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

You Missed

MINNIE PEARL WALKED ONSTAGE AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY FOR 50 YEARS WITH A $1.98 PRICE TAG ON HER HAT — AND THEN ONE NIGHT, SHE JUST COULDN’T ANYMORE. Here’s something most people don’t think about with Minnie Pearl. That price tag hanging off her straw hat? It wasn’t random. Sarah Cannon — that was her real name — created it as a joke about a country girl too proud of her new hat to take the tag off. And audiences loved it so much that it became the most recognizable prop in country music history. For over fifty years, that tag meant Minnie was here, and everything was going to be fun. So imagine what it felt like when she couldn’t put the hat on anymore. In June 1991, Sarah had a massive stroke. She was 79. And just like that, the woman who hadn’t missed an Opry show in decades was gone from the stage. But here’s what gets me. She didn’t die in 1991. She lived another five years after that stroke, mostly out of the public eye, unable to perform, unable to be “Minnie” the way she’d always been. Her husband Henry Cannon took care of her at their Nashville home. Friends visited, but they said it was hard. The woman who made millions of people laugh couldn’t get through a full conversation some days. Roy Acuff, her old friend from the Opry, kept her dressing room exactly the way she left it. Nobody used it. The hat sat there. She passed on March 4, 1996. And what most people remember is the comedy. The “HOW-DEEE” catchphrase. The big goofy grin. What they don’t remember is that Sarah Cannon was also a serious fundraiser for cancer research. Centennial Medical Center in Nashville named their cancer center after her — not after Minnie, after Sarah. She raised millions and rarely talked about it publicly. There’s a story about the very last time Sarah tried to put on the hat at home, months after the stroke, and what her husband said to her in that moment — it’s the kind of detail that makes you see fifty years of comedy completely differently. Roy Acuff kept Minnie Pearl’s dressing room untouched for years after she left — was that loyalty to a friend, or was he holding a door open for someone he knew was never coming back?