Tobacco Road

Album: Tobacco Road (1964)
Charted: 6 14
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  • I was born in a bunk
    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
    This place called Tobacco Road

    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 Writer/s: John D. Loudermilk
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group, Word Collections Publishing
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 9

  • Jennifur Sun from RamonaKevin, often wondered who that was thanks
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 6th 1964, "Tobacco Road" by the Nashville Teens entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #90; and on November 1st, 1964 it peaked at #14 {for 1 week} and spent 11 weeks on the Top 100...
    They had one other Top 100 record, "Find My Way Back Home", it stayed on the chart for 2 weeks, peaking at #98...
    In 1970 the band Jamul covered the song; their version reached #93 on the Top 100.
  • Joeyjoel from Long Beach Ca, CaThe last line of the lyrics to this song is: "I despise you cause you're 'filthy.' Check out Johnny Winters version of this song. Really different, really hot. Or Eric Burdons, or that ole 'Mr Smooth,' Lou Rawls.
  • John from San Francisco, CaUsed to great affect in the closing scene of Mad Men (Season 4 - Episode 1) as Mr. Draper puts on the spin to a reporter from The Wall St. Journal.
  • Jon from Great Yarmouth, United KingdomThe Nashville Teens were a British band and pretty good too. They were Jerry Lee Lewis's backing band on his excellent album "Live At The Star Club", probably Jerry Lee's best album.
  • Peg from Chicago, IlAll the lyrics I've looked up seem to leave out the last lines they sing - "But it's home, the only life I've ever known, I despise ya cause ya hurt me, but I love ya, cause you're home"
  • Kevin from Syracuse, UtThe amazing guitar work--exemplified by the snarling and instantly memorable string-bending guitar riff that opens the song--was played by none other than Jimmy Page, then a highly respected and sought-after session guitarist.
  • Dominick from New York, NyIt looks like I.K. Tolbert is right. Loudermilk wrote the song in 1960 and it charted for the Nashville Teens in 1964, but he was not a part of the group. Also as mentioned, the Nashville Teens were a British band.
  • I.k. Tolbert from Detroit, MiJohn Loudermilk was not a member of the Nashville Teens. Despite the name the Nashville Teens were a British band part the British invasion following the Beatles in 1964.
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