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Road Songs

by Nick Swan

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Linda Bryant
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Linda Bryant I love it all! A great collection for the road. As I listen, all songs became my favorite for different reasons. We are lucky we still have music to get through this pandemic & social crisis. Favorite track: Wiser Time.
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David Miller
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1.
Roadworn 03:20
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Wake up early and go to bed late Fightin' the traffic on the interstate Goin' to work means you don't go home Ridin' the white line from dusk 'til dawn Well I'm still out here truckin' along Tryin' to write myself a brand new song But I'm roadworn Stop at a truck stop to take a piss Thinkin' about the one I miss Eatin the fast food you know ain't good Just don't try to check under the hood Well I'm still out here truckin' along Tryin' to write myself a brand new song But I'm roadworn Well I put my boots on under my jeans Try to keep from comin apart at the seams This cowboy hat has seen a lot of things... Like highway queens and broken dreams But it's still roadworn Solo So long baby I got to go I'm headed out to do one more show...
2.
Back on the Road 04:13
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Been way too long Stayin in this house I wanna get loud But I'm quiet as a mouse I've been cooped up Like a duck in a pen Wanna spread my wings Wanna get on the road again Gotta get on the road now Nothin gonna hold me down Gotta get on the road now Ain't nothin gonna stop me now Been a long hard winter Couldn't go outside Had too much snow I wanna see sunshine Got cabin fever Deep in my brain Like Jack from "The Shining" About to go insane Gotta get on the road now Nothin gonna hold me down Gotta get on the road now Ain't nothin gonna stop me now Yeah I gotta Get back gotta get back gotta Get back gotta get back gotta Get back gotta get back out on the road
3.
Tennessee Troubadour 03:40
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I'll see ya later baby As I'm walkin out the door I'll see ya later baby as I'm walkin out the door I'm headed outa Nashville I'm a Tennessee Troubadour Well I lived in New York City And I lived in Memphis too I lived in New York and I lived in Memphis too But I'm just a rollin stone With no moss under my shoe So I'm goin out to Denver To see if I can find I'm goin out to Denver To see if I can find That lovin Colorado girl of mine Well I've wandered and I've rambled All around this whole country I've wandered and I rambled all around All around this whole country But I never found another Place I love like Tennessee Cause I've been to Arizona And I've been to Texas too Yeah I've been to Arizona And I've been to Texas too But I'm bound for California So I can Yodel-eh-he-hoo Yodel-eh....
4.
California Time 04:30
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Like the ocean brings the tide Like a stranger passes by Like the freeway in the night It just keeps goin, by and by We're just rollin on California time Like a banjo playin low Like a dancer swayin slow Like a woman you don't know Who's to say where she will go We're just rollin on California time Like a river flowin south Like an old song from your mouth Like the sun shines and goes down It's everlasting, ain't no doubt We're just rollin on California time
5.
17 Miles 2 Sedona 03:21
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17 miles 2 Sedona Don't the air feel good in Arizona? Drivin along with your hair blowin in the breeze Dreamin bout a woman in Prescott Little older than me but not by a lot And don't she look good when she dance in them blue jeans? I've been thinkin bout the time I spent in Texas Or those nights I played in Nashville, Tennessee So don't ask me why I put a space between us I'm just tryin to get somewhere I feel free Just about an hour til sundown Think I'll get out the car and take a look around Walkin along in the Arizona sun Thinkin bout goin to Vegas Never been there before but the road'll take us Drinkin and gamblin and women sure sound like fun I've been thinkin bout the time I spent in Texas Or those nights I played in Nashville, Tennessee So don't ask me why I put a space between us I'm just tryin to get somewhere I feel free Solo I've been thinkin bout the time I spent in Texas Or those nights I played in Nashville, Tennessee So don't ask me why I put a space between us I'm just tryin to get somewhere I feel free
6.
Don't Wanna Be an Outlaw 04:41
