Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, NYC, on 1 Ma… Read Full Bio ↴Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, NYC, on 1 March 1927; died 25 April 2023) was an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Caribbean-American pop star, he popularized Jamaican mento folk songs which was marketed as Trinbagonian Calypso musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso, released in 1956, was the first million-selling LP by a single artist.

Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O". Throughout his career, he was an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes.

Belafonte won three Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honors. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's 6th Annual Governors Awards and in 2022 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category and was the oldest living person to have received the honor.

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Gotta Travel On
Harry Belafonte Lyrics

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I've laid around and played around this old town too long
Summer's almost gone yes winter's comin' on
I've laid around and played around this old town too long
And I feel like I gotta travel on

Poppa writes to Johnny but Johnny can't come home
Johnny can't come home no Johnny can't come home
Poppa writes to Johnny but Johnny can't come home

'Cause he's been on the chain gang too long

I've laid around and played around this old town too long
Summer's almost gone yes winter's comin' on
I've laid around and played around this old town too long
And I feel like I gotta travel on

High sheriff and police riding after me
Riding after me yes coming after me
High sheriff and police coming after me
And I fee like I gotta travel on

I've laid around and played around this old town too long
Summer's almost gone yes winter's comin' on
I've laid around and played around this old town too long
And I feel like I gotta travel on

Want to see my honey want to see her bad
Want to see her bad oh want to see her bad
Want to see my honey want to see her bad
She's the best girl this poor boy ever had

I've laid around and played around this old town too long
Summer's almost gone yes winter's comin' on

I've laid around and played around this old town too long
And I feel like I gotta travel on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Harry Belafonte's song "Gotta Travel On" describe the desire to leave a town one has been in for too long. The opening lines "I've laid around and played around this old town too long / Summer's almost gone yes winter's comin' on" depict a sense of urgency to leave before it's too late. The repetition of "I've laid around and played around this old town too long / And I feel like I gotta travel on" underscores the restlessness that the singer feels.

The second verse describes a father writing to his son, Johnny, who cannot come home because he has been on the chain gang too long. This provides a contrast to the singer's desire to leave town on his own volition. The third verse introduces a conflict as the high sheriff and police are chasing after the singer, creating a need to flee. The final verse reveals the singer's motivation for leaving: to see his "honey" who is "the best girl this poor boy ever had."

Overall, the song is a plea for freedom and escape from one's current circumstances. The repetition of the chorus drives home the urgency and importance of leaving, while the individual verses provide specific examples of why the singer needs to travel on.

Line by Line Meaning

I've laid around and played around this old town too long
I've been in one place for so long, doing the same things and I'm bored.

Summer's almost gone yes winter's comin' on
The seasons are changing and time is passing by, but I haven't taken advantage of it.

And I feel like I gotta travel on
I have a restless feeling inside that tells me I need to move on and go somewhere else.

Poppa writes to Johnny but Johnny can't come home
People are waiting for someone to come back, but they can't because they are imprisoned or stuck in a bad situation.

Johnny can't come home no Johnny can't come home
The person cannot return home even though they want to, and it's because they are being punished.

'Cause he's been on the chain gang too long
The person is doing hard labor after being convicted of a crime and cannot return home.

High sheriff and police riding after me
Law enforcement is after me, likely due to some legal trouble or wrong-doing.

Riding after me yes coming after me
The police are rapidly pursuing me, so I must flee.

Want to see my honey want to see her bad
I have someone waiting for me who I haven't seen in a long time - someone I love and miss.

She's the best girl this poor boy ever had
My significant other is the most wonderful partner I have ever had, and I miss her very much.

Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Paul Clayton, Larry Ehrlich, David Lazar, Tom Six

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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