Cotton Fields
The Beach Boys Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I was a little bitty baby
My mama done rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home
It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home

Let me tell you now well got me in a fix
I caught a nail in my tire doing lickitey splits
I had to walk a long long way to town
Came along a nice old man well he had a hat on
Wait a minute mister can you give me some directions
I gonna want to be right off for home

When I was a little bitty baby
My mama done rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home
It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home

Don't care if them cotton balls get rotten
When I got you baby, who needs cotton
In them old cotton fields back home
Brother only one thing more that's gonna warm you
A summer's day out in California
It's gonna be those cotton fields back home

It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
Give me them cotton fields
(it was back in Louisiana)
Let me hear it for the cotton fields
(just about a mile from Texarkana)
You know that there's just no place like home

Well boy it sure feels good to breathe the air back home
You shoulda seen their faces when they seen how I grown
In them old cotton fields back home

Overall Meaning

The Beach Boys’ song Cotton Fields is a classic tribute to the rural American lifestyle and the hardships of living in a cotton field region. The song features a repetitive melody that highlights the monotony of life in the fields, while the lyrics paint a vivid picture of childhood memories and the difficulties of living in a rural area. The song starts with the lead singer reminiscing about his childhood, where his mother used to rock him in the cradle in the old cotton fields. The song then moves onto a tale of a flat tire, and a man he meets along the way who helps him with directions back home.


The chorus of the song – “Don't care if them cotton balls get rotten, When I got you baby, who needs cotton, In them old cotton fields back home” – emphasizes the idea that the most important thing in life is not materialistic wealth or possessions but the love and the people that surround oneself. The final verse returns to the original theme – of the beauty of living in a rural area and the joy of coming back home.


The song's lyrics were written by Blues musician Lead Belly (Huddie William Ledbetter), and The Beach Boys recorded their rendition of the song in 1968. The song was included in their 1969 album '20/20'. The song was later featured on their posthumous 2012 album 'That's Why God Made The Radio'. 


Line by Line Meaning

When I was a little bitty baby
As a newborn, I was taken care of by my mother


My mama done rock me in the cradle
My mother comforted me by rocking my cradle


In them old cotton fields back home
The familiar and nostalgic cotton fields from my hometown


It was back in Louisiana
The cotton fields were located in Louisiana


Just about a mile from Texarkana
They were located approximately one mile away from Texarkana


Let me tell you now well got me in a fix
I encountered a problem


I caught a nail in my tire doing lickitey splits
My tire was punctured while driving fast


I had to walk a long long way to town
I had to walk a great distance to reach town


Came along a nice old man well he had a hat on
I met a friendly old man who was wearing a hat


Wait a minute mister can you give me some directions
I asked the old man for directions


I gonna want to be right off for home
I wanted to return home as soon as possible


Don't care if them cotton balls get rotten
I am indifferent to the state of the cotton crops


When I got you baby, who needs cotton
I do not need cotton because I have you, my significant other


Brother only one thing more that's gonna warm you
There is only one thing that will bring you warmth


A summer's day out in California
A sunny day spent in California


It's gonna be those cotton fields back home
Nothing can compare to the familiarity of the cotton fields in my hometown


Give me them cotton fields
I desire the cotton fields from my hometown


(it was back in Louisiana)
They were located in Louisiana


Let me hear it for the cotton fields
I want to appreciate and celebrate the cotton fields


(just about a mile from Texarkana)
They were located close to Texarkana


You know that there's just no place like home
There is no place as comfortable and familiar as home


Well boy it sure feels good to breathe the air back home
It is a satisfying feeling to be back in my hometown


You shoulda seen their faces when they seen how I grown
People were surprised by how much I have grown since leaving my hometown


In them old cotton fields back home
I find comfort in the familiar cotton fields from my hometown




Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Huddie Ledbetter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Les lumb

Great version by the Beach Boys it flows

Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@木倉谷哲也

Lyrics:

When I was a little bitty baby
My mama done rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home

It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home

Let me tell you now well, I got me in a fix
I caught a nail in my tire doing lickitey splits
I had to walk a long, long way to town

Came along a nice old man
Well, he had a hat on
Wait a minute, mister, can you give me some directions?
I’m gonna want to be right off for home

When I was a little bitty baby
My mama done rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home

It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home

Don’t care if them cotton balls get rotten
When I got you, baby, who needs cotton?
In them old cotton fields back home

Brother, only one thing more that’s gonna warm you
A summer’s day out in California
It’s gonna be those cotton fields back home

It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
Give me them cotton fields (It was back in Louisiana)
Let me hear it for the cotton fields (Just about a mile from Texarkana)
You know that there’s just no place like home

Oh, boy, it sure feels good to breathe the air back home
You shoulda seen their faces when they seen how I grown
In them old cotton fields back home



@ColossalVeloc

This video absolutely sucks.

It's slow, boring, pointless, and has nothing to do with the Beach Boys or the lyrics of the song it's supposed to represent.

A fan would probably produce a 10x better video for free.

Don't Worry Baby is undeniably one of the greatest songs of all time and deserves a whole lot better than....whatever this is meant to be.

Whoever is in charge of the Beach Boys catalogue is seriously dropping the ball with this.



All comments from YouTube:

@guybeachboy

Reached #1 in Australia, and Norway; #2 in Denmark, South Africa and Sweden; #3 in Ireland; #5 in the UK.

@goldtown6747

Unfortunately only a # 29 in Germany; nevertheless far better than the # 103 chart position in the US single charts. 😉

@vickistokes4545

Huge here in Australia ...how could anyone not like this song .

@guybeachboy

Great to hear, loved it for over 50 years!

@gcm323

They nailed the vocal harmonies along with universal appeal by blending a touch of surf rock with a hint of country twang into a feel good tune for all.

@guybeachboy

Very well said, Al did a great production and lead vocal on this one!

@zachsmith3

I like the choice of adding the reverby intro of the album version. Best of both versions right here

@danerd8978

Matt Jardine on the intro as a kid. An all Al production too.

@peterlewis6820

Ah cotton fields,Love the South

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