Old Man Luedecke left the big old city of Toronto, met a girl in the Yukon, fell in love, bought a banjo and fell in love again. After a couple of years of love and banjo and the makings of a brilliant performing career in sunny Halifax, he returned to the Yukon with his sweethearts. There he woodshedded. He wrote a ton of songs over the next year and a half. He held regular gigs playing banjo in a gambling hall with can-can girls and in a honky tonk called the Snakepit accompanying piano barnacle Bob. Even made an appearance at the Dawson City Music Festival. After a time, he left again for Halifax to renew musical acquaintances and record his debut CD Mole in the Ground. That CD has become a smash on college radio, was featured on CBC's Atlantic Airwaves and is a hot item in stores and at shows. He continues to live in Halifax and perform there and around the country to ever-wider acclaims. His stage show blends hokum and inspiration into powerful and fun entertainment that will delight young and old. He's still sweet on the girl he met up there in Yukon, and the banjo
http://www.oldmanluedecke.ca
Lost John
Old Man Luedecke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Old bank robber from Bowling Green
They brought him to jail the other day
Late that night he made his getaway
But he's long gone from old Kentucky
Long gone, he's lucky
Long gone, that's what I mean
Well they offered a reward for to fetch him back
Even put the bloodhounds on his track
He held the dog on bloodhoundS lost the scent
Nobody knows where Lost John went
I never will forget till the day I die
Played a game of love with a woman held high
Since I win and it's tails you lose
One played the ace, I played the deuce
But I'm long gone from old Kentucky
Long gone, I'm lucky
Long gone, that's what I mean
Long gone, from Bowling Green
Well the old man come to town with a gun in his hand
Said he's lookin' for a gamblin' man
Can't play at love when hearts is trump
Never gonna tell how the cards going to jump
But he's loong gone from old Kentucky
Long gone, he's lucky
Long gone, that's what I mean
Long gone, from Bowling Green
The song "Lost John" by Old Man Luedecke talks about the legend surrounding a bank robber named Lost John Dean who escaped from jail in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The song is a mixture of different narratives that involve Lost John, the singer's gambling experience, and the old man who came to town with a gun for a gambling man. In the first verse, the singer introduces Lost John as an old bank robber who made his getaway from jail. The song goes on to talk about different people who were looking for Lost John, but he escaped unnoticed. The song's refrain "Long gone from old Kentucky, Long gone, he's lucky, Long gone, that's what I mean, Long gone, from Bowling Green" is repeated to emphasize Lost John's escape.
The second verse of the song tells a story about the singer's gambling experience. He recalls playing a game of love with a woman, and although he won, he still felt like he lost. The last verse describes an old man who came to town with a gun searching for a gambling man. He warns the singer not to play at love when hearts are trump, and notes that one can never predict how the cards will jump. The song comes to an end with the refrain once again, leaving the listener with the image of Lost John as an elusive figure and the idea that following your heart and luck can help you escape from your troubles.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you ever heard the story 'bout Lost John Dean
Do you know the tale of a notorious bank robber named Lost John Dean?
Old bank robber from Bowling Green
Lost John Dean was a criminal from Bowling Green who robbed banks.
They brought him to jail the other day
He was apprehended and taken to jail not so long ago.
Late that night he made his getaway
However, he successfully escaped in the late hours of that night.
But he's long gone from old Kentucky
Lost John Dean is nowhere to be found in Kentucky anymore.
Long gone, he's lucky
His successful escape was fortunate for him.
Long gone, that's what I mean
He is gone and cannot be found.
Long gone, from Bowling Green
Lost John Dean is not in Bowling Green anymore.
Well they offered a reward for to fetch him back
Authorities offered a prize to anyone who could find Lost John and bring him back.
Even put the bloodhounds on his track
They even used bloodhounds to assist in tracking him down.
He held the dog on bloodhoundS lost the scent
Lost John managed to throw off the scent of the bloodhounds searching for him.
Nobody knows where Lost John went
His current whereabouts are unknown to everyone.
I never will forget till the day I die
I will always remember a game of love I played once.
Played a game of love with a woman held high
I was in love with a woman who thought highly of herself.
Since I win and it's tails you lose
I won the game and my lover lost.
One played the ace, I played the deuce
We both played our cards, and I ended up with a better hand.
But I'm long gone from old Kentucky
The artist is no longer in Kentucky.
Long gone, I'm lucky
The singer considers themselves lucky to have moved on.
Long gone, that's what I mean
They are gone and are not looking back.
Long gone, from Bowling Green
The artist is no longer in Bowling Green.
Well the old man come to town with a gun in his hand
An old man arrived in town armed with a gun.
Said he's lookin' for a gamblin' man
He was looking for a man who gambles.
Can't play at love when hearts is trump
One cannot successfully gamble with love when the stakes are high.
Never gonna tell how the cards going to jump
One can never know for certain what the outcome of a situation will be.
But he's loong gone from old Kentucky
Lost John Dean is not in Kentucky anymore.
Long gone, he's lucky
His successful escape was fortunate for him.
Long gone, that's what I mean
Lost John is gone and cannot be found.
Long gone, from Bowling Green
Lost John is not in Bowling Green anymore.
Contributed by Asher G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.