Most of his life was spent in the vast landscapes of America or in the apartment of his mother, with whom he lived most of his life. Faced with a changing country, Kerouac sought to find his place, eventually bringing him to reject the values of the fifties. His writing often reflects a desire to break free from society's mold and to find meaning in life. This search may have led him to experiment with drugs (he used psilocybin, marijuana, morphine, and benzedrine, among others), to study spiritual teachings such as Buddhism, and to embark on trips around the world. His books are sometimes credited as the catalyst for the 1960s counterculture. Kerouac's best known works are On the Road and The Dharma Bums.
On The Road
Jack Kerouac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To go across the country without a bad blame dime
Montana in the cold cold fall
Found my father in the gambling hall
Father, Father where you been?
I've been out in the world and I'm only ten
Father, Father where you been?
Don't worry about me if I should die of pleurisy
Across to Mississippi, across to Tennessee
Across the Niagara, home I'll never be
Home in ol' Medora, home in Ol' Truckee
Apalachicola, home I'll never be
Better or for worse, thick and thin
Like being married to the Little poor man
God he loves me (God he loves me)
Just like I love him (just like I love him)
I want you to do (I want you to do)
Just the same for him (just the same for him, yeah)
Well the worms eat away but don't worry watch the wind
So I left Montana on an old freight train (on an old freight train)
The night my father died in the cold cold rain (in the cold cold rain)
Road to Opelousas, road to Wounded Knee
Road to Ogallala home I'll never be
Road to Oklahoma, road to El Cahon
Road to Tahachapi, road to San Antone
Hey, hey
Road to Opelousas, road to Wounded Knee
Road to Ogallala, home I'll never be
Road to Oklahoma, road to El Cahon
Road to Tahachapi, road to San Antone
Home I'll never be, home I'll never be
Home I'll never be, home I'll never be
Home I'll never be, home I'll never be
The lyrics to Jack Kerouac's song On The Road speak to the restlessness and sense of wanderlust that defined the Beat Generation in the 1950s. The song begins with Kerouac describing his departure from New York City in 1949, with little money but a desire to travel across the country to new places and experiences. He eventually finds himself in Montana, where he encounters his father in a gambling hall. This encounter prompts Kerouac to ask his father where he has been, despite his young age, and where his own travels will take him.
As the song continues, Kerouac sings of the many places he has been and the many more he has yet to see. He describes his journey across Mississippi, Tennessee, and Niagara, noting that he will never truly be able to return home to places like Medora or Truckee. He compares his nomadic lifestyle to being married to a poor man and notes that he believes God loves him just as much as he loves God. Kerouac concludes the song by reflecting on his travels across the U.S. and acknowledging that he will never truly find a place to call home.
Overall, the lyrics to On The Road capture the sense of adventure and excitement that defined the Beat Generation, as well as the underlying sense of loneliness and longing that often accompanied it. The song speaks to the desire to break free from the constraints of society and explore the vast, open spaces of America.
Line by Line Meaning
I left New York in 1949
I embarked on a journey across America, leaving my home in New York in 1949.
To go across the country without a bad blame dime
I was completely broke and didn't have any money to fund my cross-country adventure.
Montana in the cold cold fall
I found myself in Montana during the cold autumn season.
Found my father in the gambling hall
I located my father inside of a gambling hall.
Father, Father where you been?
I asked my father where he had been.
I've been out in the world and I'm only ten
My father had been navigating the world since he was a young kid.
Don't worry about me if I should die of pleurisy
I reassured my father not to worry about me, even if I were to pass away from pleurisy.
Across to Mississippi, across to Tennessee
I traveled across the states of Mississippi and Tennessee.
Across the Niagara, home I'll never be
I crossed the Niagara river, knowing I would never return home.
Home in ol' Medora, home in Ol' Truckee
Medora and Truckee were places I had once called home.
Apalachicola, home I'll never be
I knew that Apalachicola would never be a place I could consider home.
Better or for worse, thick and thin
No matter what, I was dedicated to my journey, much like a marriage.
Like being married to the Little poor man
My dedication to traveling was similar to marrying a poor man.
God he loves me (God he loves me)
I believed that God loved me.
Just like I love him (just like I love him)
I loved God in return.
I want you to do (I want you to do)
I wanted my fellow travelers to feel the same way.
Just the same for him (just the same for him, yeah)
I wanted them to love God just as I did.
Well the worms eat away but don't worry watch the wind
I acknowledged that I would eventually perish, but it was okay because nature will take its course.
So I left Montana on an old freight train (on an old freight train)
I departed Montana on a worn-down freight train.
The night my father died in the cold cold rain (in the cold cold rain)
Unfortunately, my father passed away on a cold, rainy night.
Road to Opelousas, road to Wounded Knee
I traveled on the roads leading to Opelousas and Wounded Knee.
Road to Ogallala home I'll never be
I knew that the road to Ogallala would never lead me home.
Road to Oklahoma, road to El Cahon
I journeyed on the roads to Oklahoma and El Cahon.
