Promised Land
The Dead Lyrics


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Pull yourself up off the street, Bull, throw some water on your face
I won't be hangin' round here when the law reaches this place
Bug was in the shop this morn pickin' up some shells
when he heard an army train's been robbed and Coke is mad as hell

Buck is bringing horses and Wolfe is being sick
Bug is playin' one last hand and we're here holding dick
Do you want more information, is there anything you need
Is it enough they're sending rangers led by Solomon Creed

The plan has not been altered but our time is running thin
The place we traveled once before, we must return again
Make ready, Kid, we ride today for where the bad men go
We'll go where they won't follow where the winds of freedom blow

We'll head down where there's no lawmen and tequila falls like rain
With women by the fistful and they taste like sugarcane
And they won't know the Bloody Higgins Boys when we go down below
We'll disappear just like a specter when we get to Mexico

"I can leave this life behind me," I'll be busy chasing skirts
Those poor bastards at the tables are about to lose their shirts
And Esperanza will be waiting I can smell her sweet perfume
Let's not sit around here dreamin' we're sure to meet our doom

Will Sapo welcome us with open arms, or will his ears be shootin' steam
We been away from home so long, much longer than it seems
The old man will be glad when his prodigal sons return
We'll fall asleep to serenades n' watch the fire burn

We'll head down where there's no lawmen and tequila falls like rain
With women by the fistful and they taste like sugarcane




And there won't be no Bloody Higgins Boys when we go down below
We'll disappear just like a specter when we get to Mexico

Overall Meaning

The Dead's song "Promised Land" is a glimpse into the life of outlaws on the run. The lyrics describe a group of men, including the singer, who are preparing to ride out of town before the law catches up with them. The song builds up an atmosphere of suspense with lines like "Bug was in the shop this morn pickin' up some shells when he heard an army train's been robbed and Coke is mad as hell." This line suggests that the group may have been involved in the robbery and that they need to leave town before the law catches up with them.


As the song progresses, the singer talks about his plans to start a new life in Mexico. He mentions a woman named Esperanza whom he intends to be with and paints a vivid picture of the freedom he hopes to find south of the border. The lyrics evoke a sense of adventure and danger, with lines like "We'll go where they won't follow where the winds of freedom blow" and "And they won't know the Bloody Higgins Boys when we go down below. We'll disappear just like a specter when we get to Mexico."


Line by Line Meaning

Pull yourself up off the street, Bull, throw some water on your face
Get yourself together, Bull. We need to get moving before the law arrives.


I won't be hangin' round here when the law reaches this place
I'm not sticking around to get caught by the authorities.


Bug was in the shop this morn pickin' up some shells when he heard an army train's been robbed and Coke is mad as hell
Bug, who was buying ammunition, heard that an army train was robbed and Coke is angry about it.


Buck is bringing horses and Wolfe is being sick, Bug is playin' one last hand and we're here holding dick
Buck is bringing horses, Wolfe is feeling ill, Bug is gambling his last hand, and we're left with nothing to do.


Do you want more information, is there anything you need, Is it enough they're sending rangers led by Solomon Creed
Do you need to know more? They're sending a group of rangers led by Solomon Creed.


The plan has not been altered but our time is running thin, The place we traveled once before, we must return again
We haven't changed our plan, but we need to hurry because time is running out. We need to go back to the place we've been before.


Make ready, Kid, we ride today for where the bad men go, We'll go where they won't follow where the winds of freedom blow
Get ready, Kid. We're riding out to where the criminals go, to a place where no one will follow, where we can be free.


We'll head down where there's no lawmen and tequila falls like rain, With women by the fistful and they taste like sugarcane
We'll go to a place without any law enforcement where alcohol is plentiful and women are abundant and sweet.


And they won't know the Bloody Higgins Boys when we go down below, We'll disappear just like a specter when we get to Mexico
No one will recognize us when we go to Mexico. We'll disappear like ghosts.


"I can leave this life behind me," I'll be busy chasing skirts, Those poor bastards at the tables are about to lose their shirts
"I can leave this lifestyle behind and focus on chasing women," I think as I watch other card players lose badly.


And Esperanza will be waiting I can smell her sweet perfume, Let's not sit around here dreamin' we're sure to meet our doom
Esperanza will be waiting for me. We shouldn't waste any more time here or else we'll be caught and punished.


Will Sapo welcome us with open arms, or will his ears be shootin' steam, We been away from home so long, much longer than it seems
Will Sapo accept us warmly, or will he be angry with us? We've been away from home for a long time, longer than we thought.


The old man will be glad when his prodigal sons return, We'll fall asleep to serenades n' watch the fire burn
The old man will be happy when we come back. We'll listen to music and watch the fire while we rest.


We'll head down where there's no lawmen and tequila falls like rain, With women by the fistful and they taste like sugarcane
We'll go to a place without any law enforcement where alcohol is plentiful and women are abundant and sweet.


And there won't be no Bloody Higgins Boys when we go down below, We'll disappear just like a specter when we get to Mexico
No one will recognize us when we go to Mexico. We'll disappear like ghosts.




Lyrics ยฉ DistroKid
Written by: Dead Horse Creek

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Russell Brown

This song rips! When people ask why im such a hard core fan of the dead i tell them no band before or ever again will do what the dead did. They experience and camaraderie this band and following affords you is unmatched and and unrivaled by any other. Hell jerrys been dead for almost 25 years still millions of people are following them around. Now thats phenomenonal.

wangson

This is one of my all time favourite versions!! Keith is on FIRE!!!

Adam Jacob Rogers

This is among my top 10 greatest picks, where is the rest of this stellar show with many inspired moments?

Michon Danielle Adams Main

Gotta love them....creative...clever...awesome... .lyrical geniuses....makes me smile...and feel good when I turn them on....thanks GD and JC...

South Forest

This is a chuck berry original

Jesse Snyder

There is only one Master of guitar. Thanks Jerry.

Not Fade Away

Wow, actually seeing this show would have been amazing. Too young to appreciate the dead until after Jerry's passing. Thanks for sharing.

Wrangler Cody

Iโ€™m just gettin into the Grateful Dead, itโ€™s good shit. Thanks sirusxm for introducing me to awesome music.

Dick Hedd

Cowboy Neil's at Tha Wheel!!

Dick Hedd

Welcome to "The Bus"!!

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