Greenwood Mississippi
Little Richard Lyrics


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Well I've been on the road
for a long time
met a lot of women
had to leave them all behind
'cause I want to go back
to the land I love
where Magnolia smells sweet
and white cotton is warm

Chorus
Take me on back
Back to the country
Take me on down, down
Greenwood Mississippi

Old farmer John
he lives down the road
works in the fields
carryin' a heavy load
He don't have to worry
'bout a thing
'cause evryday now
you can hear him sing





Chorus

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Little Richard's "Greenwood Mississippi" depict a longing for home and a return to the simple life in the American South. The first verse speaks of the singer's experience of being on the road for a long time, meeting many women but leaving them behind, because he wants to go back to his beloved land where Magnolia smells sweet and white cotton is warm. The imagery is vivid, and the audience can almost smell the Magnolia flowers and feel the warmth of the cotton.


The chorus serves as a refrain, repeating the longing for a return to the country and a specific location, Greenwood Mississippi. The second verse introduces Old farmer John, who lives down the road and works in the fields carrying a heavy load. The lyric describes that he does not have to worry about a thing because every day he can hear him sing. The verse depicts a simple life and the idea that happiness can be found in the little things like a farmer's song.


In conclusion, Little Richard's "Greenwood Mississippi" is a tribute to the singer's roots and the beauty and simplicity of rural life. The song speaks of longing and celebrates the joys of a modest existence where homely pleasures offer solace and comfort.


Line by Line Meaning

Well I've been on the road
I have been traveling for a long time


for a long time
for an extended period


met a lot of women
encountered many women


had to leave them all behind
had to abandon them


cause I want to go back
because I desire to return


to the land I love
to the place I adore


where Magnolia smells sweet
where the scent of magnolia is lovely


and white cotton is warm
and the cotton is comfortable


Chorus
Referring to the refrain


Take me on back
Bring me back


Back to the country
To the rural area


Take me on down, down
Take me further south


Greenwood Mississippi
To the specific location of Greenwood in Mississippi


Old farmer John
Referring to a particular farmer named John


he lives down the road
He resides in the neighborhood


works in the fields
engages in manual labor in the fields


carryin' a heavy load
bearing a considerable weight


He don't have to worry
He has no cause for anxiety


'bout a thing
about any situation


'cause evryday now
because every day, currently


you can hear him sing
it's possible to listen to him singing




Contributed by Nolan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@jimmyandkathyharrell

Excellent tribute to Greenwood, Mississippi. Home of Rockabilly legend Mack Allen Smith. RIP Richard. Thank you for sharing J.m.

@Patrick-dn3ew

My favourite Little Richard song, RIP!!

@tmac396

Wow...I love old rock and roll AND I live in Greenwood, Mississippi, and I have never heard this! Thanks for posting it!

@GeraldB526

Me too!

@ensconse

Memories of the summer of 1970!

@bobturnley2787

Great song. Should have been a huge hit. I've been to Greenwood many times.

@danielorlando8172

In Philadelphia, Jerry blavat, the geator with the heater the big boss with the big hot sauce would routinely archive these great songs and play them and give you all of the history behind the song. Little Richard is much more than

@jmb92555

I got this album from my sister for my 14th birthday. 45 years ago :O  Thanks Judy!

@randomhuman8928

Richard has a quite a few obscure great recordings on various different labels that rarely see the light of day. This is one of them

@ensconse

Perfectly expressed

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