Tobacco Road
The Nashville Teens & The Nashville Teens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mama died and my daddy got drunk
Left me here to die alone
In the middle of Tobacco Road
Grew up in rusty shack
All I had was hangin' on my back
Only you know how I loathe
But it's home, the only life I ever known
Only you know how I loathe
Tobacco Road
Gonna leave, get a job
With the help and the grace from above
Save some money, get rich and old
Bring it back to Tobacco Road
Bring that dynamite and a crane
Blow it up, start all over again
Build a town, be proud to show
Gives the name Tobacco Road
But it's home, the only life I ever known
I despise you 'cause yer filthy
But I love you 'cause yer home
The song "Tobacco Road" by The Nashville Teens tells the story of a man who was born and raised in the titular place. He was born in a bunk and his mother died while his father turned to alcohol. Left alone in the middle of Tobacco Road, he grew up in a rusty shack with only his belongings hanging on his back. He loathes the place that he calls home, but it's the only life he's ever known.
Despite his resentment towards his hometown, the singer of the song has dreams of leaving and making something of himself. He plans to get a job, save money, and return to Tobacco Road a wealthy man. He intends to blow up the town, build a new one, and give it the name Tobacco Road, which he will be proud to show off. He hates the place because he sees it as filthy, but he loves it because it's his home.
Overall, "Tobacco Road" is a song of both love and hate, depicting the complicated relationship we can have with the places we come from. It highlights the importance of home and the desire to improve our surroundings while acknowledging the flaws.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in a bunk
I came into this world in a small, uncomfortable bed
Mama died and my daddy got drunk
My mother passed away and my father turned to alcohol to cope
Left me here to die alone
My dad abandoned me in this place with no hope or prospects
In the middle of Tobacco Road
This bleak, impoverished area is where I was left to fend for myself
Grew up in rusty shack
I spent my childhood in a dilapidated, rundown house
All I had was hangin' on my back
I didn't have much, only the clothes on my back
Only you know how I loathe
You can't imagine how much I hate
This place called Tobacco Road
This specific area, with all of its struggles and difficulties
But it's home, the only life I ever known
Despite everything, it's where I come from and all I have ever known
Gonna leave, get a job
I plan to depart and find employment elsewhere
With the help and the grace from above
If I'm lucky enough to have some divine assistance
Save some money, get rich and old
I want to save and grow old with wealth and comfort
Bring it back to Tobacco Road
I'll return to use my riches to help and improve this area
Bring that dynamite and a crane
To create change, I may need drastic actions and heavy equipment
Blow it up, start all over again
Demolish everything and begin anew
Build a town, be proud to show
Create an area worth celebrating and displaying
Gives the name Tobacco Road
It becomes a new, positive version of the same name
I despise you 'cause yer filthy
I hate where I come from because of how dirty and neglected it is
But I love you 'cause yer home
Despite its flaws, it's still where I'm from and feels like home
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John D. Loudermilk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@crlguitar1
Loved it back then....Love it even more today!
So great to see The Nashville Teens in full color....Bravo!
@balanb312
Bravo Zulu
@Tearstolaughter
60 years later, such a cool song!
@redpower690
For all you people out there that think life goes by real slow. These guys are in their mid-70s to early 80s now in some cases they're not around anymore don't waste it.
@sleeplessaquarius
❤❤❤
@eligiotello9337
I used to have an old 40's radio with a 14 inch speaker an. Boy this song sound great on it.!!!!!
@sleeplessaquarius
@@eligiotello9337 Oh wow‼
@charliebures4032
Thankyou oh great guru,
@user-bs4fy1gu7v
Для меня время медленно шло в школе,особенно на уроках,мысли были быстрее бы уроки закончились и домой,на улицу))И в армии время тянулись долго.А сейчас время бежит((Не знаю слышали ли вы песню в исполнении Аллы Пугачевой припев "жизнь не возможно повернуть назад и время не на миг не остановишь"Слова в точку Раньше не придавал значения этим словам,улица,приятели)И что мне в садике не сиделось))Капец время летит))как у нас говорят "столько не живут"))это я о себе))
@calvinbealer7264
Nearly 60 Years Ago. This Song is Pure as a Driven Snow ❄️🌨️🌨️🌨️