Philadelphia Lawyer
Guthrie Woody Lyrics
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Where romances blooms and fades
There was Philadelphia lawyer
Makin' love with a Hollywood maid
"Come, love, and we'll go ramblin'
Down where the lights are so bright
I'll win you a divorce from your husband
Wild Bill was a gun-totin' cowhand
Ten notches were carved in his gun
And all the boys around Reno
Left Bill's Hollywood sweetheart alone
One night when Bill was returning
From ridin' the range in the cold
He thought of his Hollywood sweetheart
Her love was as lasting as gold
As he drew near to her window
Two shadows he saw on the shade
'Twas the great Philadelphia lawyer
Makin' love to Bill's Hollywood maid
The night was as still as the desert
The moon hangin' high overhead
Bill listened awhile through the window
He could hear ev'ry word that they said
"Your hands are so pretty and lovely
Your form's so rare and divine
Come go back with me to Philadelphia
And leave this wild cowboy behind"
Now tonight back in old Pennsylvania
Among her beautiful pines
There's one less Philadelphia lawyer
In old Philadelphia tonight
The song “Philadelphia Lawyer” is a classic American folk song that tells the story of a Hollywood maid having an illicit affair with a Philadelphia lawyer. The song begins with the description of Reno, Nevada's romantic atmosphere, where the lawyer and the Hollywood maid fall in love. The lawyer offers to take her away from Hollywood and live a happy life with her in Philadelphia. However, the twist in the story comes when the cowboy Wild Bill, the Hollywood maid's former lover, discovers the two lovers are seeing each other. Bill was a dreaded figure in the town with ten notches on his gun. But, Bill's love for the Hollywood maid was as pure as gold, so he could not stand someone else taking her away from him.
The song captures the spirit of the Wild West and its romance with dramatic flair. The story's mood echoes the uncertainty and danger of the time, where love and betrayal could coexist. The lyrics are simple yet vivid, allowing the listener to imagine the scene through the words. The song's last line, "There's one less Philadelphia lawyer in old Philadelphia tonight," hints at Wild Bill's revenge but leaves the story's conclusion open to interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
Way out in Reno, Nevada
The story is set in Reno, Nevada
Where romances blooms and fades
Reno is a place where romances start and end
There was Philadelphia lawyer
There is a Philadelphia lawyer in Reno
Makin' love with a Hollywood maid
The Philadelphia lawyer is in a romantic relationship with a Hollywood maid
Come, love, and we'll go ramblin'
The Philadelphia lawyer invites the Hollywood maid to go on a journey with him
Down where the lights are so bright
The Philadelphia lawyer suggests going to a place where there are bright lights (possibly Las Vegas)
I'll win you a divorce from your husband
The Philadelphia lawyer promises to get the Hollywood maid a divorce from her husband
And we can get married tonight
The Philadelphia lawyer suggests getting married that very night
Wild Bill was a gun-totin' cowhand
Wild Bill is a cowboy who carries a gun
Ten notches were carved in his gun
Wild Bill has killed ten people, and he has carved notches on his gun for each one
And all the boys around Reno
Wild Bill is respected by the boys around Reno
Left Bill's Hollywood sweetheart alone
Wild Bill's girlfriend is not approached by other men because of his reputation
One night when Bill was returning
One night when Wild Bill was coming back home
From ridin' the range in the cold
From riding his horse on the cold range
He thought of his Hollywood sweetheart
Wild Bill remembers his girlfriend
Her love was as lasting as gold
Wild Bill believes his girlfriend's love is as valuable as gold
As he drew near to her window
Wild Bill approached his girlfriend's window
Two shadows he saw on the shade
Wild Bill saw two shadows on the window shade
'Twas the great Philadelphia lawyer
The person in one of the shadows was the Philadelphia lawyer
Makin' love to Bill's Hollywood maid
The Philadelphia lawyer was making love to Wild Bill's girlfriend
The night was as still as the desert
The night was quiet and still like the desert
The moon hangin' high overhead
The moon was high in the sky
Bill listened awhile through the window
