't know me, but you don't like me
Say you care less how I feel
But how many of you have sit and judged me
Ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?
How many of you have sit and judged me
Ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?
The lyrics to Dwight Yoakam & Buck Owens's song Streets of Bakersfield narrate a story of a person, who has been travelling long distance in search of something. He feels like he doesn't fit in anywhere and craves a chance to be himself. The person has been "thumbin'" or hitchhiking for thousands of miles, trying to find a better place to belong. However, the person has found himself in Bakersfield, which seems to be nowhere near what he expected. The people there don't know him, don't like him and show no care for his feelings. The person questions the judgmental attitude of those people and wonders how many of them have walked the streets of Bakersfield and understand what it's like.
The singer then shares that he has spent some time in San Francisco and had to share a jail cell with a drunk man. From that person, he took fifteen dollars, leaving his watch and old key behind to avoid any misinterpretation. He thanked him and headed out for Bakersfield, further highlighting his desperation to find a place to belong. The use of various literary devices - for instance, hyperbole (a thousand miles of thumbin') and alliteration (blister on my heels) - make the lyrics more enticing, while the narrative adds to the depth.
Line by Line Meaning
I came here looking for something
I traveled to Bakersfield with a specific goal in mind
I couldn't find anywhere else
I couldn't find this thing in any other place
Hey, I'm not trying to be nobody
I don't have any desire to pretend to be someone else
I just want a chance to be myself
I simply want the opportunity to be authentic
I've spent a thousand miles of thumbin'
I've hitchhiked a lot of miles to get here
Yes I've worn blisters on my heels
My feet are sore from all the walking I've done
Trying to find me something better
I'm searching for something that will improve my life
Here on the streets of Bakersfield
I hope to find what I'm looking for on these streets
Hey you don't know me, but you don't like me
I'm aware that you have a negative opinion of me without knowing me
You say you care less how I feel
You claim to not be concerned with my emotions
But how many of you that sit and judge me
I wonder how many of you who criticize me have actually experienced my circumstances
Have ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?
Have you ever truly experienced what it's like to live in Bakersfield?
Spent sometime in San Francisco
I've also spent time in San Francisco
I spent a night there in the can
I was arrested and spent a night in jail there
They threw this drunk man in my jail cell
Authorities put a drunken man in the same cell as me
I took fifteen dollars from that man
I took some money from him, but I left something for him as well
Left him my watch and my old house key
I left my possessions with him to prove that I wasn't a thief
Don't want folks thinkin' that I'd steal
I don't want people to believe that I'm a criminal
Then I thanked him as I was leaving
I expressed gratitude before departing from San Francisco
And I headed out for Bakersfield
I continued on my journey to Bakersfield
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Homer Joy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@terrik9510
This is one of the BEST country songs ever recorded. RIP Buck
@user-lt7vx2wl2h
Minnie Pearl 2
@user-lt7vx2wl2h
And Hee Haw
@user-by2hs4vo7k
There should be more songs like this. A cross between Mexican music and country music. Bring both cultures closer together instead of being far apart.
@user-bu5rm8ik6m
Yup. To be more specific Northern Mexican music and country music.
@connor949
we're more similar than we are different
@dontcare5304
@@connor949white southern maga disagrees.
@connor949
@@dontcare5304 yeah well not every latino is a north mexican so they would be right
@mexicanboy446
Ranchera is country…..listen to the beats and they are very similar……we’re just more talented😂😂😂😂😂😂🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾💪 just friendly competition lol
@c3ramics
I’m a Latino who grew up in the Bakersfield area, and I have a newfound respect for Buck. This is a nice tribute to both Mexican styled music and the many Mexican laborers all around the Central Valley. I found this too late.