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Promised Land Lyrics

Artist: Chuck Berry
Album: Promised Land

Promised Land

I left my home in Norfolk Virginia,
California on my mind.
Straddled that Greyhound, rode him past Raleigh,
On across Caroline.

Stopped in Charlotte and bypassed Rock Hill,
And we never was a minute late.
We was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown,
Rollin' 'cross the Georgia state.

We had motor trouble it turned into a struggle,
Half way 'cross Alabam,
And that 'hound broke down and left us all stranded
In downtown Birmingham.

Straight off, I bought me a through train ticket,
Ridin' cross Mississippi clean
And I was on that midnight flyer out of Birmingham
Smoking into New Orleans.

Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
Just help me get to Houston town.
There's people there who care a little 'bout me
And they won't let the poor boy down.

Sure as you're born, they bought me a silk suit,
Put luggage in my hands,
And I woke up high over Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised land.

Workin' on a T-bone steak a la carte
Flying over to the Golden State;
The pilot told me in thirteen minutes
We'd be headin' in the terminal gate.

Swing low sweet chariot, come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone;
Cut your engines, cool your wings,
And let me make it to the telephone.

Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia,
Tidewater four ten O nine
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin'
And the poor boy's on the line.

Comments/Interpretations

by sisbropro on 5/9/2008 4:58pm
grateful for the word

by Will Sabo on 12/19/2008 6:16pm
thank you, thank you, thank you.

by Wolfie on 12/27/2008 5:15am
Excellent song

by bigbro on 11/21/2009 7:30pm
Did Chubby Checker cover this song?

by Dano on 11/23/2009 12:58pm
One of Chuck's best. The ordinary man and his troubles.

by johnny a on 4/19/2010 2:35pm
loads of mistakes. do yuo do it on purpose to avoid copywrite?

by David Y on 6/16/2010 7:30am
"Smokin", best thing ole Chuck ever did.

by tampest the best 16/11/10 on 11/16/2010 2:34pm
wot a song !

by jackie steele on 8/28/2011 3:54pm
this song is great! He is one of the best lyricists ever. UK

by harry mills bangor northern ireland on 12/24/2011 12:12pm
best ever song by chuck listen to it almost every day and never tire of it

by Brendalini on 3/15/2012 6:59pm
Yes. Hadn't heard this one before. Glad Tarantino missed this gem!!!

by JGT,esquire on 5/17/2012 3:58pm
Still the greatest road song( and best cover,by the Greatful Dead), in all of Rock and Roll.All Hail,Hail the Once and Aleays King,Good King Charles the Zfirst!

by Laurence on 6/14/2012 7:49pm
Of course, he copped the melody from "Wabash Cannonball." He always had a love of country music.

by Jerry on 9/21/2012 5:39pm
What an absolute genius Chuck Berry was, writing so many incredible songs with lyrics once heard never forgotten.

How many albums do you own with not one duff track on? I'll bet none... unless you own a copy of Chuck Berry's 20 Golden Greats. He truly is the Poet Laureate of Rock n Roll

by Turbo motorhome on 12/7/2012 5:01am
Berry didn't write these lyrics.

by thane richards on 12/23/2012 8:48pm
Great story and song. Played it alot

by Poor Boy on the Line on 2/21/2013 7:22pm
Best version: Johnny Allen. Cajun heaven at Mustang pace - 1m57s.

by Turbo is wrong... on 5/4/2013 9:11am
The heck he didn't write this lyric. Where would you have gotten a stupid idea like that?

by oleevee on 6/25/2013 7:13pm
That turbo dude must be an idiot

by Poor Boy on 10/8/2014 7:58pm
Think Turbo may be right. Other sites consistently credit two other writers. Sure sounds like Chuck. Maybe he lost the credit in a court case?

by Jiggi on 10/21/2014 2:59am
"Promised Land" is a song lyric written by Chuck Berry to the melody of "Wabash Cannonball", an American folk song. The song was first recorded in this version by Chuck Berry in 1964 for his album St. Louis to Liverpool. Released in 1965, it was Berry's first single issued following his prison term for a Mann Act conviction.

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by Olsarge on 8/27/2017 5:10am
Johnny a, only the last half of verse 7 is wrong. Whoever said this is the tune of Wabash Cannonball has never heard Wabash Cannonball. Both great song but not the same tune. Elvis left out the 2nd verse completely in his version. Great karaoke song. Thanks for the lyrics.

by chicken on 2/22/2019 6:27am
nice songs

by Bingo bill on 3/2/2023 2:11am
They are both the same Chord sequence! Maybe different keys. 1, 4, 5...for those that know. Oh yes to say its a copy is like saying every single 12 bar song is a copy...absolutely pointless !