Tobacco Road
Spooky Tooth Lyrics

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I was born in a dump
Mama died and daddy got drunk
Left me here to die or grow
In a middle of Tobacco Road

Grew up in a rusty shack
All I had was hangin' on my back
Only you know how I loathe

This place called Tobacco Road

But it's home the only life
I've ever know
Only you know how I loathe
Tobacco Road
Gonna leave get a job
With the help and the graze from above
Save same money get rich I know
Bring it back to Tobacco Road
Bring dynamite and a crane
Blow it up start all over again

Build to a town be proud to show
Give the name Tobacco Road

Overall Meaning

The song "Tobacco Road" by Spooky Tooth, originally by John D. Loudermilk, tells the story of a person who is born in a dump, their mother dies and their father becomes an alcoholic and neglects them. They have to grow up in a small shack in Tobacco Road, which is a real place located in Georgia. The person despises their life in Tobacco Road and dreams of leaving, getting a job and making money to return and make the place they grew up in a better town. The lyrics are reflective of the poverty and difficulties of life in rural America, with a sense of desperation and hopelessness.

In the late 1960s, the song became especially popular when the British band Spooky Tooth recorded their version, which became a hit in both the UK and the US. The song went on to be covered by numerous artists, including Eric Burdon and The Animals, Jefferson Airplane and David Lee Roth, among others.

Line by Line Meaning

I was born in a dump
I was born in an unpleasant, dirty and unpleasant place

Mama died and daddy got drunk
After my mother's death, my father became an alcoholic and started drinking heavily

Left me here to die or grow
My father left me here to either die or grow up in these harsh conditions

In a middle of Tobacco Road
This place I am referring to is Tobacco Road

Grew up in a rusty shack
I grew up in a dilapidated, run-down shack

All I had was hangin' on my back
I owned so little that everything I had was carried on my back

Only you know how I loathe
Only those who have experienced living in such conditions like me, would be able to understand the depth of my hatred for it

This place called Tobacco Road
The place I grew up in is called Tobacco Road

But it's home the only life
Despite the harsh conditions I grew up in, this place is still home to me, it's the only life I've ever known

I've ever known
I have never known anything different than this life/home

Gonna leave get a job
I plan on leaving and getting a job

With the help and the graze from above
I hope to find guidance and support from a higher power

Save some money get rich I know
I plan to save enough money to become rich

Bring it back to Tobacco Road
After becoming rich, I plan to bring my wealth back to Tobacco Road

Bring dynamite and a crane
To start over, I will bring dynamite and a crane to demolish everything and clear the ground

Blow it up start all over again
The plan is to blow everything up and start fresh with a clean slate

Build to a town be proud to show
I want to rebuild Tobacco Road into a town that I can be proud of and show off to others

Give the name Tobacco Road
Despite the negative connotations associated with the name, I still plan on naming the new town Tobacco Road

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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