Wild Bill eavesdropped for a while outside his girlfriend's window
He could hear ev'ry word that they said
Wild Bill could hear every word the Philadelphia lawyer and his girlfriend said
Your hands are so pretty and lovely
The Philadelphia lawyer is admiring Wild Bill's girlfriend's hands
Your form's so rare and divine
The Philadelphia lawyer is admiring Wild Bill's girlfriend's body
Come go back with me to Philadelphia
The Philadelphia lawyer is asking Wild Bill's girlfriend to move to Philadelphia with him
And leave this wild cowboy behind
The Philadelphia lawyer is asking Wild Bill's girlfriend to leave Wild Bill behind
Now tonight back in old Pennsylvania
The story shifts to Pennsylvania
Among her beautiful pines
The Philadelphia lawyer is among the beautiful pine trees in Pennsylvania
There's one less Philadelphia lawyer
There is now one less Philadelphia lawyer in Philadelphia
In old Philadelphia tonight
This happened in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the Philadelphia lawyer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ama Kumarasinghe
Way out in Reno, Nevada
Where romances blooms and fades
There was Philadelphia lawyer
Makin' love with a Hollywood maid
"Come, love, and we'll go ramblin'
Down where the lights are so bright
I'll win you a divorce from your husband
And we can get married tonight"
Wild Bill was a gun-totin' cowhand
Ten notches were carved in his gun
And all the boys around Reno
Left Bill's Hollywood sweetheart alone 😁
One night when Bill was returning
From ridin' the range in the cold
He thought of his Hollywood sweetheart
Her love was as lasting as gold😪
As he drew near to her window
Two shadows he saw on the shade
'Twas the great Philadelphia lawyer
Makin' love to Bill's Hollywood maid ♥️
The night was as still as the desert
The moon hangin' high overhead 🌝
Bill listened awhile through the window
He could hear ev'ry word that they said
"Your hands are so pretty and lovely
Your form's so rare and divine
Come go back with me to Philadelphia
And leave this wild cowboy behind" ♥️😂
Now tonight back in old Pennsylvania
Among her beautiful pines
There's one less Philadelphia lawyer
In old Philadelphia tonight 🦋
Ama Kumarasinghe
Way out in Reno, Nevada
Where romances blooms and fades
There was Philadelphia lawyer
Makin' love with a Hollywood maid
"Come, love, and we'll go ramblin'
Down where the lights are so bright
I'll win you a divorce from your husband
And we can get married tonight"
Wild Bill was a gun-totin' cowhand
Ten notches were carved in his gun
And all the boys around Reno
Left Bill's Hollywood sweetheart alone 😁
One night when Bill was returning
From ridin' the range in the cold
He thought of his Hollywood sweetheart
Her love was as lasting as gold😪
As he drew near to her window
Two shadows he saw on the shade
'Twas the great Philadelphia lawyer
Makin' love to Bill's Hollywood maid ♥️
The night was as still as the desert
The moon hangin' high overhead 🌝
Bill listened awhile through the window
He could hear ev'ry word that they said
"Your hands are so pretty and lovely
Your form's so rare and divine
Come go back with me to Philadelphia
And leave this wild cowboy behind" ♥️😂
Now tonight back in old Pennsylvania
Among her beautiful pines
There's one less Philadelphia lawyer
In old Philadelphia tonight 🦋
Sam Johnson
Good
Daryl Parfrey
Willies version is brilliant.and so are the rest
Matthew Willoughby
Been listening to hee'm since I was 15
And this is one of his best
This land is your land, john henry and goin' down the road feeling bad
Plane wreck at los gatos and all the dust bowl songs are important too, not just as songs
Keyser The Red Beard
interesting content T.A. Sedlak. I broke the thumbs up on your video. Always keep up the really good work.
uVueD2b
I remember hearing this on the old Dr. Demento show..I believe it was by Hoagy Carmicheal featuring a female lead. It was pretty much the same except where the line,"...and we'll leave this one cowboy behind.",there was a gunshot and a startled scream-then it continues on...it was funny...
Jax Atts
Great video. Thanks for sharing it.
Donald Sherak
Who is singing with Woody?
James Hudson
john daly kidded joan crawford over this on the occasion of her recent return from philadelphia owing to the fact that she was a hollywood maid. joey bishop wasn't having any of it.......! (on "what's my line?")
uVueD2b
@uVueD2b I stand corrected. It's by Maddox Brothers and Rose