Of Owl and Bear: The Tragic and Glorious Story of Canned Heat | Ultimate Guitar

About the Song 

Canned Heat is an American blues rock band formed in 1965. Their music combined elements of blues, boogie woogie, rock and roll, and R&B, creating a unique and exciting style. On The Road Again is one of Canned Heat’s most famous songs, first released in 1968 on the album Boogie with Canned Heat.

On The Road Again is a classic blues song with a fast and upbeat tempo. The song was written by Floyd Jones, an American blues musician, and was re-recorded by Canned Heat with some changes. Canned Heat’s version features a distinctive blues guitar riff and the powerful, soulful vocals of Bob Hite, the band’s lead singer.

The lyrics of On The Road Again tell the story of a blues musician traveling all over the country. The singer sings about the hardships and challenges of life on the road, but also expresses his passion and love for music.

On The Road Again has become a beloved song by many generations of music listeners. The song has been covered by many different artists, including Willie Nelson, John Mayall, and Eric Clapton.

Canned Heat performed On The Road Again at many venues around the world, including the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in 1969. The song has become an important part of rock and roll and blues music culture.

Here are some reasons why On The Road Again is a famous song:

  • Fast and upbeat tempo: The song has a classic blues tempo that makes people want to dance and sing along.
  • Distinctive blues guitar riff: The guitar riff in the song is very memorable and creates a great blues atmosphere.
  • Powerful, soulful vocals of Bob Hite: Bob Hite sings the song with a lot of emotion, making the listener feel his passion and love for music.
  • Meaningful lyrics: The lyrics of the song tell the story of a traveling blues musician, a topic that many people can relate to.

On The Road Again is a classic blues rock song with a fast, upbeat tempo and meaningful lyrics. The song has become an important part of rock and roll and blues music culture, and is loved by many generations of music listeners.

Canned Heat: the 10 best songs from America's greatest boogie band | Louder

Video

Lyrics: 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
Well, I’m so tired of crying
But I’m out on the road again
I’m on the road againI ain’t got no woman
Just to call my special friendYou 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

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RCA’s doors stayed closed to Dottie West, enough to shake any performer’s confidence in Nashville. Her stints with Starday and Atlantic had left her with little beyond empty pockets and unpaid bills. By 1961, she and her husband, steel guitarist Bill West, were living in a small house in West Nashville. It felt less like a home than a place to make one last, desperate attempt. For years, they had driven back and forth from Cleveland, spending time and money on trips that brought them no closer to getting through the industry’s doors. At that house, Dottie began taking a different approach. Instead of chasing executives, she fed hungry songwriters. Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, and Red Lane started coming over, finding something at her kitchen table that the labels hadn’t offered: someone willing to listen. Auditions gave way to suppers, with Dottie hearing unfinished verses as her guests unpacked their battered guitar cases. If she couldn’t get into the business, she would bring it into her home. Each meal was a deliberate investment in the songwriting Nashville claimed to value but had yet to recognize in her. Things changed the night Jim Reeves heard her song, ‘Is This Me?’ and took it to Chet Atkins. One straightforward exchange over a melody opened a path that had been blocked for years. It wasn’t simply a lucky break. It grew out of her decision to stop asking for a place and create one herself. When she became the first woman to win a country Grammy, the award meant more than recognition. It confirmed that those lean years in the West Nashville house had produced some of the most important work of her life.

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