Tobacco Road

(album: Eric Burdon Declares "War" - 1970)

[Tobacco Road Part 1]

I was born in a filthy dump, my mother died and my daddy got drunk
And they left me here, yes, to die or grow
In the middle of Tobacco Road... I grew up in prefabricated shack
When I went to high school, they pulled the clothes off my back
Lord above knows how much I loathe
This mean old place called Tobacco Road, yes
Tobacco Road, let me tell you now, Tobacco Road
Talking 'bout a road yeah, Tobacco Road, Lord!
Talking 'bout your road, talking 'bout my road
Talking 'bout Tobacco Road, talking 'bout a road

But it's home, hmm, yes it is
The only life I've ever known, I've ever known
And the Lord knows how much I loathe

Tobacco Road Road Road Road Road (road road road)
Talking 'bout your road (road road road)
Talking 'bout my road (road road road)
You know, baby (road road road)
I left my home, yeah (road road road)
Because it's dirty and it's filthy (road road road)
U know it's crawling with rats, and stinking with lice (road road road)
But it's home, yes it is (road road road)
I tell you what I'm gonna do (road road road)
I tell you what I'm gonna do (road road road)

Oh I'm gonna leave and I get a job
And with the help and the grace from above
I'll get meself money at the whip get rich I know
And ship it all back to Tobacco Road, yes I will
I will I'll bring dynamite, and I'll bring me a crane
And I'll blow it all up, tear it down, start all over again
And I'll build me town, people, I'll be brought to top yes I will
I'll be cracking soul, Lord he knows?
I'll be (crocroocrou) yes, I will and I'll keep the name yes yes yes
Come on never forget me, people, ah!

Road road, talking 'bout a road yeah
Talking 'bout ya road, talking 'bout my road, talking 'bout Tobacco Road
You know I'm talking about it, I'm telling you about it, talking about it

It's gotta be changed, it's got to be changed, I've got to change it

[I Have A Dream]

I have a dream, everybody has a dream
I have a dream, that I can change it
I have a dream, that I can make it good once more
I have a dream, it's mine and yours and mine and yours
Let me tell you 'bout my dream, let me tell you 'bout my dream
We gotta to get it out, we have to build it up, tear it down, build it up
I had a dream one night, I had a dream one night
I was taken to a place far away from Tobacco Road
Far away, far away from you, far away from myself
I had a dream, I had a dream up above my head
I saw something it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my life
I spoked out loud, I said
You know you are the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my life
I heard a voice tell me I heard a voice say to me
It said "What do you want?" I said "I want to change it
Because it's wrong I want to change it
Because I believe it can be better" The voice said to me
"What makes you think that you are man enough to change anything?"
I thought for awhile, and then I spoke out loud, and I said to it, I said...
"Because I am a man and I am a part of the things that are wrong!
And if this world must go on, I have to put it right!
And I know just by looking at you, baby, that you're superior to me
And you can help me give me the answers! Give me some answers!"
She turned around to me and you know what she said
She said "I can help you but there's something I want from you is a gift
In return for the information I can give.
I want a gift from you, I want a gift from you"
I tried my very best to look up to the sky
And then I realized I had no eyes, I was blind, totally blind!
I begin to get afraid, afraid of the dark
I was afraid, afraid in the darkness
But then I thought about my friends who have no eyesight
I thought about the world they live in and how much it's nice there
How good it made me feel I was not afraid
I was not afraid anymore I spoke up louder!
I said "Listen, you've got my eyesight
There isn't much more I can give! Now tell me how do I change it?"
The voice said back... "Oh yes there is!
We want something more than your eyesight!" I thought for a while
And I thought "What more could she want than my eyes?"
And then the terrible feeling crept over me
As I began to realize that I understood what she was talking 'bout
I screamed out loud! I said "I'm not-a-give up my life!
I'd love to give you my life, but I'm just a young man
And I have a wife, I have a wife and a baby
And if I die, I know they'll cry, so please don't take my life"
Then I heard my wife say, "It's all right baby, I understand
Go ahead and do your thing!" There was nowhere I could run
I heard my father say "I understand son
Go ahead and give it, it's yours to give"
Then I heard my mother say the same thing
She said "Go ahead and give it away, I gave to you
And now it's yours to give to someone else!" I was lost, I was lost
No place to run no place to hide, no place to run no place to hide
I felt it, I knew it
I could sense it, I could feel it creeping up from the tips of my toes
Up my legs, over my knees, up over my belly
'Cross my chest, the black shadow of death
No place to run, run to, no place to hide
So I just laid there and I died, died, died, darkness, stillness

[Tobacco Road Part 2]

But it's gotta be change, yes it has! It's gotta be change, yes it has
I opened my eyes once more, I breathe again, I walked again
I was ten times stronger, they give it back to me
I'm gonna give it back to you
Life is too precious, life is priceless, life goes on and on and Lord
Never stops, never stops, no no
It just goes on and on and on and on and on
I've got to change that road, I gotta build me a new road
We can walk that road together
Hand in hand, yes, hand in hand, ah, hand in hand, people, aww, yeah

Road road (ha-ha-ha) talking 'bout a road yeah
Talking 'bout Tobacco Road, talking about Tobacco Road, you know it!
Dirty 'n-a-filthy, dirty 'n-a-filthy, dirty 'n-a-filthy, Tobacco Road, yeah
Tobacco Road people, Tobacco Road, yeah
Hmm Tobacco Road, yeah, Tobacco Road, oh Lord, Tobacco Road
Talking 'bout a road, talking 'bout a road
Talking 'bout a road, talking 'bout a road, talking 'bout a your road
Talking 'bout my road, everybody's got a road, yeah
Talking 'bout a road, talking 'bout it, talking 'bout it
Talking 'bout a road, Tobacco Road, Tobacco Road, Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road Road Road Road Road Road
Tobacco Road Road Road Road Road Road
Don't? Pa! 'Ever stop, don't ever stop me, 'ever stop me!
Talking 'bout a road road road road
I'm coming home baby, I'm coming home, people
I'm goiming home now, I'm coming home, yeah
I'm coming home, hmm, I'm going home, I'm coming home