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Taneytown Lyrics
Went down to Taneytown
I went down to Taneytown
To see what I could see
My mama told me never go
But I'm almost 22 years old
Sometimes I fear this holler swollow me
She ran off to Gettysburg
Went off with that new beau of hers
I snuck off after dark
Long way down the county road
Stars were bright
The moon was low
Down to where the black top highway starts
I went down to Taneytown
I went down to Taneytown
I went down to see what I could see
I could see everybody stared at me
You'd think that they ain't never seen
A colored boy before
They chunked at me at me
Called me names
They'd have whipped me sure but the sheriff came
I slipped off through the dry goods store
I ran down Division Street
Some of them boys followed me
Down to the railroad track
Four of them and I cain't fight
But I had my old Randall knife
I cut that boy and I never did look back
Cross the fields and woods I run
Like a bullet from a rabbit gun
Back home to my bed
Ma came in from Gettysburg
Her and that new beau of hers
"Boy you look like hell" was all she said
Month went by without a word
Somebody down the holler heard
About that boy they hung
He begged those men to spare his life
But I dropped my bloody Randall knife
He picked it up so they thought he was the one
I went down to Taneytown
I went down to Taneytown
I ain't goin' back there anymore
I went down to Taneytown
To see what I could see
My mama told me never go
But I'm almost 22 years old
Sometimes I fear this holler swollow me
She ran off to Gettysburg
Went off with that new beau of hers
I snuck off after dark
Long way down the county road
Stars were bright
The moon was low
Down to where the black top highway starts
I went down to Taneytown
I went down to Taneytown
I went down to see what I could see
You'd think that they ain't never seen
A colored boy before
They chunked at me at me
Called me names
They'd have whipped me sure but the sheriff came
I slipped off through the dry goods store
I ran down Division Street
Some of them boys followed me
Down to the railroad track
Four of them and I cain't fight
But I had my old Randall knife
I cut that boy and I never did look back
Like a bullet from a rabbit gun
Back home to my bed
Ma came in from Gettysburg
Her and that new beau of hers
"Boy you look like hell" was all she said
Somebody down the holler heard
About that boy they hung
He begged those men to spare his life
But I dropped my bloody Randall knife
He picked it up so they thought he was the one
I went down to Taneytown
I ain't goin' back there anymore
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I really like Steve Earle and this song, but he's obviously not a local boy to Taneytown. It's pronounced Tawnytown, and it's not in a holler, it's open farmland. I don't believe there is a "Division Street", but there is a railroad that goes through town, and it's close to Gettysburg. Would love to know more about the story behind these lyrics.
@MollyMatrix Hi. I'm recently researching Randall Knives, so the Taneytown lyrics are of interest. If you where to take a guess, what would be a fictionally possible date of manufacture for the Randall knife referred to in the following lyrics?
@MollyMatrix Hi. I'm recently researching Randall Knives, so the Taneytown lyrics are of interest. If you where to take a guess, what would be a fictionally possible date of manufacture for the Randall knife referred to in the following lyrics?
"There's four of them and I can't fight But I had my old Randall knife I cut that boy and I never did look back"
"There's four of them and I can't fight But I had my old Randall knife I cut that boy and I never did look back"
I am trying to inform my buying decision on a Randall. I want a historically accurate knife from a model year that, sentimental me, might have been in his hands. I...
I am trying to inform my buying decision on a Randall. I want a historically accurate knife from a model year that, sentimental me, might have been in his hands. I am not a social scientist, so I don't know within which years would a "22 year old" man self-reference as "A colored boy". If I knew that, it would point to a time period for the song. That would shape this songs "story in my head" And my "story" doesn't need to step on yours. I think this song, like many songs, only exist in a three dimensional shape for those brief few seconds when talent, genius, history and inspiration collide within an artists brain. This leaves us mere mortals, to create a common knowledge story, that we all personally contribute to and collectively write. Your knowledge of the proximity to Tawnytown would be a good contribution, while I will come up with a plausible year and model Randall knife. I can see a book deal on the horizon.