Album: Back In '72 (1973)

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• (This is from '72 also, about being on the road)
  (It's called Turn The Page)
  (One, two, three, and)
  
  On a long and lonesome highway
  East of Omaha
  You can listen to the engine
  Moanin' 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 wandering
  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
  
  See here I am
  On the road again
  There I am
  Up on the stage
  Here I go
  Playin' 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
  All the same old cliches
  "Is that a woman or a man?"
  And you always seem outnumbered
  You don't dare make a stand
  
  Here I am
  On the road again
  There I am
  Up on the stage
  Here I go
  Playin' 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
  
  Ah, here I am
  On the road again
  There I am
  Up on the stage
  Here I go
  Playin' 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 Writer/s: Bob Seger
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 66

• Wayne Vaughan from VirginiaThis is my favorite song by Bob, I'll never forget I was riding my bike from Virginia to the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota in 2021 and I was by myself that year. As I was riding north on interstate 29 Turn the Page started playing on the radio and as I was going through Council Bluffs Iowa the part of the song that says "on a long and lonsome highway east of Omha" played and I was exactly 4 miles east of Omaha.
• Shellstatler from WisconsinHe wrote it on the road while he was on tour and was in Northern, WI at the time traveling to MI(?). Some folks saw long hair on men as weird, hence Aerosmith's 'Dude Looks Like A Lady'. I know others associated it with being a hippie and whatnot during that time as well. But they had stopped in some small town up north, and were chastised for how they looked, literally talking about their long hair. Overall, it's about how lonely it can get on the road, and also to brush stuff off, turn the page, and continue on.
• Tripod69 from 49417Metallica actually improved upon some of the songs they covered (i.e., Am I Evil?).
  "Turn the Page" is definitely NOT one of those songs. Why?
  The SAX IS the song!
• Thomas from IllinoisWasn't there an 80's detective show that used Bob seger's Turn the Page for their intro music? I can't find anything online.
• Harley Bruce from Anywhere UsaYeah, some people think that the long hair discrimination is over! Ride a few miles IN my shoes! There are still many closed minded people out there that still think long hair and Harleys are trouble. Not always the case. We. are supposed to be in individuals. And not cut from the same cloth. I think that they are jealous of the freedom i have to not be afraid of who I am!
• Wolf_from_wv from WvYou ride to the destination, get up on stage, perform, and leave. At the end of the day, you 'turn the page' to the next destination, and do it again. And again. And again.
  
  Is the monotony worth it? Does it satisfy? Is that all there is?
  
  "The same old cliches, is that a woman or a man?"
  
  Other songs mention long hair...
  "Are you a boy or are you a girl" by the Barbarians
  "Signs" by the 5 man electrical band (And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply...)
  "Uneasy Rider" by the Charlie Daniels band (Well I stuffed my hair up under my hat And told the bartender that I had a flat)
• Mandy705 from Kansas'Turn the page' & 'Night moves' are my favorite! "Turn the page" is 1 of my reoccurring earwigs! Lol! I suffer from tinnitus also and it drives me nuts. The left ear has the ringing but my right year went from ringing to the sound very similar to a baby's heartbeat on a monitor. I would much rather go back to the ringing. It's so loud that I can literally feel it in my neck. Its AWFUL but his songs are WONDERFUL!
• Derek from Wales UkI feel that this song apart from about life on the road as a singer can also relate to military personnel on operations.
• Zarko from DenmarkDoes anyone know where to find a good (studio) version of James Hetfields version? Ive been looking all over the internet, without any luck. I heard this song on my first visit to the States just a few weeks ago, driving down to Key West, from Orlando, with the top down, very much enjoying the scenery, although pretty 'strung out from the road'. I absolutely loved his take on it.
  I would appreciate a link or clue to where to continue my search, so I can relive that moment.
  Regards from cold Copenhagen
• Carl from OregonIt's easy to argue the merits of both versions but Seger's version was the only one to focus on that dynamite sax solo opening. It placed the plateau at an almost unreachable level for anyone who followed. Metallica did a credible cover and I really liked what they did with the video. I even liked the way Waylon Jennings took the song to the Country side in 1985 with a large degree of success and it's had numerous covers since then. The bottom line is that the song is simply incredible and easily identified with in any genre. 10-11-2015
• Dalan from Notacityyet, MtDefinitely one of my favorite songs!
  
