Smoke
YAR Lyrics

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(Chester Burnett)
Five Live Yardbirds version
Yeah, smokestack lightning,
Don't you hear me callin'?
Don't you hear me callin' your name?
Don't you hear me callin' you?
Don't you hear me callin' you?

Tell me where did you go last night?
Gotta know who you been with.

Tell me where did you go last night?
Tell me where did you go?
Tell me where did you go?

Fare you well, goodbye, pretty baby,
Never see you no more, no more.
Fare you well, goodbye, pretty baby, goodbye,
Fare you well, goodbye.

Yeah, smokestack lightning,
Shining like gold,
Don't you hear me call out you?
Don't you hear me callin' you now?
Don't you hear me callin' you now?

Ah, stop your train, yeah,
Let me go for a ride with you,
Let me go for a ride, oh stop your train now,
Oh, stop your train now,

Fare you well, goodbye, pretty baby,
Tell me where did you go?
Why did you leave me, oh?
Oh, fare you well, goodbye, goodbye.

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Alternate early live version
Yeah, smokestack lightning,
Don't you hear me callin'?
Don't you hear me callin'?

Tell me where did you go last night?
I gotta know who you been with.
Tell me where did you go last night?

Yeah, stop your train,
Let me go for a ride, pretty baby, you know,
Stop your train, I gotta ride with you.
Gotta ride with you,
Gotta ride with you.

Fare you well, goodbye, pretty baby,
Fare you well, goodbye, goodbye,
Never see you no more, pretty baby, goodbye,
Goodbye, goodbye,
Goodbye, goodbye,
Goodbye, goodbye.

Yeah, smokestack lightning,
Shining like gold,
Don't you hear me callin'?
Gotta stop your train, let me go for a ride,
Let me ride with you,
Stop your train and ride with you.

NB: I've provided lyrics for two common versions here; there are others, in particular the BBC version.

Overall Meaning

"Smokestack Lightning" by Chester Burnett is a blues classic that has been covered by numerous artists including The Yardbirds. The song is about longing, heartbreak, and betrayal. In the first verse, the singer calls out to his lost love, asking where she went the night before and whom she was with. He is hurt by her absence and wants to know whether she has been unfaithful to him. The chorus refers to smokestack lightning, which symbolizes a train leaving and the lover leaving him behind. The singer implores his lover to listen to him and to return to him, but to no avail. In the final verse, he says goodbye to his lover with bitterness and resignation, as he knows that they will never be together again.

The lyrics of "Smokestack Lightning" are full of metaphors and imagery that bring to life the feelings of the singer. The smokestack refers to the train that is taking his lover away, and the lightning symbolizes the pain that he feels. The singer's voice is raw and full of emotion, capturing the pain, longing, and desperation of the lyrics. The Yardbirds' version of the song is particularly powerful, with Jeff Beck's guitar riff adding an intensity that perfectly complements the chorus.

Overall, "Smokestack Lightning" is a blues classic that captures the essence of heartbreak and longing. It is a powerful song that has been covered by many artists and has become a blues standard.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah, smokestack lightning,
The singer is calling out to someone or something that reminds him of the intensity and power of smokestack lightning.

Don't you hear me callin'?
The singer is asking if the listener can hear him calling out to them.

Don't you hear me callin' your name?
The singer is specifically calling out to someone by their name and asking if they can hear him.

Don't you hear me callin' you?
The artist is repeating his call to the listener and asking if they can hear him.

Tell me where did you go last night?
The singer is demanding to know where the listener was the previous night.

Gotta know who you been with.
The singer wants to know who the listener was with the previous night.

Tell me where did you go last night?
The artist is repeating his demand to know where the listener was the previous night.

Tell me where did you go?
The artist is repeating his demand to know where the listener went.

Fare you well, goodbye, pretty baby,
The singer is saying farewell to someone he cares about, calling them 'pretty baby.'

Never see you no more, no more.
The artist is expressing that this goodbye is permanent; he will never see this person again.

Fare you well, goodbye, pretty baby, goodbye,
The singer is saying farewell to the person again, repeating his earlier statement.

Fare you well, goodbye.
The singer is saying farewell for one final time.

Yeah, smokestack lightning,
The singer is again calling out to something that reminds him of the power and intensity of smokestack lightning.

Shining like gold,
The artist is describing the appearance of the smokestack lightning as it shines like gold.

Don't you hear me call out you?
The artist is calling out to the listener again and asking if they can hear him.

Don't you hear me callin' you now?
The singer is emphasizing his call, asking again if the listener can hear him.

Don't you hear me callin' you now?
The singer is repeating his call again, making sure the listener can hear him.

Ah, stop your train, yeah,
The artist is calling out to someone, asking them to stop their train.

Let me go for a ride with you,
The artist is asking to join the person and go for a ride with them.

Let me go for a ride, oh stop your train now,
The artist is repeating his request to join the person for a ride and asking them to stop their train now.

Oh, stop your train now,
The singer is repeating his request that the person stop their train.

Fare you well, goodbye, pretty baby,
The artist is saying farewell to the listener again, expressing his feelings towards them.

Tell me where did you go?
The singer is returning to his earlier demand to know where the listener was.

Why did you leave me, oh?
The singer is asking why the person left him alone.

Oh, fare you well, goodbye, goodbye.
The singer is saying goodbye again and ending the song.

Contributed by Nathan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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