Tobacco Road: Tobacco Road / I Have a Dream / Tobacco Road

[Tobacco Road]

I was born in a filthy dump
My mother died, 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)
You 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'll 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 a town, people, I’ll be brought to top, yes I will
I’ll be crackin’ soul, Lord he knows
I’ll be crackin’ soul yes, I will
And I’ll keep the name yes yes yes
Come on never forget me, people, aaaah

Road, road
Talkin’ ’bout a road yeah
Talkin’ ’bout your road
Ttalkin’ ’bout my road
Talkin’ ’bout Tobacco Road
You know I’m talkin’ about it
I’m tellin’ you about it
Talkin’ 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 spoke out loud
I said
You know you are the most beautiful thing I've 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 lookin’ 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
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 talkin' 'bout
I screamed out loud!
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, no place to hide
So I just laid there and I died
Died, died
Darkness, stillness

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

[Tobacco Road]

Road, road, ha-ha
Talkin’ ’bout a road, yeah
Talkin’ ’bout Tobacco Road
Talkin’ 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
Talkin’ ’bout a road
Talkin’ ’bout a road
Talkin' 'bout a road
Talkin’ ’bout a road
Talkin’ ’bout a your road
Talkin’ ’bout my road
Everybody’s got a road, yeah
Talkin’ ’bout a road
Talkin’ ’bout it
Talkin’ ’bout it
Talkin ’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... ever stop
Don’t ever stop me
Ever stop me
Talkin '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
I’m going home
I'm coming home