  As Bob Seger said "this is a song about being on the road". After 1.5 million miles of commercial bus driving myself, some of it "east of Omaha", I feel "strung out from the road" every time I hear this song, even though I haven't driven commercially in 15 years.
  
  The line "Turn the page", imho, refers to "put what just happened behind you, move on, and "turn the page"".
  
• Jorge from Bronx, NyThis is how i became to discover Bob Seger,I once borrows his Night Moves album in the local library,ever since followed his work,but never seen him perform Live!
• Matt from X, IaWhen he sings, "On a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha," I believe he is talking about either Interstate 80 (not quite so lonesome), which runs to and through Des Moines, IA, or state route 34, a smaller highway (and definitely more lonesome), which runs all the way across IA into IL. If he's talking about SR34, I would think that restaurant he mentions would be in a town called Creston. That is the first city of any significant size one would come across on that highway.
• Renan Alisson from Salvador, BrazilI love Metallica's cover, but the original version is much better. This song is an ode for every musician around the world. There's no better way to define how an artist or a band feels when they are at the road. Bob is a legend !!!
• Raju from Hyderabad, IndiaTo Richard from Raju, India...the meaning of the line you asked is that the reaction of people that how they talk about the artist when they were in an restaurent or any public place and how the artist feel embarassed about it ....
• Raju from Hyderabad, IndiaCan someone tell me the meaning of the line"turn the page"in the song???
• Gary from Brisbane, AustraliaHey Wayne from Salem,VA.The studio version of Turn The Page is from the album entitled "Back In 72" which was released in 73.
  Bob is quoted on Live Bullet as stating "This is from 72 also, about being on the road, its called Turn The Page"
  Perhaps "Back In 72" is one album you missed in your collection?
  No ones interpretation of this song is as good as Segers version.It is perfection...and to my fellow Australian,David from Gosford I recently saw Jon English in concert & the version he sang really sucked, this time around.Very dissapointing but I think Jon's voice has gone.
  To Kayla from Oklahoma City Bob Seger has had a far superior voice compared to the much younger James Hetfield.James sings this song differently basically louder but not as well - I would like to make the point that NO ONE else can accomplish the vocals that Seger did in his younger days. It is that simple. If you sit at the piano and figure Seger's real range--without falsetto--in just the studio version of "Katmandu," he is covering three octaves!! On guitar, that is the low E string on a guitar, to the high e string-- 12th fret!!! And they are full throated notes, not falsetto! He is singing from deep Neil Diamond territory and then soaring up and over Robert Plant territory, all in one song,. In some cases, within a few bars. Give a listen to "Humminbird," and "Jesse James" from Smokin OP's: Notice how on the repeat and fade, "Don't Fly Away" outtro of "Humminbird" and the fade of "Jesse James" Seger's voice effortlessly soars over Pam Todd and Crystal Jenkins backing vocals.
  Seger is unmatched!!!
  
• Mark from Worcester, MiRichard, Fort Lauder-dale, FL "Most times you can't hear 'em talk, Other times you can All the same old cliches, "Is that a woman or a man?" you have to finish the verse. It's an acknowledgment that in certain parts of our country long haired musicians were harassed and questioned as to their sex. It was a different age...the 70's. Jimmy Page talked about how in certain parts of the country they'd get a real hard time over the length of their hair. Sometimes he heard it and sometimes he didn't "Is that a guy or a girl?" Keeping in mind that in the 70's when this was written the faces of musicians were not well known AT ALL, so people wouldn't recognize him. Just some freak with long hair.
  