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I was standin on a corner Just lookin at my shoes Tired of lookin for a woman For to chase away my blues When she walked up beside me Sayin, "Honey how do you do?" But I did not have an answer Cause I didn't have a clue I've been sick with ramblin fever Gettin high until I fall Never stopped to question either What's the purpose of it all So shoot me with a smile, babe And put away your gun I don't wanna count the bodies From the battles we have won Just kill me with your kindness Don't leave me on the run I don't wanna be an outlaw I just wanna have some fun So she smiled and ordered whiskey A double just for two And she handed me the glasses Sayin, "this must be for you" So we drank until the morning And forgot what we should do All alone in some motel room Two strangers me and you I've been walkin on a wire Tryin hard not to fall Gettin closer to the fire When it burns, it burns us all So shoot me with a smile, babe And put away your gun I don't wanna count the bodies From the battles we have won Just kill me with your kindness Don't leave me on the run I don't wanna be an outlaw I just wanna have some fun
7.
Stuck in the Middle of America Again 03:45
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Out of southern Illinois Came a long haired country boy Lookin for a new life out on the interstate I didn't care where I was goin Or how long my hair kept goin I just put my soul at the mercy of a long highway Sometimes I get sad and I don't know why Maybe it's the color of the evenin sky Or the way my shadow leans against the wind Sometimes I get lost and I can't get found Maybe it's becasue I'm sorrow-bound Or I'm stuck here in the middle of America again There ain't much in Missouri For a boy like me to do But just look at the sky and have another dream or two Well I wanted more than that So I left and I ain't been back Now it's just some place that I once passed through Sometimes I get sad and I don't know why Maybe it's the color of the evenin sky Or the way my shadow leans against the wind Sometimes I get lost and I can't get found Maybe it's becasue I'm sorrow-bound Or I'm stuck here in the middle of America again Solo There's nights when my guitar sounds just like fire And there's nights I'm left alone with my desire Sometimes I get sad and I don't know why Maybe it's the color of the evenin sky Or the way my shadow leans against the wind Sometimes I get lost and I can't get found Maybe it's becasue I'm sorrow-bound Or I'm stuck here in the middle of America again
8.
If I Had Wings 02:34
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If I had wings ready to fly I would fall out of the sky From the stars, wherever you are Baby I'd fall If I had known what I know now I would crawl into your house If I had known what I know now Baby I'd crawl To the bottom of the ocean To the eye of the sun Across the California desert Baby I'd run If I had time, I'd make it stand still Instead of havin no time to kill I'd spend it all just doin your will If I had time If I could fall into your arms I would stay there right where you are Instead of bein stranded so far Baby I'd fall To the bottom of the ocean To the eye of the sun Across the California desert Baby I'd run If I had wings ready to fly I would fall out of the sky From the stars, wherever you are Baby I'd fall
9.
Pensacola 04:43
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There's a warm breeze blowin off of the Cumberland River A cold one in my hand that tastes real good But a night like this can only make me remember The last nights that I got to share with you The sunset takes me back to Pensacola The last place where our love was true and free But I'd drive half the night and on past 'Nola If I thought that it might bring you back to me Pensacola - are you still down there? By the ocean, wild and blue We were dancin in the white sand Pensacola, me and you There's somethin about the wind comin off the harbor That reminds me of the way things used to be Spent our mornings eatin breakfast at The Coffee Cup And our nights at McGuire's with Rich McDuff Were the happiest times that we would ever see Pensacola - are you still down there? By the ocean, wild and blue We were dancin in the white sand Pensacola, me and you Well I don't know where you are tonight Maybe where the neon's shinin bright Or you're somewhere, hopin to come back to Pensacola... Pensacola - are you still down there? By the ocean, wild and blue We were dancin in the white sand Pensacola, me and you
10.
Go Down South 04:22
