Promised Land
The Black Sorrows Lyrics
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California on my mind
Straddled that Greyhound, rode him past Raleigh
On across Caroline
Stopped in Charlotte and bypassed Rock Hill
And we never was a minute late
We was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown
Rollin’ ‘cross the Georgia state
Half way ‘cross Alabam
And that ‘hound broke down and left us all stranded
In downtown Birmingham
Straight off, I bought me a through train ticket
Ridin’ cross Mississippi clean
And I was on that midnight flyer out of Birmingham
Smoking into New Orleans
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
Just help me get to Houston town
There’s people there who care a little ’bout me
And they won’t let the poor boy down
Sure as you’re born, they bought me a silk suit
Put luggage in my hands
And I woke up high over Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised land
Workin’ on a T-bone steak a la carte
Flying over to the Golden State
The pilot told me in thirteen minutes
We’d be headin’ in the terminal gate
Swing low sweet chariot, come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines, cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater four ten O nine
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin’
And the poor boy’s on the line
The opening lines of The Black Sorrows's song "Promised Land" a cover of the Chuck Berry Classic hit the listener immediately with a sense of adventure and determination. The singer of the song is leaving his home in Norfolk Virginia with California on his mind. He takes a Greyhound bus and crosses several states to finally reach his destination of Los Angeles. But what makes this song stand out is the journey itself. The singer faces several obstacles while on the road but does not let that stop him from getting to his promised land.
The opening verse describes the singer's journey so far. He has left behind his home in Norfolk Virginia and has California on his mind. He takes a Greyhound bus and crosses several southern states before the bus breaks down in downtown Birmingham. He then takes a train to Mississippi and finally takes a plane to get to Los Angeles. Traveling cross-country forms a quintessential part of the American Dream and underscores the singer's gumption in setting out on this journey.
Line by Line Meaning
I left my home in Norfolk Virginia
The singer left his home in Virginia
California on my mind
He is thinking of California
Straddled that Greyhound, rode him past Raleigh
He took a bus to Raleigh
On across Caroline
He traveled across the state of North Carolina
Stopped in Charlotte and bypassed Rock Hill
He stopped in Charlotte and didn't visit Rock Hill
And we never was a minute late
They were never late
We was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown
They were 90 miles away from Atlanta by sunset
Rollin’ ‘cross the Georgia state
They were driving across Georgia
We had motor trouble it turned into a struggle
They had car trouble that became a problem
Half way ‘cross Alabam
They were halfway through Alabama
And that ‘hound broke down and left us all stranded
Their bus broke down and they were stranded
In downtown Birmingham
They were in downtown Birmingham
Straight off, I bought me a through train ticket
He immediately bought a train ticket
Ridin’ cross Mississippi clean
He took a train ride across Mississippi
And I was on that midnight flyer out of Birmingham
He took a midnight flight out of Birmingham
Smoking into New Orleans
He arrived in New Orleans smoking
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
He needs help leaving Louisiana
Just help me get to Houston town
He needs help getting to Houston
There’s people there who care a little ’bout me
There are people in Houston who care about him
And they won’t let the poor boy down
They won't disappoint him
Sure as you’re born, they bought me a silk suit
They bought him a nice suit
Put luggage in my hands
They gave him his luggage
And I woke up high over Albuquerque
He woke up in a plane over Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised land
He was on a plane to California
Workin’ on a T-bone steak a la carte
He is eating steak on the plane
Flying over to the Golden State
He is flying to California which is known as the Golden State
The pilot told me in thirteen minutes
The pilot told him they would be landing in 13 minutes
We’d be headin’ in the terminal gate
They would be heading towards the arrival gate
Swing low sweet chariot, come down easy
He is referencing an old spiritual song about angels coming down to bring him to heaven
Taxi to the terminal zone
The plane is taxiing towards the terminal
Cut your engines, cool your wings
The plane is turning off its engines and cooling down
And let me make it to the telephone
He needs to make a phone call
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia
He wants Los Angeles to give him a connection to his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia
Tidewater four ten O nine
A reference to his hometown phone exchange
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin’
He is telling his family that he has arrived in California, which he considers the promised land
And the poor boy’s on the line
He is speaking on the phone as a poor boy
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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@DosBear
Well I heard how all the lights went down in Memphis
On the death night anniversary of the king
The pretenders talking dirty in the palace
But it doesn't have that old familiar ring
And I see there's been some changes in the valley
All the renegades have finally settled down
And now they worship in the temple of their rival
And desecrate the holy heart of town
Can't you hear all those sweet voices singing
Takin' care of the chosen ones
Can't you hear all those mission bells ringin'
Say a prayer for the chosen ones
Well I read they're pourin' oil on troubled water
While they cast a giant shadow on the land
Hey lets spend another night across the border
They buried all our secrets in the sand
Now they claim there is no message in the Bible
And they swear there is no master and his slave
But the future's lookin' grim for the lonesome cowboys
When the hand that rocks that cradle digs a grave
Can't you hear all those sweet voices singing
Takin' care of the chosen ones
Can't you hear all those mission bells ringin'
Say a prayer for the chosen ones
Well I heard how all the lights went down in Memphis
On the death night anniversary of the king
The pretenders talking dirty in the palace
But it doesn't have that old familiar ring
Can't you hear all those sweet voices singing
Takin' care of the chosen ones
Can't you hear all those mission bells ringin'
Say a prayer for the chosen ones
Can't you hear all those sweet voices singing
Takin' care of the chosen ones
Can't you hear all those mission bells ringin'
Say a prayer for the chosen ones
The chosen ones
The chosen ones
@evieleslie2945
Hook in. Brilliant singer, songwriter performer. Joe Camilleri, also known as the group Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons and now the Black Sorrows. So many brilliant songs, great sax and rhythm guitars. Have been a fan for over 30 years!
@hotelpf
One of the best songs I ever heard. Mixture Australia and Pacific Islands. Thanks for posting.
@disco8891
Still fantastic after a few years.......... Jo Jo Zepp man what a talent
@indydiver5042
I looked up "The Sandkings" a couple of days ago to see if it was available on YouTube and watched the beginning. I see Beau driving and jamming to this song, I think two things.....I don't remember this song the first time I saw this on The Outer limits years ago, and I wonder what Van Morrison song THIS is? After spending time searching for a Van Morrison song that doesn't exist I get smart and click on the "SHOW MORE" tab and there's the answer. Sadly, I've never heard of The Black Sorrows and their vast repertoire of music. It's hard to believe that their name never came to light for me. THIS is my new fave song. Like so many other commenters here, I firmly agree, this sounds exactly like Van Morrison. Thank you for posting. I just ran into this post today, but there is a 2007 remaster version of this that I saw first two days ago. Fantastic song.
@alobar0674
A great song and one of my favourite songs from the early eighties. The lead singer sounds very much like a young Van Morrison
@hol0015
Great song. He really does sounds a lot like Van Morrison in this one. Anyone else think that?
@misstery5942
Yes particularly the opening
@80s-wizard34
Yes absolutely!!
@pierrevanwyk5694
Yes!🇿🇦
@Kakosee1
I always thought Van sung this song🤦🏻♀️