After Be-Bop-A-Lula had become a huge hit in 1956 (peaking at #7 and spending 20 weeks in the Billboard Pop Chart), Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (often mis-named as 'the' Blue Caps) were unable to follow it up with the same level of commercial success, but released critically acclaimed songs like Race With The Devil (#96 in Billboard) and Bluejean Bop (#49).
Following a visit to Europe in 1959, Vincent managed to attract a new huge and discerning audience there, especially in England and France. By that time his career had mostly ended in the US. In 1960, while on tour in Britain, Vincent and songwriter Sharon Sheeley were seriously injured in a high-speed traffic accident. Vincent broke his ribs, collarbone, and added further damage to his already weak leg which he had injured in a motorcycle accident in 1955 and refused to have amputated, and Sheeley suffered a broken pelvis. Both Vincent and Sheeley survived, but the accident killed Vincent's tourmate and Sheeley's fiancé, Eddie Cochran.
Vincent subsequently moved to England in 1963. His stage shows became "must see" events and his bands through those years were to spawn some of the most respected players in the world today. It was during his early tours of Britain that he adopted the trademark leather outfit, at the suggestion of British Rock 'n' Roll impressario, Jack Good.
Rocky Road Blues
Gene Vincent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah, this old road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
Well, another man got my baby and gone
Well, I got the blues, I'm wearing the soles right outta my shoes
Aw, I got the blues, I'm wearing the soles right outta my shoes
My baby ran away and left me with the doggone blues
Ah, go home, yeah
Well, the road is rocky but it won't be rocky long, honey
This old road is rocky, won't be rocky
Well, another man got my baby and gone
Aw, you're gonna lap up this-a water till the old-old well runs dry, yeah
You're gonna lap up this-a water till the old-old well runs dry
Well, you never miss your baby till she says goodbye
Aw, this road is rocky but it won't be rocky long, honey
This old road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
Well, another man stole my baby and gone, let's go
You're gonna lap up all the water till the old-old well runs dry
Aw, you're gonna lap up all this-a water till the old-old well runs dry, yeah
You never miss your baby till she says goodbye
The lyrics of Gene Vincent's Rocky Road Blues tell the story of a man who has lost his lover to someone else. The opening line, "Well the road is rocky but it won't be rocky long," could be seen as a hopeful statement. The singer recognizes the difficulties in his path (the rocky road), but he also acknowledges that the challenges won't last forever. However, this optimism is soon dampened by the realization that his lover has left him for another man. The repetition of the line "Well, another man got my baby and gone" highlights the singer's heartbreak and frustration.
The second verse continues to express the singer's feelings of despair. He sings about how he has the blues and is wearing out the soles of his shoes from walking around. His lover's abandonment has left him alone and sad. The chorus repeats the opening lines and adds extra emphasis to the fact that the singer's lover is now with someone else. The final verse uses a metaphor of a well running dry to express the idea that the singer's lover was an essential source of happiness in his life, and now that she's gone, everything feels dry and empty. The song ends with a final, mournful acknowledgment that "you never miss your baby till she says goodbye."
Line by Line Meaning
Well the road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
This journey is difficult and challenging, but it won't last forever.
Ah, this old road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
The road ahead may be bumpy and rough, but it won't continue for an extended period.
Well, another man got my baby and gone
Someone else has taken away the singer's lover or girlfriend.
Well, I got the blues, I'm wearing the soles right outta my shoes
The artist is feeling sad and exhausted from walking around endlessly searching for their partner.
Aw, I got the blues, I'm wearing the soles right outta my shoes
The singer is feeling low and not in a good place coping with the loss of their baby.
My baby ran away and left me with the doggone blues
The person the singer loved has left them alone and feeling sad, hopeless and abandoned.
Ah, go home, yeah
This could be a command to someone or a way of expressing frustration through exclamation.
Aw, you're gonna lap up this-a water till the old-old well runs dry, yeah
The artist is warning someone that they will soon run out of resources (metaphorically) if they continue behaving the way they are.
Well, another man stole my baby and gone, let's go
Someone has taken the artist's girlfriend or lover for themselves, and they are feeling the urge to chase after them.
You're gonna lap up all the water till the old-old well runs dry
The singer is warning someone that if they continue the way they are, they will eventually deplete their resources.
You never miss your baby till she says goodbye
People often don't appreciate something fully until they've lost it, as in the case of the singer who didn't realize how much they loved their baby until they left.
Aw, this road is rocky but it won't be rocky long, honey
The journey may be challenging, but there is hope that it will soon come to an end.
This old road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
The journey may be difficult and long, but it won't last forever.
Well, another man got my baby and gone
Someone has taken the singer's lover or partner, leaving them feeling alone and heartbroken.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BILL MONROE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paulbrennan3996
Gene Vincent 🎙️🎼🎶📻 GOD 🙏 R.I.P Gene gone never forgotten 🎼 can't believe this Gem 💎 Never got in the charts from a Teddy Boy 🎼📻🎶🎼🎙️🎶📻
@MatthewBaker-nq2cb
An absolute class song from the number one Rockabilly Rebel himself Gene Vincent.
@CarlosReus
Fifty years later after his death (October 12 1971), here I am listening to Gene Vincent´s music. Musically an immortal Rock and Roll legend and god. Gone, but not forgotten.
@davidrayner182
My favourite Gene Vincent single, released in August, 1958. A classic Rock 'n' Roll record that amazingly never got anywhere in the record charts, either here in the UK or in the USA.
@richardmcgrath61
I agree! One of the most perfect rock n roll songs ever. Great instrumentalists and that sensational voice.
@fernandomaron87
The soul of Rock n Roll
RIP
@GeneralMe100
he was the absolute coolest Rocker ever, my favourite Rock N Roll singer as long as its pre 60's
@imarocka100
this is our musical roots,our history, from this came everything else
@larusoskar6707
This is actually Bill Monroe from about 1945!
A masterful rendition from Gene, is to be expected.
To tell the truth I can't really say which one is my favorite ... both I guess!
Lennon lied when he said everything started with Elvis ... well for him maybe it did ..
@dannypotter5316
Best way to listen to gean in 2021 is blasting music out driving around in a mrk 2 ford concaul people looking at u like Ur something from another planet