Road to Tahachapi, road to San Antone
I also traveled on the roads to Tahachapi and San Antone.
Home I'll never be, home I'll never be
I repeated the phrase, emphasizing that my travels meant that I would never return home.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pfaria3556
PART 1
Chapter 1: 0:33
Chapter 2: 15:20
Chapter 3: 20:02
Chapter 4: 39:25
Chapter 5: 56:33
Chapter 6: 1:03:29
Chapter 7: 1:08:48
Chapter 8: 1:18:45
Chapter 9: 1:26:12
Chapter 10: 1:36:07
Chapter 11: 1:41:03
Chapter 12: 2:19:55
Chapter 13: 2:30:56
Chapter 14: 3:05:14
PART 2
Chapter 1: 3:15:50
Chapter 2: 3:27:58
Chapter 3: 3:31:16
Chapter 4: 3:41:06
Chapter 5: 3:53:37
Chapter 6: 4:02:06
Chapter 7: 4:33:27
Chapter 8: 4:47:43
Chapter 9: 5:09:56
Chapter 10: 5:17:12
Chapter 11: 5:24:12
PART 3
Chapter 1: 5:31:50
Chapter 2: 5:37:48
Chapter 3: 5:53:36
Chapter 4: 6:04:21
Chapter 5: 6:23:51
Chapter 6: 6:35:52
Chapter 7: 6:48:01
Chapter 8: 6:56:36
Chapter 9: 7:09:01
Chapter 10: 7:24:41
Chapter 11: 7:34:16
PART 4
Chapter 1: 7:43:29
Chapter 2: 7:53:43
Chapter 3: 8:02:09
Chapter 4: 8:17:43
Chapter 5: 8:31:25
Chapter 6: 9:05:55
PART 5: 9:27:32
@betsyotoole6115
1:18:44 part 1 chap 8
1:26:12 part 1 chap 9
1:36:05 part 1 chap 10
1:41:00 part 1 chap 11
2:19:54 part 1 chap 12
2:30:57 part 1 chap 13
3:05:13 part 1 chap 14
3:15:52 part 2 chap 1
3:27:55 part 2 chap 2
3:31:13 part 2 chap 3
3:41:04 part 2 chap 4
3:53:37 part 2 chap 5
4:02:26 part 2 chap 6
4:33:23 part 2 chap 7
4:47:41 part 2 chap 8
5:09:53 part 2 chap 9
5:17:10 part 2 chap 10
5:24:14 part 2 chap 11
5:31:59 part 3 chap 1
6:48:00 part 3 chap 7
6:56:42 part 3 chap 8
7:08:59 part 3 chap 9
7:24:38 part 3 chap 10
7:34:19 part 3 chap 11
7:43:26 part 4 chap 1
7:53:47 part 4 chap 2
8:02:16 part 4 chap 3
8:17:49 part 4 chap 4
8:31:29 part 4 chap 5
9:05:55 part 4 chap 6
9:27:36 part 5
@philipparker8307
this is a book i first read at age 18. it was highly recommended. i was not overly impressed with it, as it seemed at the time, just like a celebration of a lot of irresponsible, self-indulgent, frat boy like pranks and hijinks. A lot of energy, a lot of adventures.....but,
where’s the SUBSTANCE?
all about a bunch of young men (and a few women) who completely lacked any sense of self-discipline...
.... and then there’s the “style” of the book, something supposedly known as “spontaneous prose” which Truman Capote characterized as “mere typing, not writing” (perhaps unfairly).
having said that much, it is amazing- astounding actually- how many people know of this book and have actually read it.
They’re still reading it 60+ years later... which i doubt anybody would have expected.
I do think Kerouac had a big heart and tried to convey as best he could his experiences and empathetic thoughts and feelings.
He is not a first rate writer by any means...
and yet it is a good STORY
On listening to this audio version, I realize that’s how i like it, and how this work comes across best:
as a verbal story to be told (as if sitting in the front seat on a long distance car journey next to the talkative driver)...
whoever did this audio book version did it a real service.
I can listen 👂 to this book far easier and with more attention than i could ever re-read it 🤷♀️
P.S. the book is still of interest as a self-styled work of sociology. it is sociological study of what the USA was like circa 1948-1955, the Truman era, Korean war era, and Eisenhower “grey” 50s
@katiebargh2750
PART ONE
chapter 2 - 15:19
chapter 3 - 20:00
chapter 4 - 39:25
chapter 5 - 56:33
chapter 6 - 1:03:28
chapter 7 - 1:08:48
chapter 8 - 1:18:46
chapter 9 - 1:26:12
chapter 10 - 1:36:06
chapter 11 - 1:41:00
chapter 12 - 2:19:55
chapter 13 - 2:30:57
chapter 14 - 3:05:12
PART TWO
chapter 1 - 3:15:50
chapter 2 - 3:27:56
chapter 3 - 3:31:15
chapter 4 - 3:41:05
chapter 5 - 3:53:34
chapter 6 - 4:02:24
chapter 7 - 4:33:25
chapter 8 - 4:47:42
chapter 9 - 5:09:55
chapter 10 - 5:17:13
chapter 11 - 5:24:11
PART THREE
chapter 1 - 5:31:48
chapter 2 - 5:37:47
chapter 3 - 5:53:35
chapter 4 - 6:04:22
chapter 5 - 6:23:50
chapter 6 - 6:35:50
chapter 7 - 6:47:58
chapter 8 - 6:56:36
chapter 9 - 7:09:00
chapter 10 - 7:24:41
chapter 11 - 7:34:15
PART FOUR
chapter 1 - 7:43:24
chapter 2 - 7:53:41
chapter 3 - 8:02:08
chapter 4 - 8:17:44
chapter 5 - 8:31:24
chapter 6 - 9:05:54
PART FIVE - 9:27:30
@montsemajanmartinez9824
Edward E. French is probably America's greatest living narrator.
(voice actor)
Yet
Voice is best tailored to the work.
Too much polish would do disservice to Kerouac.
Can't think of a living voice which would be optimal.
Ken Nordine, alas, is no more.
[R.I.P.]
@divine_potato
part 2 chapter 1 3:15:46
part 2 chapter 2 3:27:55
part 2 chapter 3 3:31:15
part 2 chapter 4 3:41:03
part 2 chapter 5 3:53:39
part 2 chapter 6 4:02:26
part 2 chapter 7 4:33:27
part 2 chapter 8 4:47:41
part 2 chapter 9 5:09:54
part 2 chapter 10 5:17:12
part 2 chapter 11 5:24:11
part 3 chapter 1 5:31:47
part 3 chapter 2 5:37:46
part 3 chapter 3 5:53:33
part 3 chapter 4 6:04:20
part 3 chapter 5 6:23:49
part 3 chapter 6 6:35:49
part 3 chapter 7 6:47:58
part 3 chapter 8 6:56:36
part 3 chapter 9 7:09:00
part 3 chapter 10 7:24:40
part 3 chapter 11 7:34:15
part 4 chapter 1 7:43:24
part 4 chapter 2 7:53:40
part 4 chapter 3 8:02:06
part 4 chapter 4 8:17:43
part 4 chapter 5 8:31:23
part 4 chapter 6 9:05:53
part 5 (last chapter) 9:27:30
@tristanblackford7903
Im 25 years old, just split with my girlfriend. Driving from sacramento to nyc with a car that will probably make it, some camping gear, little bit of cash, tiny bit of grass, and a lifelong friend. Plan is to drop in on our good friend who moved to delaware a couple years back. We're close enough and hes mad enough that we already know hes gonna be just as excited as we are. I dont have much but I'm grateful that my life is even a tiny bit like my favorite book. Gonna listen to this and drive south to sandiego, then just try to take it all in, all the way east. All I can hope for is that I find the kicks I'm looking for. All I wish for is that I had Dean Moriarty to drive me cus' my friend dont drive too good! If you happen to read this, thank you for caring about On the Road, and I hope you find all the things you're looking for in this thing called life.
@aldenscoconut8785
Good luck on your journey man!
@travisthornton1792
Happy trails
@gravytopic
Keep goin', man. I'm sending encouragement from Sacramento...
@robinwitting2023
Do you want a 67 year-old Limey on the back seat? Robin Witting, England
@jonathanhenderson858
Safe travels, God Speed and I hope we all get an adventure like that in our time 🙏
@pfaria3556
PART 1
Chapter 1: 0:33
Chapter 2: 15:20
Chapter 3: 20:02
Chapter 4: 39:25
Chapter 5: 56:33
Chapter 6: 1:03:29
Chapter 7: 1:08:48
Chapter 8: 1:18:45
Chapter 9: 1:26:12
Chapter 10: 1:36:07
Chapter 11: 1:41:03
Chapter 12: 2:19:55
Chapter 13: 2:30:56
Chapter 14: 3:05:14
PART 2
Chapter 1: 3:15:50
Chapter 2: 3:27:58
Chapter 3: 3:31:16
Chapter 4: 3:41:06
Chapter 5: 3:53:37
Chapter 6: 4:02:06
Chapter 7: 4:33:27
Chapter 8: 4:47:43
Chapter 9: 5:09:56
Chapter 10: 5:17:12
Chapter 11: 5:24:12
PART 3
Chapter 1: 5:31:50
Chapter 2: 5:37:48
Chapter 3: 5:53:36
Chapter 4: 6:04:21
Chapter 5: 6:23:51
Chapter 6: 6:35:52
Chapter 7: 6:48:01
Chapter 8: 6:56:36
Chapter 9: 7:09:01
Chapter 10: 7:24:41
Chapter 11: 7:34:16
PART 4
Chapter 1: 7:43:29
Chapter 2: 7:53:43
Chapter 3: 8:02:09
Chapter 4: 8:17:43
Chapter 5: 8:31:25
Chapter 6: 9:05:55
PART 5: 9:27:32
@showerhourplaylists1370
Good work!
@francoiss1106
thenk you so much its very usefu
@milkywaymatt345
Thank u so much. Extremely helpful