Born Justin Wayne Tubb, 20 August 1935, San Antonio, Texas
Died 24 Janua… Read Full Bio ↴Born Justin Wayne Tubb, 20 August 1935, San Antonio, Texas
Died 24 January 1998, Nashville, Tennessee Justin Tubb was born into country music, being the eldest son of the legendary Texas Troubadour Ernest Tubb. The kid soaked up the aura that surrounded his father and naturally enough became infatuated by the sounds of country music. During his school holidays he toured with his father and regularly appeared on his WSM radio show. He even made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry at the age of nine. By the time he graduated from Brackenridge High School in San Antonio he was an accomplished guitarist, singer and songwriter. Before you know it, it's 1952 and Justin is a bit bored with the business (veteran that he was!) and acutely aware that everyone was comparing him to his father (those were big boots to fill in 1952), he decided enter the University of Texas at Austin, studying journalism.

Perhaps the calling was just to strong though, and he ended up quitting university when he was offered a job as a disc jockey on WHIN Gallatin. He began singing his own songs on air and was soon picked up by Decca Records. He gained his first US country chart hit in 1954 when "Looking Back To See", a duet with Goldie Hill, reached number 4. The duo went to # 11 the following year with Sure Fire Kisses. Later in 1955 he hit the top 10 with I Gotta Go Get My Baby and became the youngest ever regular member of the Grand Ole Opry.

The hits dried up for a few years during the rock 'n' roll era, although he had a few stabs at the genre himself, including Pepper Hot Baby in 1955. Always firmly in the rockabilly as opposed to rock 'n' roll style, the most regular among the reissues since the '70s is Rock It On Down To My House, a jumped up hillbilly item with plenty to enjoy, not least the Nashville pickers cutting loose. By the 60s, Ernest's health was on the decline and Justin began to take an interest in his father's many business ventures, eventually becoming manager of the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree radio show and record shops. He had solo Top 10s with "I Gotta Go Get My Baby" and "Take A Letter Miss Gray", and further duet successes with Lorene Mann with "Hurry, Mr Peters" (the answer song to the Roy Drusky-Priscilla Mitchell hit "Yes, Mr Peters") and "We've Gone Too Far Again". He also enjoyed some success as a writer, including "Keeping Up With The Joneses" (Faron Young-Margie Singleton), "Love Is No Excuse" (Jim Reeves-Dottie West) and the great "Lonesome 7-7203" (Hawkshaw Hawkins).

Over the years he continued in the business, recording for several labels, including Starday, Challenge and RCA Records. He toured all over the USA, Canada and Europe as well as appearing on most major US television shows. Worth mentioning is the story that he wrote about his disgust at the way country music was changing, "What's Wrong With The Way That We're Doing It Now", which won him five standing ovations for encores on the first occasion that he sang it on the Grand Ole Opry. If ever that song needed a re-release, it's now. Alan Jackson where are you. He sang the song regularly on the Opry right up to his death, as well as his tribute to Ernest, "Thanks Troubadour, Thanks". CD: Rock It Down To My House - Bear Family BCD 15761. 2 CD-set, with 60 tracks, now deleted.

Lodi
Justin Tubb Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Just about a year ago I sat out on the road
Seeking my fame and fortune looking for a pot of gold
But things got bad and things got worse I guess you know the tune
Oh Lord. I'm stuck in Lodi again.

Well, I came to town on a Greyhound but I'll be walking out when I go
I was just a passin' through must been seven months or more
I ran out of time and money and now it looks like they took my friends

Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again.

--- Instrumental ---

Well, the man from the magazine he told me I was on my way
But somewhere I lost connections and ran out of songs to play
I came to town on a one night stand but that's where my plans fell through
Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again.

Well, if I only had me a dollar for every song I've sung
And every time I've had to play while people sat there drunk
I'd catch the next train out of town and back to where I lived
Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again.

Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again...

Overall Meaning

Justin Tubb's "Lodi" is a ballad of a struggling musician who hit the road to seek fame and fortune but ended up in the small town of Lodi, unable to leave. The singer laments his current situation, reminiscing about his initial optimism and motivation to be successful. He arrived in Lodi seven months prior, but now he's been abandoned by his friends and doesn't have enough money to leave. He blames the people of Lodi for his predicament, and he longs to escape the monotony of playing music to drunk patrons every night.

The singer's hopeless situation illustrates the harsh reality of the music industry and how dreams of stardom can quickly devolve into a cycle of poverty and despair. The lyrics are raw and emotional, capturing the struggles of musicians who chase after fame but are unable to break through. In this song, Lodi becomes a metaphor for the singer's sense of being stuck in a rut, unable to move forward or find success.

Line by Line Meaning

Just about a year ago I sat out on the road
One year ago, I began traveling in hopes of achieving fame and fortune.

Seeking my fame and fortune looking for a pot of gold
I was searching for success and riches.

But things got bad and things got worse I guess you know the tune
Unfortunately, my journey did not go as planned and difficulties arose.

Oh Lord. I'm stuck in Lodi again.
Now, I am trapped in Lodi.

Well, I came to town on a Greyhound but I'll be walking out when I go
I arrived in Lodi by bus but will leave on foot.

I was just a passin' through must been seven months or more
Initially, I did not plan to stay in Lodi and have been here for over seven months.

I ran out of time and money and now it looks like they took my friends
I have depleted my resources and lost the companions that were with me.

Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again.
I am still stuck in Lodi.

--- Instrumental ---
The music plays on.

Well, the man from the magazine he told me I was on my way
A magazine writer once told me I was headed for success.

But somewhere I lost connections and ran out of songs to play
Unfortunately, I lost valuable contacts and creativity.

I came to town on a one night stand but that's where my plans fell through
Initially, my stay in Lodi was meant to be brief, but my goals were not achieved.

Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again.
I am still stuck in Lodi.

Well, if I only had me a dollar for every song I've sung
If I had earned money for every performance...

And every time I've had to play while people sat there drunk
...and every time I had to perform for an inebriated audience...

I'd catch the next train out of town and back to where I lived
...I would be able to leave town and return to my home.

Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again.
However, I am still stuck in Lodi and unable to leave.

Writer(s): John Cameron Fogerty, John C. Fogerty Copyright: Jondora Music

Contributed by Violet P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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