Tennessee

Album: 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... (1992)
Charted: 18 6
Play Video
  • Tennessee (Tennessee)
    Tennessee (Tennessee)
    Tennessee (Tennessee)
    Tennessee (Tennessee)

    Lord, I've really been real stressed, down and out, losing ground
    Although I am black and proud, problems got me pessimistic
    Brothers and sisters keep messin' up, why does it have to be so damn tuff?
    I don't know where I can go to let these ghosts out of my skull
    My grandma past, my brother's gone, I never at once felt so alone
    I know you're supposed to be my steering wheel, not just my spare tire
    (Home) but Lord, I ask You
    (Home) to be my guiding force and truth
    (Home) for some strange reason it had to be
    (Home) He guided me to Tennessee

    (Home) take me to another place, take me to another land
    Make me forget all that hurts me, let me understand Your plan
    Take me to another place, take me to another land
    Make me forget all that hurts me, let me understand Your plan (yeah)

    Lord, it's obvious we got a relationship
    Talkin' to each other every night and day
    Although You're superior over me
    We talk to each other in a friendship way
    Then outta nowhere You tell me to break
    Outta the country and into more country
    Past Dyesburg into Ripley
    Where the ghost of childhood haunts me
    Walk the roads my forefathers walked
    Climb the trees my forefathers hung from
    Ask those trees for all their wisdom
    They tell me my ears are so young (home)
    Go back, from whence you came (home)
    My family tree, my family name (home)
    For some strange reason it had to be (home)
    He guided me to Tennessee (home)

    Take me to another place, take me to another land
    Make me forget all that hurts me, let me understand Your plan
    Take me to another place, take me to another land
    Make me forget all that hurts me, let me understand Your plan

    (Eshe, she went down to Holly Springs)
    (Rasadon and Baba, they went down to Peachtree)
    (Headliner, I challenge you to a game of horseshoes, a game of horseshoes)

    Now I see the importance of history
    Why my people be in the mess that they be
    Many journeys to freedom made in vain
    By brothers on the corner playin' ghetto games
    I ask you, Lord, why You enlightened me
    Without the enlightenment of all my folks
    He said, 'cause I set myself on a quest for truth
    And He was there to quench my thirst
    But I am still thirsty
    The Lord allowed me to drink some more
    He said what I am searching for are
    The answers to all which are in front of me
    The ultimate truth started to get blurry
    For some strange reason it had to be
    It was all a dream about Tennessee

    Take me to another place, take me to another land
    Make me forget all that hurts me, let me understand Your plan
    Take me to another place, take me to another land
    Make me forget all that hurts me, let me understand Your plan
    Oh, won't You let me, won't You help me
    Won't You help me understand Your plan
    Take me home, take me home, home, take me to another place
    Take me home
    Whoa, you know I need to go home, yeah

    (Headliner, I won the game of horseshoes
    (Now you owe me a watermelon
    (Let's go climb trees and skip over rocks
    (Do like they do below the border
    (Hmm? Speech's hair
    (Don't it look like the roots of the tree that the ancestors were hung from?
    (But that's okay, get it, 'cause he's down to Earth
    (Mmm, Tennessee (Tennessee)
    Tennessee, woo, yeah
    Tennessee
    Te-tenes Writer/s: Aerle Jones, Todd Thomas
    Publisher: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 2

  • Neil from Toronto, OnMalcolm Jamal Warner (Cosby show's Theo) appeared in the video.
  • Karen from Dania Beach, FlI'm so interested to read this. I love this song. The song was so honest and real that it transcended the barriers of race and age that can often make it difficult for the universal listener to feel the experience being portrayed. Great, moving song.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & FireSongwriter Interviews

The longtime bassist of Earth, Wind & Fire discusses how his band came to do a holiday album, and offers insight into some of the greatest dance/soul tunes of all-time.

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"They're Playing My Song

Dean's saga began with "Ariel," a song about falling in love with a Jewish girl from New Jersey.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

Harold Brown of War

Harold Brown of WarSongwriter Interviews

A founding member of the band War, Harold gives a first-person account of one of the most important periods in music history.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.