Key To The Highway
Little Walter Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got the key to the highway,
Billed out and bound to go.
I'm gonna leave here running,
Because, walkin is most too slow.

I'm goin back to the border,
Where I'm better known.
Because, you haven't done nothin,
But, drove a good man away from home.

Give me one more kiss, mama,
Just before I go.
I'm gonna leave this town,
Girl, I won't be back no more.

When the moon peep over the mountain,
Honey, I'll be on my way.
I'm gonna roam this highway,
Until the break of day.

Well, it's so long, so long baby,
I'm gonna say goodbye.




I'm gonna roam this highway,
Until the day I die.

Overall Meaning

Little Walter's "Key to the Highway" is not an original song. The origins of this blues standard date back to 1940 when Big Bill Broonzy and Charlie Segar recorded it. Prominent bluesmen like Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Little Walter, and others have played this song. It is said to have been inspired by a photo of a set of keys hanging on a nail in a roadhouse appealing to musicians with wanderlust.


The lyrics of the song describe a man who is leaving for good. He has the key to the highway, which implies that he is in control of his own destiny and can go wherever he wants. He feels the need to leave because walking is too slow. The destination is the border, where he is better known. The reason for leaving seems to be the loss of a good man driven away from home, as the singer imploringly sings, "you haven't done nothin, but drove a good man away from home." He says goodbye to his lover and promises that he will not come back to the town where he feels suffocated. He is determined to keep moving until the day he dies.


The song conveys the theme of freedom and being in control of one's own destiny. The highway is a symbol of the endless possibilities that await the singer. The lines "I'm gonna roam this highway until the break of day," and "I'm gonna roam this highway until the day I die" show that he is not afraid of the unknown and is willing to face it alone. The song's blues tone is conveyed through the use of the harmonica's mournful sound, which is an effective tool used to express feelings of sadness and nostalgia.


Line by Line Meaning

I've got the key to the highway,
I have the means and freedom to travel the road of life as I please.


Billed out and bound to go.
I have made plans and am committed to leaving.


I'm gonna leave here running,
I am eager and ready to depart quickly.


Because, walkin is most too slow.
I cannot afford to waste time on a slow and uncertain path.


I'm goin back to the border,
I am returning to a familiar and comfortable place in my past.


Where I'm better known.
I am going where I am recognized and respected.


Because, you haven't done nothin,
You have not done anything to earn my loyalty or respect.


But, drove a good man away from home.
You caused a good person to leave their home and seek a better life elsewhere.


Give me one more kiss, mama,
Please give me a farewell gesture of affection, mother.


Just before I go.
Before I leave this place forever.


I'm gonna leave this town,
I am leaving this town for good.


Girl, I won't be back no more.
I will not return to this city again.


When the moon peep over the mountain,
At night, when the moon becomes visible behind the mountain.


Honey, I'll be on my way.
My journey will continue without interruption, my love.


I'm gonna roam this highway,
I will travel this road with no specific destination.


Until the break of day.
Until the sun rises.


Well, it's so long, so long baby,
It is time to say goodbye, my dear.


I'm gonna say goodbye.
I am going to bid goodbye.


I'm gonna roam this highway,
I will travel aimlessly on this road.


Until the day I die.
Until my last breath, I will wander without a purpose.




Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MCKINLEY MORGANFIELD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions