Canned Heat – On The Road Again

"On The Road Again" as written by and Alan/jones Wilson....
Well, I'm so tired of crying
But I'm out on the road again
I'm on the road again
Well, I'm so tired of crying
But I'm out on the road again
I'm on the road again
I ain't got no woman
Just to call my special friend

You know the first time I traveled
Out in the rain and snow
In the rain and snow
You know the first time I traveled
Out in the rain and snow
In the rain and snow
I didn't have no payroll
Not even no place to go

And my dear mother left me
When I was quite young
When I was quite young
And my dear mother left me
When I was quite young
When I was quite young
She said "Lord, have mercy
On my wicked son"

Take a hint from me, mama
Please don't you cry no more
Don't you cry no more
Take a hint from me, mama
Please don't you cry no more
Don't you cry no more
'Cause it's soon one morning
Down the road I'm going

But I ain't going down
That long old lonesome road
All by myself
But I ain't going down
That long old lonesome road
All by myself
I can't carry you, baby
Gonna carry somebody else


Lyrics submitted by OpinionHead

"On the Road Again" as written by Willie Nelson

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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On The Road Again song meanings
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10 Comments

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  • +2
    General CommentAgreed. It's very sad that there aren't more comments and most people haven't even heard of Canned Heat nowadays. These guys were awesome.
    yoachon November 08, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Commenta great song, why aren't there more comments? i always thought it was 'i didn't have no fare or not even no place to go'
    SkinnyEffon July 10, 2008   Link
  • +1
    My InterpretationFor some reason I've always thought this song had a very dark and sinister under-current. It conjures an image (in my mind) of a serial killer drifting from one location to another without a trace.
    FourthWishon February 17, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General CommentGreat song, Very blues.
    FackingHellon August 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Commentcomment comment comment!
    seriously though, gorgeous blues here.
    wolfmother_rockethon August 01, 2007   Link
  • 0
    My OpinionTHis is the greatest boogie song of all time. I have played it for years. It is haunting and forlorn and somehow the guy just keeps going and going like that Bunny. Sorry about one of them died-wasnt it the Bear?? Love these guys. Are they good to hear in the oughts??
    quilceneon October 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment@ quilcene,It was Alan 'Blind Owl' Wilson (the guy who sings this) who died in 1970 of a drug overdose,Great blues sound,they dont make 'em like that anymore
    TheDreamWeaveron April 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General CommentJust a note here to say that the transcription of the second verse is wrong. The phrase:

    I didn't have no payroll
    Not even no place to go

    Should be: "I didn't have no pharaoh"

    Maybe Canned Heat changed the lyric in later versions of the song but that is certainly the original version. What does it mean? Well, strangely, the word "pharaoh" was once a widely used slang term for money: "pharaoh = gold = money" but seems to have just slipped out of use almost entirely. A generation ago most working class people in both the States and UK would have understood the word immediately. Now?

    I have seen this word written as "fairo" on some lyric sites which is, of course, complete nonsense. Hope this helps.
    PININon June 08, 2013   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment"Fourth Wish" nailed it. Very dark and sinister to the bone. mother was killed by our narrator.
    DragonCanceron June 27, 2015   Link
  • 0
    General CommentSimply one of the best. Listened to Canned Heat when they were big in the late 60's. I thing instead of 'payroll' the word is "bedroll", not even no place to go...
    HarleyDGirlon April 12, 2016   Link

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