Bamboo Road
The Willy Deville Acoustic Trio Lyrics
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And I'll work 'till night
My skin has turned brown
From that sun so bright
All night I'm tossing and turning
'Cause my dreams are so strong
And my hands they callous
'Cause my working day's too long
Up on Bamboo Road
Up on Bamboo Road
Yes you're sweeter than a sugar cane
Up on Bamboo Road
We walk out to the cane fields
All thirty-five men
At 12 o'clock they give us water
And we stagger back again
4 o'clock the sun gets higher
I hear that screen door slam
See you in the big house kitchen window
From the cane fields I'm in
Up on Bamboo Road
Up on Bamboo Road
Yes you're sweeter than a sugar cane
Sweeter than that sugar cane
Sweeter than sugar cane
Up on Bamboo Road
I want to hold you close cher
I can only see you when I can
All day I cut that pure cane sugar
But I'm still a starving man
Up on Bamboo Road
Up on Bamboo Road
Yes you're sweeter than a sugar cane
Sweeter than the sugar cane
Sweeter than the sugar cane
Up on Bamboo Road
The Willy Deville Acoustic Trio's song "Bamboo Road" is a lyrical portrayal of a hardworking man struggling to make a living on a sugar cane plantation. The song describes in detail the difficult daily routines and harsh working conditions faced by the singer, who wakes up early in the morning and works until late at night, leaving his skin browned by the relentless heat of the sun. He speaks of his calloused hands, symbols of the long, tiring working day. Despite his physical exhaustion, he has dreams that keep him awake at night, fueling his desire for a better life.
The lyrics also focus on the singer's love interest, who he describes as "sweeter than sugar cane" and whom he can only see when he is not working in the fields. He yearns to hold her close, but his work leaves him a "starving man," who can barely survive on the plantation. The song is a powerful depiction of the cyclical nature of poverty and the hardships faced by those working in the sugar cane industry.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up in the morning
I start my day early
And I'll work 'till night
I will work until it's dark outside
My skin has turned brown
My skin complexion has darkened from being in the sun for so long
From that sun so bright
The sun is very intense where I work
All night I'm tossing and turning
I have trouble sleeping because my dreams are so intense
'Cause my dreams are so strong
I have vivid and powerful dreams
And my hands they callous
My hands have toughened up from all the manual labor
'Cause my working day's too long
I work very long hours
Up on Bamboo Road
Referring to the location where I work - the Bamboo Road
Yes you're sweeter than a sugar cane
You are more precious to me than the sweetest sugar cane
We walk out to the cane fields
We go out to the fields to work with the sugar cane plants
All thirty-five men
There are 35 of us working in the fields
At 12 o'clock they give us water
We take a break at noon to drink water
And we stagger back again
After the break, we resume working
4 o'clock the sun gets higher
The sun becomes even more intense mid-afternoon
I hear that screen door slam
I hear the sound of the door to the house closing
See you in the big house kitchen window
I catch a glimpse of you through the window in the kitchen of the big house
From the cane fields I'm in
This is where I'm working from
I want to hold you close cher
I long to be with you and hold you tightly
I can only see you when I can
I don't get to see you too often
All day I cut that pure cane sugar
My job all day is to cut the sugar cane plants
But I'm still a starving man
Even though I work hard all day, I'm still struggling to get by
Sweeter than that sugar cane
Referring to the person I love - they are more precious to me than sugar cane
Sweeter than sugar cane
Repeating the sentiment that the person I love is very dear to me
Up on Bamboo Road
Ending the song with a reference to the location where I work
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILLY DE VILLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind