In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Well, I was rollin' wheels and shiftin' gears
'Round that Jersey Turnpike
Barney stopped me with his gun
Ten minutes after midnight
Said, "Sir, you broke the limit in this rusty ol' truck
I don't know about that accent, son
Just where did you come from?"
I said where I come from
It's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch sitin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come from
Well, I was south of Detroit city
I pulled in this country kitchen
To try their brand of barbecue
The sign said finger-lickin'
Well, I paid the tab and the lady asked me
How'd I like my biscuit
"I'll be honest with you, ma'am
It ain't like mama fixed it"
'Cause where I come from
It's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch pickin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come from
I was chasin' sun on 101
Somewhere around Ventura
And I lost a universal joint and I had to use my finger
This tall lady stopped and asked
If I had plans for dinner
Said, "No thanks, ma'am, back home
We like the girls that sing soprano"
'Cause where I come from
It's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch sitin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come from
Well, I was headin' home on 65
Somewhere around Kentucky
And the CB rang the bobtail rig
It's rollin' on like thunder
Well, I answered him and he asked me
"Aren't you from out in Tulsa "
"No, but you might've seen me there
I just dropped a load of salsa"
Where I come from, it's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch pickin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come
Where I come from, yeah, it's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of back porch pickin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to heaven
Where I come from
Where I come from
Yeah, where I come from
A lot of front porch sitiin'
Starin' up at heaven
Where I come from
Where I come from
Tryna make a livin'
Oh, where I come from
Where I come from
'Round that Jersey Turnpike
Barney stopped me with his gun
Ten minutes after midnight
Said, "Sir, you broke the limit in this rusty ol' truck
I don't know about that accent, son
Just where did you come from?"
I said where I come from
It's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch sitin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come from
Well, I was south of Detroit city
I pulled in this country kitchen
To try their brand of barbecue
The sign said finger-lickin'
Well, I paid the tab and the lady asked me
How'd I like my biscuit
"I'll be honest with you, ma'am
It ain't like mama fixed it"
'Cause where I come from
It's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch pickin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come from
I was chasin' sun on 101
Somewhere around Ventura
And I lost a universal joint and I had to use my finger
This tall lady stopped and asked
If I had plans for dinner
Said, "No thanks, ma'am, back home
We like the girls that sing soprano"
'Cause where I come from
It's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch sitin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come from
Well, I was headin' home on 65
Somewhere around Kentucky
And the CB rang the bobtail rig
It's rollin' on like thunder
Well, I answered him and he asked me
"Aren't you from out in Tulsa "
"No, but you might've seen me there
I just dropped a load of salsa"
Where I come from, it's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch pickin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come
Where I come from, yeah, it's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of back porch pickin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to heaven
Where I come from
Where I come from
Yeah, where I come from
A lot of front porch sitiin'
Starin' up at heaven
Where I come from
Where I come from
Tryna make a livin'
Oh, where I come from
Where I come from
Lyrics submitted by Manderzterz
Where I Come From Lyrics as written by Alan Eugene Jackson
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think he's implying that the woman might have been a tranny. Obviously, he comes from a place where men are men and women are women. You probably don't see a lot of that. Soprano is a high pitched singing. She probably had a man's voice. He's implying the simplicity of where he comes from compared to else where. But I don't know, that's just my opinion.
About the universal joint/finger, I think what he meant was his thumb, meaning he had to hitch-hike. But I'm not positive. Maybe that was why the 'tall lady' saw him and stopped? And I agree with the opinion that the lady is either a man or a tranny.
I like Alan Jackson, but this type of song bothers me, generalizing about an area like that. Especially since, aside from the first verse, he keeps offering the info to these people in the other verses who didn't ask. Maybe they share some of his love for cornbread, but he writes them off as different from him because of where they're from.
hitchhiking! thats it...thanks
Alright so i don't listen to a lot of Country and this song is one of the reasons why. The lines "where i come from tryin' to make a livin Workin hard to get to heaven" really get under my skin. I hate to bring North and South into this because that issue should be in the past, but Alan Jackson i feel is implying that the North is lazy and unmotivated. That and the entire song seems to be saying that his way of life is the best and he has little respect for the way other people live
you obviously have never lived in the south, i am a "yankee" to many people down here. The attitudes towards everything are completely different, the lifestyle and motivation aren't even close to that of the north.
well medcob, i'm from the north and i think that he's just describing his life. he dosen't know how you live and he's not putting the "north" down at all. people, like you, sterotype him and in the song he confronts them. his way of living is different and not everybody knows what it's like. so the only person bring "north and south" in, is you.
It's just Alan Jackson's opionion, I myself am very opinionated, and this song is about what life is like where he comes from, which is the south. And he's not saying that people from the north are quote, un-quote "lazy and unmotivated". He's just saying that's were he comes from, and it's his way of life, he isn't necesarilly saying that people in the north are "lazy and unmotivated".
-shyanne
Can someone give me their opinion of these lines: "Said no thanks ma'am, back home We like the girls that sing soprano"?
~Carl
@csnowman00 it’s just his opinion on women. This “tall lady” has a somewhat deprived voice as he said “we like the girls that sing soprano” which is a very high voice. He is saying that the tall lady has a deeper voice and that means it’s either someone who’s trans or a man dressed as a women. Which is not what he likes
I think its more of a rural vs. urban thing and not so much North v. South.
theres no need for the north and south to be brought in question here. the lifestyle of those in the south and the lifestyle of those in the north really do differ. people in the south are more apt to be on their front porch swings drinkin a beer, while northerners are more apt to be sitting in their jacuzzi sippin champagne. i was born in the south but raised in the north so you cant say that im against the north because quite frankly im not, but now living back in the south i do see the differences. but its just culture .. thats all.
You really got me on that soprano line. This one confuses me too:
"I lost a universal joint and I had to use my finger"
It gives me a headache just wondering what he was talking about in this line.
@csnowman00 losing a U-Joint would make your vehicle incapable of being driven and so with a vehicle that won’t drive, "had to use my finger likely means his thumb for hitch hiking. The "no thanks ma'am back home we like the girls that sing soprano" could be referring to a drag queen. (He is located not far from California so this would be a possibility)