I've Ranged I've Roamed I've Traveled
Jimmie Rodgers Lyrics


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I've ranged, I've roamed and I've travelled
I've been a no good they say
Many years of my life I have wasted
But I'll stop leading that life today

I had a dear old mother A
Dad and a sister too
But I was the youngest and spoiled they say
By mother as mothers will do

I left when a kid for the city
I craved the great white way
But it is a place without pity
I went wrong the very first day

I met there a painted lady
She seemed so jolly and gay
She took me to her apartment
Where a dozen or more men stay

It was her gang she was their boss
They talked oh the fun thy had
We all played poker and soon I lost
Every nickel that I had

They said come on kid and cheer up
We'll let you join our gang
They took me out on a job that night
And then my troubles begin

Oh some of the mob shot the watchmen
And they layed the blame on me
I finished 20 years in prison
I'm a man of 43

It was then I thought of my mother
At home so feeble and grey
I could see her throwing kisses at me
As she did when I went away

I sat down and wrote her a letter
And this is how it ran
It said mother I've been gone
For twenty long years
Out west on that Rio Grande

No mail ever reaches me there
There's nothing but sagebrush and sand




Mother I love you and want to come home
And start life all over again

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jimmie Rodgers's song "I've Ranged I've Roamed I've Traveled" tell the story of a man reflecting on his past and the mistakes he has made. He acknowledges that he has wasted many years of his life and has been labeled as "no good." However, he commits to changing his ways and leaving that life behind.


The song begins by mentioning the singer's family, particularly his dear old mother and father. He admits to being the youngest and spoiled by his mother, as is often the case. As a young kid, he leaves his family and heads to the city, longing for the glamour and excitement of the "great white way." However, he soon realizes that the city is a place without mercy, and he falls into the wrong crowd from the very start.


The singer meets a painted lady, who appears lively and cheerful. She takes him to her apartment, which turns out to be a den for her gang. They engage in activities like playing poker but soon take advantage of the singer and make him lose all his money. They then convince him to join their gang and participate in a job that night.


In a tragic turn of events, some members of the gang shoot a watchman during the job, and the blame falls on the singer. He ends up spending 20 years in prison and, at the time of the song, is 43 years old. While in prison, he reflects on his mother, who is now feeble and gray. He recalls the tender moments when she would throw kisses at him when he went away.


Filled with remorse, he sits down and writes a letter to his mother, expressing his longing to come home and start life over again. He tells her that he has been gone for twenty long years in the West, near the Rio Grande, where there is nothing but sagebrush and sand. He declares his love for her and his desire to return home.


Overall, the song delves into themes of regret, redemption, and the longing for a fresh start. It serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of falling into the wrong crowd and making poor choices.


Line by Line Meaning

I've ranged, I've roamed and I've travelled
I have spent a significant amount of time exploring different places and experiencing various journeys


I've been a no good they say
People perceive me as someone who has been worthless or mischievous


Many years of my life I have wasted
I have squandered a considerable amount of my life


But I'll stop leading that life today
From this point forward, I will put an end to living such a lifestyle


I had a dear old mother A
I had a beloved and elderly mother


Dad and a sister too
I also had a father and a sister


But I was the youngest and spoiled they say
However, I was considered the youngest child and excessively indulged by my mother


By mother as mothers will do
As is often the case with mothers and their children


I left when a kid for the city
When I was still a child, I departed for the city


I craved the great white way
I yearned for the bright lights and excitement of the city


But it is a place without pity
However, the city is a harsh and unforgiving place


I went wrong the very first day
My life took a turn for the worse from my very first day in the city


I met there a painted lady
I encountered a woman who wore excessive makeup and appeared promiscuous


She seemed so jolly and gay
She appeared to be cheerful and lively


She took me to her apartment
She brought me to her place of residence


Where a dozen or more men stay
Where numerous men reside


It was her gang she was their boss
She was the leader of a group of individuals, and they were under her command


They talked oh the fun thy had
They enthusiastically discussed the enjoyment and excitement they experienced


We all played poker and soon I lost
We participated in a poker game, and I quickly lost


Every nickel that I had
I lost all of the money I possessed


They said come on kid and cheer up
They encouraged me, calling me kid, to be happy and optimistic


We'll let you join our gang
They offered me the opportunity to become a member of their group


They took me out on a job that night
That very night, they brought me along for a criminal task


And then my troubles begin
That's when my difficulties truly began


Oh some of the mob shot the watchmen
Oh, some members of the gang shot the security guards


And they layed the blame on me
However, they falsely accused me of committing the crime


I finished 20 years in prison
Consequently, I served a full 20-year prison sentence


I'm a man of 43
Now, at the age of 43, I find myself as an adult


It was then I thought of my mother
At that moment, I reminisced about my mother


At home so feeble and grey
She was back home, weakened and aged


I could see her throwing kisses at me
In my mind's eye, I could picture her sending me kisses


As she did when I went away
Just as she used to do when I left


I sat down and wrote her a letter
I sat down and composed a letter to her


And this is how it ran
This is what the letter said


It said mother I've been gone
The letter began with informing my mother that I had been away


For twenty long years
For a period of twenty extended years


Out west on that Rio Grande
Specifically, in the western regions near the Rio Grande river


No mail ever reaches me there
I want my mother to know that I never received any mail in that location


There's nothing but sagebrush and sand
The place I was confined to was nothing more than dry sagebrush and sand


Mother I love you and want to come home
I want my mother to understand that I deeply love her and desire to return home


And start life all over again
To begin anew and rebuild my life




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

Hazen Sweeney

These songs told a story unlike modern country.

Reality

modern country is just party bro rock.

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