Gilmore also played "Smokey" in The Big Lebowski
Gotta Travel On
Jimmie Dale Gilmore Lyrics
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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
Well papa writes to Johnny but Johnny can't come home
Johnny can't come home no Johnny can't come home
Papa writes to Johnny but Johnny can't come home
High sheriff and police ridin' after me ridin' after me yes comin' after me
High sheriff and police they're comin' after me and I feel like I've gotta travel on
I've laid around and played around...
Well I wanna see my honey and I wanna see her bad
Wanna see her bad oh wanna see her bad
I wanna see my honey wanna see her bad she's the best gal this poor boy ever had
I've laid around and played around...
Travel on travel on travel on
The lyrics to Jimmie Dale Gilmore's "Gotta Travel On" are about a man who feels that he has lingered in his hometown for too long and it is time to move on. Summer is almost over and winter is fast approaching, reflecting the passing of time and the need for the singer to make a change. He has been idle for too long and now feels the need to travel, to move forward with his life.
The second stanza shifts focus in the lyrics to the singer's friend Johnny, who is unable to come home because he is on the chain gang. This juxtaposition of the singer's desire to travel and Johnny's inability to do so highlights the contrasting realities of life. The singer is able to choose his destiny, while Johnny is caught in an endless cycle of incarceration.
The final stanza returns to the singer's personal desires, specifically his desire to reunite with his significant other. He proclaims her to be the "best gal this poor boy ever had," emphasizing the urgency to see her. The repetition of the phrase "travel on" serves as a reaffirmation of the singer's need to move forward and make a change, leaving his old life behind.
Line by Line Meaning
I've laid around and played around this old town too long
I have spent too much idle time in this town
Summer's almost gone yes winter's comin' on
It is close to the end of the summer season and winter is approaching.
And I feel like I gotta travel on
I have the urge to leave and embark on a journey.
Papa writes to Johnny but Johnny can't come home
Johnny is unable to come home despite his father's request.
Cause he's been on the chain gang too long
Johnny has been held captive in prison for too long.
High sheriff and police ridin' after me ridin' after me yes comin' after me
The police, including the high sheriff, are pursuing and chasing after me.
High sheriff and police they're comin' after me and I feel like I've gotta travel on
I need to flee because I am being chased by the law.
Well I wanna see my honey and I wanna see her bad
I am longing to reunite with my lover.
She's the best gal this poor boy ever had
She is the most exceptional woman I have ever been with.
Travel on travel on travel on
The imperative to journey on, to continue traveling.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Bluewater Music Corp., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Lazar, Larry Ehrlich, Paul Clayton, Tom Six
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind