Tobacco Road
Eric Burdon & War Lyrics
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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
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
The song "Tobacco Road" by Eric Burdon & War tells the story of a man who was born in poverty and raised in the rough surroundings of Tobacco Road, a rundown area in Georgia. It speaks of how his mother died and his father left him to fend for himself at a young age. The song depicts the struggle of the singer to make ends meet and how he detests living in such a dirty, filthy place, but at the same time, it is his only home.
The singer expresses his desire and determination to leave Tobacco Road, find a job, and return to the place with better prospects. He vows to bring dynamite and a crane to blow up the place and rebuild it from the ground up. Although the lyrics express his loathing towards the place, the singer has a fierce attachment and fondness towards it because it is his home.
The song portrays the struggle of people living in poverty and the hope they hold onto despite living in appalling conditions. It captures the essence of American folk music, where the experiences of the downtrodden are immortalized in their songs.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I was born in a dump
I was born in a rundown and dirty place
My mama died, daddy got drunk
My mother died and my father turned to drinking
He left me here to die or grow
He left me on my own to either survive or perish
In the middle of Tobacco Road
In the midst of a poor and undesirable area known as Tobacco Road
I grew up in a rusty shack
I was raised in a deteriorating and unstable dwelling
And all I owned was hangin' on my back
I only had the clothes on my back and nothing else
The Lord knows how I loathe
The Lord knows how much I despise
This place called, Tobacco Road
This area known as Tobacco Road
But it's home, it's really my home
Despite its shortcomings, it's still my home
The only life I'll ever know
This is the only life I have experienced
I'm gonna leave and get a job
I plan on leaving to find work
With the help and the grace of God
With the assistance and blessing of God
I save my money, get rich I know
I'll save my money and become wealthy
Bring it back to Tobacco Road
I'll return with my wealth to Tobacco Road
Well, well, well
An exclamation indicating surprise or interest
Gonna bring me some dynamite, gonna bring me a crane
I'll bring explosives and a machine to demolish and rebuild
Got to blow you up, got to tear you down, start all over again
I'll demolish everything and rebuild from scratch
I'll rebuild the town, I'll be proud to show
I'll reconstruct the area and take pride in showing it off
And keep the name of Tobacco Road
And keep the name of the area as Tobacco Road
I despise you 'cause you're filthy
I hate you because you're dirty and undesirable
But I love you because you're my home
But I still love you because this is my home
Tobacco Road, Tobacco Road
The area known as Tobacco Road
Say you're dirty and filthy
Admitting that you're unclean and undesirable
I despise, I despise you 'cause you're filthy
I hate you because of how unclean and undesirable you are
Tobacco Road, road
Repetition of the area's name
Talkin' about a dirty, funky, filthy low down place
Describing Tobacco Road as a rundown and dirty place
Tobacco Road, well, you're so dirty and filthy
Addressing Tobacco Road as being dirty and undesirable
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John D. Loudermilk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind