Tobacco Road
Eric Burdon & War with Jimi Hendrix Lyrics


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I was born in a bunk
My mother died and my daddy got drunk
Left me here to die or grow
In the middle of Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road

I grew up in a rusty shack
All I ever opened was hangin' on my back
Lord above knows how much I loathe
This mean old place called Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
But it's home, yes

The only life I've ever known
And the Lord knows how much I loathe
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road, yeah
Tobacco Road, yeah
I'm talking 'bout road
I'm talking 'bout that road
Tobacco Road, yeah
Everybody's got some
Everybody's got some
Everybody be some
Everybody remember some
Tobacco Road, yeah
Road, yeah, road yeah, road yeah, road yeah, road yeah
But it's home, hmm
The only life this boy has ever known, yeah
And the Lord knows how much I loathe
Tobacco Road
Yeah, road
Tobacco Road, yeah
Tobacco Road, hmm
Well I'm gonna leave and get a job
With the help and the grace from above
Bring me some dynamite and I'll give you a crane
And I'll blow it all up, tear it down, tear it down, start all over again
And I'll build me a town, people, I'll be proud to show
And I'll keep the name, and I'll keep the name
And I'll keep the name
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road
Oh I despise and disapprove you
But I love you, 'cause you're my home, baby
You are my home
The only life I've ever known
You are my home
You are my home
Yes you're my home
Yes baby you're my home
You're my home

Yes, you're home
Yes
The only life I've ever known
And the Lord knows how much I loathe
Tobacco Road, yeah
Tobacco Road, yeah
Tobacco Road, yeah

Dirty 'n-a-filthy, dirty 'n-a-filthy
But I love you, but I love
'Cause you're my home
You are my home
You are my home
You are my home
Baby, you call me back, cover the lights but you're my home
Hmm, you're my home
Take me home
Take me home
Tobacco Road




Tobacco Road
You're my home

Overall Meaning

The song "Tobacco Road" by Eric Burdon and Jimi Hendrix talks about the struggle of growing up in a poor, rural area called Tobacco Road. The lyrics paint an image of a young boy who was born into a rough family situation after his mother died, and was left to either die or survive in the deprived area. The lyrics touch on themes of homesickness, love-hate relationships with the place you come from and the desire for something better. The writer has a strong urge to leave Tobacco Road and start over, with the help of dynamite if necessary, to build a town he can be proud of.


The lyrics of the song can be interpreted in various ways; some people take it literally as describing the experience of growing up in a tobacco farm, while others see it as a metaphor for the struggles of being born into poverty or facing a tough upbringing. The song's lyrics have a strong emotional depth that makes it relatable to different people's experiences, whether it's growing up in struggling areas or struggling with the downward pull of nostalgia.


Line by Line Meaning

I was born in a bunk
I was born in a low-quality sleeping place


My mother died and my daddy got drunk
My mother passed away and my father became an alcoholic


Left me here to die or grow
My father left me with two options: either perish or survive and develop


In the middle of Tobacco Road
In a place called Tobacco Road


Tobacco Road
The name of the place where I live


Tobacco Road
The name of the place where I live


I grew up in a rusty shack
I was raised in a rundown and dilapidated dwelling


All I ever opened was hangin' on my back
All I ever carried was the clothes on my back


Lord above knows how much I loathe
I abhor and detest this place, and God knows it


This mean old place called Tobacco Road
This harsh and unkind place called Tobacco Road


Tobacco Road
The name of the place where I live


Tobacco Road
The name of the place where I live


Tobacco Road
The name of the place where I live


Tobacco Road
The name of the place where I live


But it's home, yes
Despite everything, this is still the place I call home


The only life I've ever known
This is the only kind of life that I have ever experienced


And the Lord knows how much I loathe
God knows how disgusted and repelled I am by this place


Tobacco Road
The name of the place where I live


Tobacco Road, yeah
The name of the place where I live, yeah


Tobacco Road, yeah
The name of the place where I live, yeah


I'm talking 'bout road
I'm referring to the road that leads to my home


I'm talking 'bout that road
I'm specifically talking about Tobacco Road


Tobacco Road, yeah
The name of the place where I live, yeah


Everybody's got some
Everyone has their own version of Tobacco Road


Everybody's got some
Everyone has their own version of Tobacco Road


Everybody be some
Everyone belongs to a certain place


Everybody remember some
Everyone has memories of their hometown


Tobacco Road, yeah
The name of the place where I live, yeah


Road, yeah, road yeah, road yeah, road yeah, road yeah
Repetition of the name of the place where I live


But it's home, hmm
But despite everything, this place is where I belong


The only life this boy has ever known, yeah
This is the only way of living that I, as a boy, have ever experienced


And the Lord knows how much I loathe
God knows how much I despise and detest this place


Tobacco Road, yeah
The name of the place where I live, yeah


Tobacco Road, yeah
The name of the place where I live, yeah


Well I'm gonna leave and get a job
I'm going to depart from this place and find employment


With the help and the grace from above
With the assistance and the divine intervention of God


Bring me some dynamite and I'll give you a crane
If you give me an explosive device, I'll offer you a mechanical hoist


And I'll blow it all up, tear it down, tear it down, start all over again
And I'll use the dynamite to demolish Tobacco Road, and begin anew


And I'll build me a town, people, I'll be proud to show
And I'll construct a city that I'll feel overjoyed to exhibit to others


