The Old Man Down The Road

Album: Centerfield (1985)
Charted: 10
Play Video
  • He take the thunder from the mountain, he take the lightning from the sky,
    He bring the strong man to his begging knee, he make the young girl's mama cry.

    You got to hidey-hide, you got to jump and run;
    You got to hidey-hidey-hide, the Old Man is down the road.

    He got the voices speak in riddles, he got the eye as black as coal,
    He got a suitcase covered with rattlesnake hide, and he stands right in the road.

    You got to hidey-hide, you got to jump up run away;
    You got to hidey-hidey-hide, the Old Man is down the road.

    Ah!

    He make the river call your lover, he make the barking of the hound,
    Put a shadow 'cross the window, when the Old Man comes around.

    You got to hidey-hide, you got to jump and run again;
    You got to hidey-hidey-hide, the Old Man is down the road.
    The Old Man is down the road.

    Ah!
    You got ta, you got ta, you got ta, hidey-hidey-hide! Writer/s: JOHN C. FOGERTY
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 19

  • Skip from PhiladelphiaAs with the work of so many poets and literary types, we will never know exactly what it means, if there indeed is an exact meaning. Move over Bob Dylan. I like to think of it as a song to motivate us, live it up because you won't be able to forever, you will be an old man soon enough
  • Bob from South AlabamaThis is the swamp music of the Gulf Coast: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi & Louisiana. Amazing that a California guy picked up on it way back in the 1960's. Fogerty has such great soulful licks. Better than the Beatles, Stones or anyone else for the day.
    They loved me and our band down in Pascagoula, Mississippi whenever we covered "Born on the Bayou"
  • Anton from EarthWill forever despise Saul Zaentz for annihilating more than a decade's worth of musical productivity of one of my favorite musicians from the seventies.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 31st 1985, John Fogerty appeared on 'All Stars MTV Showtime' at the Chaplin Stage in Hollywood, California; it would be his first live performance in fourteen years...
    At the time his "The Old Man Down the Road" as at #22 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; a little over three weeks later on February 24th it would peak at #10 {for 1 week}, it would also peak at #10 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart...
    And on January 20th, 1985 it reached #1 {for 3 weeks} on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart...
    John Cameron Fogerty will celebrate his 71st birthday this coming May 28th {2016}.
  • Johnny from Boston, MaThis is one of the most bizarre plagiarism stories. Amazing that he had to play the guitar in court to clear up any misunderstandings. It is also a crime that Zaentz owns the CCR catalog.
  • Cory from Dallas, TxHe is an (OLD MAN) man well versed in the southern tradition of clandestine or(illegal)activities such as "alchemical" drug and or alcohol manufacture. [The devil] in other words Masonically speaking. "Suitcase in rattlesnake hide" is commonplace in south western areas of narco trafficking. AND culture of Texas Mexico Louisiana etc. It is a suitcase OF DRUGS. standing right in the road; are inevitable in this waiiting in the CROSSROADS OF FAST LIFE IN DEALING where the reptile represents the same endangered-dangerous temperment[DONT TREAD ON ME] or HIDEY HIDEY HIDE. in rural areas Everyone knows at least on vengeful OLD MAN that runs shtT.
    Who does not get charged criminally and is protected SO HIDE.bring a strong mamn to his dope fiending knees make the young girl momma cry... NOW YOU KNOW A MANIPULATIVE OLD MAN. dont 4 get to COVER THE WINDOWS PARANOID DOPE DEVILS.
    -Illumadept, Dallas
  • Dane from Lima,ohio, FlIn a pop up video way back when,It said John said this song is about overcoming obstacles,whatever they may be.I love the twangy guitar & the killer groove.John played all the instuments on this album.I always liked this one especially when it came out (in 1985) it was all synth pop & hair metal.This song was a blast of fresh air.
  • Erik from Bloomfield Hills, MiSued for plagiarizing oneself?! Only in the 80s.
  • Kelly from Waukesha, WiThe song is about the devil, and he make the barking of the hound is the hell hounds after your soul once your 10yr deal is up, he has a suit case and stands in the road, meaning the cross roads.
  • Steve from Cincinnati, OhI've always thought the old man was "Death". I've never seen the video.
  • Aaron from Babylon, Caactually i take that back Old Man is another alias for Satan, so more specifically this song could be about The Devil...
  • Pj from Okc, OkThis song is about your own mortality! The video flashes the things that happen in life. ...listen and watch the video, it makes more since!



    PJ
  • Dyani from Santa Fe , NmI always thought that the lyrics, "Eye as black as coal" were "Highest bag of coke". I'm glad I'm wrong.
  • Sam from Shanghai, ChinaI love Fogerty's voice!! What kind of hopeless SOB would sue someone for sounding like themself? %$#!
  • Ed from Incognito, IlFogerty's voice, tho not technically very good, was the sound of the Viet Nam era
  • Jude from Thomasville, GaI love this song, and I love "Run Through The Jungle" But...I played them back to back, and they are not that much alike. Maybe that's why my favorite Fogerty song is "Vanz Kant Danz", which was originally titled "Zanz Kant Danz". Vanz/Zanz is a pig who picks the pockets of the crowd watching his boy, Billy, perform. You guessed right if you guess that Mr. Zaentz also sued over this and won. I'm not sure how John Fogerty managed to slip the darker and more straight forward "Mr. Greed" by him. I'm even more surprised that Zaentz didn't decide he was the title character in "The Old Man Down The Road" and file a suit over that!
  • Charles from Augusta,, GaThis was not his first hit as a solo artist. He had a hit with Jambalaya in 1972 which reached number 16, Hearts of Stone, in 1972 which reached number 37 and Rockin All Over the World in 1975, which reached number 27. He laid low for nine years, working out legalities with Fantasy records, and woodshedding, before releasing his brilliant one man band effort, Centerfield in 1985.
  • Sylvain from Montreal, CanadaWatching the video, i beleive this song is more about someone, near the end of his life looking back at his past. Being "down the road" is a metaphor for saying that you're life is coming to an end.
  • Deana from Indianapolis, InI believe I read, shortly after this was released, that the song was about "trouble".
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Rick Springfield

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"They're Playing My Song

Chris and his wife Tina were the rhythm section for Talking Heads when they formed The Tom Tom Club. "Genius of Love" was their blockbuster, but David Byrne only mentioned it once.

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

John Doe of X

John Doe of XSongwriter Interviews

With his X-wife Exene, John fronts the band X and writes their songs.

Richie McDonald of Lonestar

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

Desmond Child

Desmond ChildSongwriter Interviews

One of the most successful songwriters in the business, Desmond co-wrote "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" and "Livin' On A Prayer."