Guitar Man
Journey of a Troubadour: Guitar Man's Quest for Melodic Destiny
Lyrics
Well, I quit my job down at the car wash
The narrator quits his job at the car wash.
Left my mama a goodbye note
He leaves a farewell note for his mother.
By sundown I'd left Kingston
By sundown, he leaves Kingston with his guitar concealed.
With my guitar under my coat
The narrator hitchhikes to Memphis.
I hitchhiked all the way down to Memphis
He stays at the YMCA in Memphis.
Got a room at the YMCA
For three weeks, he searches for opportunities to perform at night.
For the next three weeks, I went huntin' them nights
The narrator struggles to find a place to play his guitar.
Just lookin' for a place to play
He believes his guitar skills will impress, but he faces rejection.
Well, I thought my pickin' would set 'em on fire
The narrator's guitar playing doesn't attract attention.
But nobody wanted to hire a guitar man
Nobody is willing to hire him as a guitar man.
Well, I nearly 'bout starved to death down in Memphis
In Memphis, he faces starvation due to lack of money and luck.
I run outta money and luck
Running out of resources, he buys a ride to Macon, Georgia.
So I bought me a ride down to Macon, Georgia
He takes an overloaded poultry truck to reach Macon.
On a overloaded poultry truck
The narrator hitchhikes to Panama City, playing in all-night bars.
I thumbed on down to Panama City
He hopes to make money by making music on his guitar.
Started pickin' out some o' them all night bars
Receiving the same rejection, he realizes there's no place for him.
Hopin' I could make myself a dollar
Bars reject him with the same old story; there's no need for a guitar man.
Makin' music on my guitar
I got the same old story at them all night piers
He experiences the same story at all-night piers; no room for a guitar man.
There ain't no room around here for a guitar man
The rejection continues; there's no demand for a guitar man.
We don't need a guitar man, son
Explicit rejection - "We don't need a guitar man, son."
So I slept in the hobo jungles
The narrator resorts to sleeping in hobo jungles.
Roamed a thousand miles of track
He travels extensively by train, covering a thousand miles of track.
Till I found myself in Mobile Alabama
Arriving in Mobile, Alabama, he finds a club named Big Jack's.
At a club they call Big Jack's
At Big Jack's, a small band is performing.
A little four-piece band was jammin'
He joins the band with his guitar.
So I took my guitar and I sat in
The narrator demonstrates how a band sounds with a guitar man.
I showed 'em what a band would sound like
He impresses the crowd with his guitar skills.
With a swingin' little guitar man
The narrator showcases a swinging band with his guitar.
Show 'em, son
Encouraging someone to follow his example.
If you ever take a trip down to the ocean
If you visit the ocean, go to Mobile.
Find yourself down around Mobile
Specifically, check out a club called Jack's.
Oh make it on out to a club called Jack's
Spend time at Jack's if you have leisure.
If you got a little time to kill
Follow the crowd to Jack's dance floor.
Just follow that crowd of people
People gather on the dance floor.
You'll wind up out on his dance floor
The narrator implies the crowd enjoys the music.
Diggin' the finest little five piece group
He describes a fine five-piece group playing music around the Gulf of Mexico.
Up and down the Gulf of Mexico
Hinting at the narrator's role in the five-piece band.
Guess who's leadin' that five-piece band
The narrator reveals he is the swingin' little guitar man.
Well, wouldn't ya know, it's that swingin' little guitar man
Confirmation of the narrator as the guitar man leading the band.
Yeah yeah, guitar man, hahaha
A playful affirmation of the narrator's identity as the guitar man.
Comment