And I'll keep the name, and I'll keep the name
And I'll maintain the name of my hometown


And I'll keep the name
And I'll avoid changing the name of my hometown


Tobacco Road
The current name of the place I despise


Tobacco Road
The current name of the place I despise


Tobacco Road
The current name of the place I despise


Tobacco Road
The current name of the place I despise


Oh I despise and disapprove you
I have strong feelings of hatred and rejection towards Tobacco Road


But I love you, 'cause you're my home, baby
But despite that, I experience a deep attachment to and sentimentality towards Tobacco Road because it's where I was born and raised


You are my home
You, Tobacco Road, are the location of my home


The only life I've ever known
This is the only way of living that I've ever experienced


You are my home
You, Tobacco Road, are the location of my home


You are my home
You, Tobacco Road, are the location of my home


Yes you're my home
Yes, Tobacco Road is where my home is located


Yes baby you're my home
Yes, Tobacco Road serves as the location of my home


You're my home
Tobacco Road is the place where my home is located


Yes, you're home
Yes, Tobacco Road is the place I call home


Yes
Acknowledgment of the previous statement


The only life I've ever known
This is the only kind of life that I have ever experienced


And the Lord knows how much I loathe
God knows how disgusted and repelled I am by this place


Tobacco Road, yeah
The name of the place where I live, yeah


Tobacco Road, yeah
The name of the place where I live, yeah


Tobacco Road, yeah
The name of the place where I live, yeah


Dirty 'n-a-filthy, dirty 'n-a-filthy
A variation of the name of the place where I live, emphasizing its uncleanliness


But I love you, but I love
Despite everything, I have an attachment and fondness towards this place


'Cause you're my home
Because Tobacco Road is the location of my home


You are my home
You, Tobacco Road, are the location of my home


You are my home
You, Tobacco Road, are the location of my home


You are my home
You, Tobacco Road, are the location of my home


Baby, you call me back, cover the lights but you're my home
Although Tobacco Road may be considered unsavory and unsightly, I still consider it my home and it has a special place in my heart


Hmm, you're my home
Tobacco Road is my home, with all its flaws and issues


Take me home
Bring me back to Tobacco Road, my place of origin


Take me home
Bring me back to Tobacco Road, my place of origin


Tobacco Road
The name of the place where I live


Tobacco Road
The name of the place where I live


You're my home
Tobacco Road is the place where my home is located




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John D. Loudermilk

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@scorpiodave65

Eric Burdon and War played a show at London's Ronnie Scott's Club on Sept. 16, 1970. During their second set, Eric Burdon saw that Jimi Hendrix had come into the club. (Hendrix did bring his guitar). Eric invited Jimi on stage and they played the song "Mother Earth". After the song ended, Jimi left the stage and was invited back and they played "Tobacco Road".
The songs were recorded on a small home tape player by a member of the audience and over they years, the recording were made available on a bootleg record.
It was the last time Jimi would ever play on stage.

@BlindMellowJellyInc

Worth noting: Jimi was there the night before but did not bring his guitar. Lonnie invited him to come back and bring it and Jimi did just that. Jimi knew Eric but had recently become close with Lonnie to the point they shared the same ideas in progression and ascending and descending notation in music. Their whole thing was not being allowed to record full versions and being forced to shorten everything they did. That was the conversation they had that night. Mother Earth lasted a long time and I am not sure the whole thing was captured.

@mjtsr

When you think of this time period you have to think Jim Morrison, Van Morrison, Eric, Jimi, Janis. I don't think there was a smoother voice in the world at that time than Eric. He's a treasure. I read that Eric is the "eggman' In "I am the Walrus". Anyone else hear this??

@oldrvr

Yes. Eric says so himself in his book.

@lowriderbandfan

The original artists of WAR went on to create so much classic music that gets radio, commercial, movie, video game play to this day - 'Lowrider', 'Why Can't We Be Friends?', 'Cisco Kid', 'Slippin' Into Darkness', 'All Day Music', and so much more, and yet they continue to be forgotten as one of the best bands ever created. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Burdon, Bob Marley, even Donna Summer and the Beastie Boys have all been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before WAR, and WAR has performed with or influenced each of these artists as well as many other artists not inducted. I hope with some push from diehard WAR fans, we will finally see them inducted in 2015 while they are still here to see it for themselves. 

@alancard67

Thank You for some truth.

@lowriderbandfan

Thank you Alan for recognizing and respecting that truth. Peace. 

@freezonetrumpet

Unfortunately the powers that be at the RRHOF are corporate predators who could care less.

@ThePassionOfTheMarc

I grew up listening to War. I was born in 1971 but my family absolutely loved them and now that I'm 45 I pretty much only listen to the music my parents did (weird how that happens). I can tell you with certainty, War is still very much appreciated here in San Francisco. I live off Mission St and I hear people playing them in their cars daily. The World is a Ghetto is a classic album.

@JS-pd7lg

I don't know who or where you are, but I'm wondering if you can help me with this - I once saw the Lowrider Band play in NOLA, and my memory is kinda fuzzy, pretty sure it was 2003, and I think it was at the old Rock-n-Bowl but not on the stage in the alley, in another room up there?? Am I wrong?? Can you help me remember where the place may have been??? Maybe somewhere else on Carrollton near there???

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