Story Behind The Song

As a midwesterner, I imagined a person in a big city losing heart and getting sick of the tough competitive sometimes heartless city life. In my mind he became determined to to take charge of chuck it all and change his life. The dog jumped in the car (in my mind) at the last minute.

Song Description

The city guy has lost his money, his job and his lover, but still his his faithful companion, Dammit, the dog, who is a full and eager participant on a road trip to redefine their way of life based on the good life they discover in the back woods of the heartland of america.

Lyrics

Blue Highways
WORDS & MUSIC: POWERS MCELHONE

Well, I lost my woman and I lost my money and my innocence is gone,
so Me and my dog, Dammit, we just hit the road at dawn
'Cause we got to find some answers, and we don't know where to look
So I closed my eyes, stuck my finger on the map and that's the road we took

Followin' the BLUE HIGHWAYS
the skinny little roads on the map
Rollin' down the BLUE HIGHWAYS
--getting' off the beaten track
Followin' the BLUE HIGHWAYS,

Gonna get in touch with America, get in touch with America, get in touch with America, And find ourselves again

Ol' Dammit's ridin' shotgun
he pretends he's drivin' too
He don't mind if he's half
blind 'cause somethin's gettin' through
Like a man's a good companion
when it's time to share a meal
Ain't money enough in New York City to buy a better deal, than

Followin' the BLUE HIGHWAYS--
the skinny little roads on the map
Rollin' down the BLUE HIGHWAYS
getting' off the beaten track
Followin' the BLUE HIGHWAYS,

Gonna get in touch with America, get in touch with America, get in touch with America, and find ourselves again

Talkin' with a cropper in Reliance, Tennessee
Ol' Dammit's drinkin' coffee from a saucer on my knee
We seen towns like Freedom, Independence and Defiance from the car
And when you stop and talk a while, that's how the people are

Livin' on the BLUE HIGHWAYS
the skinny little roads on the map
All along the BLUE HIGHWAYS
getting' off the beaten track
Gonna get in touch with America, get in touch with America, get in touch with America, And find ourselves again


Talkin' with a cropper* in Reliance, Tennessee
Ol' Dammit's drinkin' coffee from a saucer on my knee
We've seen towns like Freedom, Independence and Defiance from the car
And when you stop and talk a while, that's how the people are

Livin' on the BLUE HIGHWAYS-- the skinny little roads on the map
All along the BLUE HIGHWAYS--getting' off the beaten track
Followin' the BLUE HIGHWAYS,

Gonna get in touch with America, get in touch with America, get in touch with America, and find our souls again


© 1990-2009 Powers McElhone