Tobacco Road
Johnny Lang & Edgar Winters Lyrics


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I was born in a trunk
Mama died and my daddy got drunk
Let me hear two dying crows
In the middle of tobacco road

Grew up in a rusty shack
All I owned was hanging on my back
Only lord knows how I loved tobacco road

But it's hard, hard the only life I've ever known
But the lord knows how I loved
Tobacco road

Gonna leave, get a job
With the help of the treesome god
Save my money, get rich enough
Bring it back to tobacco road

Bring dynamite and a crane
Blow it up and start all over again
Build a town be proud to show
Give the name tobacco road

'Cause it's hard, hard the only life I've ever known
I despise you cause you're filthy
But I love you cause you're home

Bring dynamite and a crane
Blow it up start all over again
Build a town be proud to know
This place called tobacco road

'Cause it's hard, hard the only life I've ever known




But the lord knows how I love
Tobacco road

Overall Meaning

The song "Tobacco Road" by Johnny Lang & Edgar Winters tells the story of a man who was born into poverty and raised in a shack in the middle of Tobacco Road. His mother passed away, and his father turned to drinking. As he grew up, he hated the life he was living, but he loved Tobacco Road because it was his home. The only world he knew, despite the hardships and difficulties he had to face. He attempts to leave and get a job, hoping to save enough money to one day return to Tobacco Road and make it a better place, a town he could be proud of. His dream is to blow up the old shacks and homes and rebuild the town, a place where he can feel safe and at home again.


The song itself is about finding hope and making the best of one's circumstances. Despite the difficulties of living in poverty, the man in the song loves the place he calls home. He despises the filth and the hardship but still feels a deep connection to and love for Tobacco Road. As he dreams of rebuilding the town, he shows his determination and willingness to work hard to make something of his life.


Line by Line Meaning

I was born in a trunk
I was born in a simple and modest dwelling


Mama died and my daddy got drunk
My mother passed away and my father turned to alcohol for comfort


Let me hear two dying crows
I am in a place where there is death and decay all around me


In the middle of tobacco road
I am in a place where tobacco is grown and processed as a major source of income


Grew up in a rusty shack
I grew up in a dilapidated and rundown house


All I owned was hanging on my back
I had very little possessions and travelled light


Only lord knows how I loved tobacco road
Despite the harsh living conditions, I held a deep affection for the place where I grew up


But it's hard, hard the only life I've ever known
Although it was a difficult life, it was the only life I had experienced


But the lord knows how I loved
Despite the hardships, I held a deep love for


Tobacco road
The place where I grew up and experienced life


Gonna leave, get a job
I plan to leave tobacco road and find employment elsewhere


With the help of the treesome god
I pray to the holy trinity for assistance and guidance


Save my money, get rich enough
I aspire to save enough money to become wealthy


Bring it back to tobacco road
I want to return to my hometown with success and prosperity


Bring dynamite and a crane
I want to demolish the current state of tobacco road


Blow it up and start all over again
I want to start again with a new, more prosperous version of tobacco road


Build a town be proud to show
I want to build a new town that I can be proud of


Give the name tobacco road
I want to retain the name of my childhood home as a symbol of my heritage


'Cause it's hard, hard the only life I've ever known
Despite the challenges, it was the only way of life I had experienced


I despise you cause you're filthy
I have a love-hate relationship with tobacco road because of its poor living conditions


But I love you cause you're home
Despite my negative feelings, it will always be my hometown and a place of comfort


Build a town be proud to know
I want to create a new town that people will admire and respect


This place called tobacco road
I want to continue the legacy of my hometown with the new, improved version of tobacco road


But the lord knows how I love
Despite the hardships and negative aspects, I hold a deep affection for


Tobacco road
My childhood home and place of origin




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John D. Loudermilk

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@ptalley47eh

The Winter brothers. There's nobody like them. Each so talented in their own right. I could listen to them all day. Thanks for this video!

@nickphillips7319

Couldn't agree more.

@iconoclast4440

Winter, not Winters.

@ptalley47eh

@@iconoclast4440 Oooops. I meant WINTER.

@nickphillips7319

@@iconoclast4440 fair point. But was it not Edgar Winters White Trash? 🤠

@reedbender1179

@@iconoclast4440 correct, but two Winters are better than one ! 🤩

5 More Replies...

@kelanders

The older I get the more I appreciate what an extraordinary talent Johnny Winter was. He was the real deal, a musician’s musician

@robpattison6606

have you heard a blues guitarist named Eric Gales?

@theherbpuffer

A guitarists guitarist

@BenErasBen

Get tears in my eye when I hear him, too good to be true

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