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We got good BBQ and good cornbread Got moonshine goes straight to your head The biggest watermelons you ever seen And we put hot sauce on everything Good on chicken, good on greens Good on biscuits, and good on beans Tastes like heaven and burns like hell Makes you wanna run right back to the well Chicken in the breadpan pickin out dough Granny does your dog bite - "No, child, no" Live like a sinner, talk like a saint Never gonna be nothin that we ain't So come on now! Come on now! Come on now! You gotta go down South We got guns and bibles, rich and poor Politicians tryin to fix the score The elephants and the horse's asses All get together to screw the masses Hooked on pills, hooked on meth Hooked on religion, and hooked on death May be right, may be wrong But we're all still singin the same old song "Well I wish I was in the land of Cotton" Music there won't be forgotten Rock and roll, rhthym and blues Let's all get together and sing a tune So come on now! Come on now! Come on now! You gotta go down South Solo We got black and white, we can't go back To the days when your skin color held ya back Men in bondage, women in chains Back of the bus and the KKK Til one day one man had a dream A man by the name of Martin Luther King He said we can all do better than this But they shot him down in Memphis... You can kill a man, but not a dream And times ain't like they used to be Free at last, free at last Let's put that bullshit in the past So come on now! Come on now! Come on now! You gotta go down South Oh won't you play some funky dixieland Pretty mama come take me by the hand By the hand now, take me by the hand, pretty mama Dance with your daddy all night long
11.
Wiser Time 05:18
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No time left now for shame, horizon behind me, no more pain Windswept stars blink and smile, another song, another mile You read the line every time, ask me about crime in my mind Ask me why another read song, funny but I bet you never left home On a good day, it's not every day, We can part the sea And on a bad day, it's not every day, Glory beyond our reach 14 Seconds until sunrise, tired but wiser for the time Lightning 30 miles away, three thousand more in two days On a good day, it's not every day, We can part the sea And on a bad day, it's not every day, Glory beyond our reach
12.
All in All (No Goodbyes) 03:40
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Some will fall, some will rise Some will sleep out in the open Underneath the Boulder skies When I go, dry your eyes No goodbyes, no goodbyes Well I don't know where I'm goin All I know is where I've been This old road, keeps on rollin It never ends, it never ends So I'll blow where the wind takes me Even though I may fall So it goes, so it shall be All in all, all in all Some will fall, some will rise Some will sleep out in the open Underneath the Boulder skies When I go, dry your eyes No goodbyes, no goodbyes I have stood on a mountain I have swam in the deep blue sea I have run from my shadow As it stood in front of me So I know there's no highway No great unknown that I cannot face The only road that's goin my way Is the road that has no place Some will fall, some will rise Some will sleep out in the open Underneath the Boulder skies When I go, dry your eyes No goodbyes, no goodbyes
13.
Turn the Page 06:03
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On a long and lonesome highway East of Omaha You can listen to the engine Moaning out his one-note song You can think about the woman Or the girl you knew the night before But your thoughts will soon be wanderin' The way they always do When you're ridin' sixteen hours And there's nothin' much to do And you don't feel much like ridin' You just wish the trip was through Say, here I am On the road again There I am Up on the stage Here I go Playin' the star again There I go Turn the page Well, you walk into a restaurant Strung out from the road And you feel the eyes upon you As you're shakin' off the cold You pretend it doesn't bother you But you just want to explode Most times you can't hear 'em talk Other times you can Oh, the same old clichés "Is that a woman or a man?" And you always seem outnumbered You don't dare make a stand Say, here I am On the road again There I am Up on the stage Here I go Playin' the star again There I go Turn the page Out there in the spotlight You're a million miles away Every ounce of energy You try to give away As the sweat pours out your body Like the music that you play Later in the evening As you lie awake in bed With the echoes from the amplifiers Ringin' in your head You smoke the day's last cigarette Rememberin' what she said Say, here I am On the road again There I am Up on the stage Here I go Just playin' the star again There I go Turn the page Ah, here I am On the road again There I am Up on the stage Here I go Playin' star again There I go There I go

