Tobacco Road
J.D. Loudermilk Lyrics
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Mother died and my daddy got drunk
Left me here to die or grow
In the middle of Tobacco Road
Grew up in a dusty shack
And all I had was a'hangin' on my back
This place called Tobacco Road
But it's home
The only life I've ever known
Only you know how I loathe
Tobacco Road
I'm gonna leave and get a job
With the help and the grace from above
Save some money, get rich I know
Bring it back to Tobacco Road
Bring Dynamite and a crane
Blow you up, start all over again
Build a town be proud to show
Give the name Tobacco Road
Cause it's home
The only life I've ever known
Oh I despise and disapprove you
The lyrics to J.D. Loudermilk's song Tobacco Road depict the life of someone who was born and raised in a poor, rural area known as Tobacco Road. The character's mother died when they were born, leaving their father to turn to alcohol and neglect his child. Growing up in a dusty shack with little to their name, the character loathes their hometown and dreams of leaving to find a better life. However, despite their disdain for the area, it's the only home they've ever known.
The character vows to leave and make a life for themselves, with hopes of getting a job and saving enough money to come back and improve the town with dynamite and a crane, starting over again and making it a place they can be proud to call home. Despite their dislike for Tobacco Road, there is a sense of loyalty and nostalgia ingrained within them, as it's the only place they have ever known.
The song touches on themes of poverty, neglect, and the desire for a better life. It's a lamentation of the hardships of rural life but also acknowledges the loyalty and connection to a place that, despite its flaws, will always be the character's home.
Line by Line Meaning
was born in a bunk
I was born in a small and uncomfortable bed
Mother died and my daddy got drunk
After my mother passed away, my father became an alcoholic
Left me here to die or grow
My father abandoned me in this place and I had to survive on my own
In the middle of Tobacco Road
I was left in a poor and run-down neighborhood
Grew up in a dusty shack
I spent my childhood in a small and poor-quality home
And all I had was a'hangin' on my back
I owned very few possessions and had to carry them with me at all times
Only you know how I loathe
I am the only one who truly understands how much I hate this place
This place called Tobacco Road
The name of this neighborhood is Tobacco Road
But it's home
Despite everything, this is the place where I grew up and it feels like home
The only life I've ever known
This is the only way of life that I am familiar with
I'm gonna leave and get a job
I am planning to move away to find work
With the help and the grace from above
I am hoping that I will receive divine assistance in finding a job and making a better life for myself
Save some money, get rich I know
I plan to save up some money and become wealthy
Bring it back to Tobacco Road
I will return to this neighborhood with my newfound wealth
Bring Dynamite and a crane
I want to use explosives and heavy machinery to demolish the existing structures
Blow you up, start all over again
I want to destroy everything and start from scratch
Build a town be proud to show
I want to construct a new and impressive neighborhood that I can take pride in
Give the name Tobacco Road
Despite the changes, I would like to keep the name of the neighborhood the same
Oh I despise and disapprove you
I strongly dislike and do not approve of this place
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John D. Loudermilk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@glennwilliamson3351
For those of us who literally grew up in NC tobacco country and hated every minute we spent in a tobacco field, this song hits hard, right between the eyes. RIP John D and thanks for putting into words what I felt as a 70s teenager who wanted more from life than sharecropping tobacco.
@rmh3657
Wow.......that put's everything into context. Great comments.
@blackholeentry3489
@@rmh3657 While I never had anything to do with tobacco, I was a 50's teenager picking a wide variety of crops in OR and CA. Even when I was in college, I often spent the weekends picking strawberries. My folks provided me with food and used clothing, but if I wanted anything else, I had to provide it for myself.
@surfrecords999
at least it was a job; nobody had a gun to your head
@glennwilliamson3351
@@surfrecords999 pretty obvious you never knew my dad or grandpa.
Nicotine and chemical poisoning from handling wet tobacco kept me sick the whole growing and harvesting season. I'd puke up green vomit all night and then right back in it the next morning. Then repeat the cycle, every day. Even my sweat had a greenish tinge and tobacco smell.
I'd lose 25 lb off a 6'1 135 lb frame in summer. I was being poisoned and my dad simply did not care.
Senior year of high school I was looking into military. My dad said boy you ain't going nowhere but a tobacco field. I said watch me. Best day of my life was when I packed up what little I owned and got the hell off that tobacco farm. Never went back.
@moldlives
@@glennwilliamson3351These are the comments I search for… the biggest kudos to you and the represented truth. 🍻
@daywilliams1000
Give me the original every time. That's the best place to start.
@BCTGuitarPlayer
Eric Burdon with both The Animals and then WAR turned it into a blues rock masterpiece. But it took this guy to first write it. Brilliant little number.
@WolfLuGer
IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO LISTEN TO THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF HITS WITH ANOTHER ARTISTS BUT THIS IS THE AUTHOR'S TOUCH AND IT HAS A LOT OF DEEP FEELING ON IT, SIMPLY GREAT !!! THANKS, JOHN !!!
@robinwilson1433
You are so right, Luger - is that your name?