about

A group of songs I wrote about or while on the road in the last 2-3 years before the pandemic. Being off the road gave me the chance to finally record them properly.

As I was assembling some unrecorded songs for this release, I started to notice a similar theme - The Road. It's a pretty familiar theme for most musicians, and some of the greatest songs of all time have been written about it. I've written about it in the past, too. Songs like "SOS" from my band's "Sink or Swim" album, or "American Song" certainly fit that bill. But never before had I done an entire album of those songs.

I certainly didn't intend to write an album of "road songs," but that's just the way they came out, so that's what I decided to call the record. I spent the past several years based in Nashville but traveling all over the country to play guitar for other country singers, particularly Billy Brown. That's his Stetson hat on the cover pic, taken from inside his Sprinter van. Along the way I learned a lot about being a "pro" musician and what it takes to live that lifestyle, for better and worse.

The album begins with a spoken phrase of mine, "There's nothing but pure void out here as we plunge headfirst into the long, dark American night." I don't know how or when I came up with that, but I certainly experienced it many times. It also sounds like something Jack Kerouac may have written, which makes sense, because I read his works like "On the Road" a lot in the past few years.

One of my favorite places to travel in the past few years has undoubtedly been Denver, and Colorado as a whole. The first track, "Roadworn," was written at the "band house" during a run at the famous Grizzly Rose. I was definitely feeling roadworn at that time. Other songs written in or about Colorado include "If I had wings," "Stuck in the middle of America again" and "All in All (No Goodbyes)." It's safe to say that Colorado was probably my biggest muse on this album.

"Pensacola" was written about another one of my favorite places to play. We got to play at one of the Margaritaville bars several years in a row, and I really grew to love the town, even though I'm not a huge beach guy.

"California Time" was written after a trip I took with Billy for an audition for "The Voice." We didn't get the audition, but it was a great trip, with stops in San Francisco, Sacramento and the beautiful Lake Tahoe.

"17 Miles 2 Sedona" is the oldest song on the album, one I began writing on a trip to Arizona while I was still living in NYC. I literally saw a road sign that said "Sedona: 17 miles" and the title popped into my head. That trip convinced me that there was more to life than living in NYC.

Other songs, like "Tennessee Troubadour" and "Go Down South," celebrate my southern roots. Although I often joked that I moved to Nashville to tour the Midwest, it still has been great to be back down south and explore this region that is so rich in culture and history, good and bad.

As I said above, some of the greatest songs of all time have been written about the road, and I couldn't resist putting a couple on here. One thing I was really looking forward to in 2020 was seeing the Black Crowes in Nashville with the Robinson brothers reunited. It's something I wasn't sure would ever happen, so I was definitely bummed to see that canceled. I came up with my version of their road classic "Wiser Time" last summer, and decided to include it here. It features my National guitar. And the good news is that now the tour is back on, and I can't wait to see the Crowes later this summer.

Maybe the greatest road song of all time is "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger. Anyone who has toured in a band can identify with it. It's also one of my dad's favorite songs, so I wanted to include it here for him, if nothing else. The pandemic has reinforced how important family is, and was part of the reason I decided to move back to East TN, at least for the time being. This is a song I've done many times live, and I always tried to combine Seger's version with Metallica's heavier interpretation.

After I had already ordered CD's for this album, I spontaneously wrote another song called "Back on the Road." I was so excited about this song that I quickly recorded it and put it out as a single ahead of my first show back in Tupelo. I'm including it as a bonus track here with the album, in addition to the single, so you can get it either way.

I hope everyone enjoys hearing these songs, and I look forward to playing them in front of actual people again. This was a complete "Swan Studios" production, with everything played, recorded, and mixed by myself right here in South Knoxville. I used most of my guitars, an Epiphone bass and a cheap Ludwig starter drum kit I bought to play around the house. I'm proud of the "garage band" sound I got for the album, and I think it works. I do really look forward to playing with other musicians again, however, especially ones who are much better than me...

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released July 2, 2021

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Nick Swan Knoxville, Tennessee

Tennessee Troubadour. Playing a mix of America's best roots music, from blues & folk to classic rock & 90s grunge.

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