  
• Richard from Fort Lauderdale, Flcan anyone explain to me the meaning of the line:
  Yeah, most times you can't hear 'em talk, Other times you can
  
• Pam from Invercargill, New Zealand"Is it woman, is it man?" is a comment about any male song band member with long hair during the 70's/80's. Awesome song & I also like Jon English's version.
• Jim from Long Beach, CaThis is a great song. It is about the rigors of the musical traveling circus, touring.
• Jj from Washington, DcLove this version more than Metallica!!
• Randy from Buckingham, VaWhat I think Seger is trying to say by Turn The Page is it's like reading a book, when your always on the road, you got to keep on going like turning the page
• Paul from Denver, CoWhen I was in college in the 80's, I was on the track team and would listen to this song at every meet as I was warming up before I raced. Still have to turn up the radio every time I hear this song.
• Joel from Columbia, ScI actually like Hetfield's version better but to those who like Seeger's version more power to ya.
• Kayla from Oklahoma City, OkI really didn't care for the Bob Seger version, though I do appreciate the fact that he wrote it and performed it... without his version, Metallica would never hase made a better version! Lol. I just think James Hetfield's voice is more powerful, and the guitar and bass lines are much better... but, to each their own, as I like to say. ^^;
• Jfv from Philadelphia, PaTo: Wayne from Salem, VA
  This song does appear on the studio album entitled "Back In '72". That's what Seger is referring to when he utters the line you quoted in your posted comment.
  
  Also, if you only have Seger material up to "Live Bullet", you need to invest in all of his recordings that followed. His material clearly got far better subsequent to "Live Bullet, even though "Live Bullet" is itself a great live recording, especially considering the era in which it was recorded (early '70s).
  
  Also, there's no sense debating which version of a song is better. Usually we're loyal to the one we heard first. The fact that Metallica chose to cover it is indication enough that they loved the Seger version too.
  
  JFV, March 2009
  
• Jfv from Philadelphia, PaTo: Wayne from Salem, VA
  This song does appear on the studio album entitled "Back In '72". That's what Seger is referring to when he utters the line you quoted in your posted comment.
  
  Also, if you only have Seger material up to "Live Bullet", you need to invest in all of his recordings that followed. His material clearly got far better subsequent to "Live Bullet, even though "Live Bullet" is itself a great live recording, especially considering the era in which it was recorded (early '70s).
  
  Also, there's no sense debating which version of a song is better. Usually we're loyal to the one we heard first. The fact that Metallica chose to cover it is indication enough that they loved the Seger version too.
  
  JFV, March 2009
  
• Wayne from Salem, VaI have all of Bob Seger's albums up to the "Live Bullet" album,which this is from. He says "this is a song from 72',about life on the road". Yet it isn't on any previous studio albums. Isn't it funny how alot of artists put these great songs like this. Only on their Live albums and not on studio albums. You know what I mean. A great song,no doubt! I love the sax,it's haunting. To those of you who maybe don't know. At first the group was called The Bob Seger System (Ramblin' Gamblin' Man)
• Jane from Austin, Txi like because it mentions Omaha and that's where i was living at the time when the song came out.
• Bruce from Freeport, FlTo Linda from Omaha, NE: your question about what the line "Is that a woman or a man" meant. He is singing about being on the road as a rock musician, and in the 70s, the long-hair wasn't taken too well by a lot of the older generation. They used to make comments bout the long hair as "is that a woman or a man". When he sings about "hear 'em talk"..."same old cliches, is that a woman or a man".
  - Bruce, Rio de Janeiro
• Trey Le Park from Vacaville, CaThis song is a classic hit no matter who performs it. SOMETHING YOU DONT KNOW, BOB SEGAR PROBABLY DONT KNOW EITHER,
  BON JOVI, IN A SNEAKY CRAFTY WAY, ROBBED HIM WITH THE SONG BLAZE OF GLORY FOR THE MOVIE YOUNG GUN. ALMOST A PERFECT NOTE FOR NOTE, WORD FOR WORD, FORGERY. SOMETHING YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM LOCAL BAND STRUGGLING FOR ANY KIND OF ATTENTION... NOT A WORLD FAMOUS MEGA BAND LIKE BON JOVI. MAKES ME WONDER WHO REALLY WROTE THE SONGS TO THE HITS ON THE FIRST ALBUM LIKE YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME AND ETC. THIS SONG THEY STOLE FROM BOB WAS A SMASH FOR THEM AND THE MOVIE, AND THERE WERE AND STILL ARE SUBSTANTIAL ROYALTY AMOUNTS PAID TO BON JOVI. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT BON JOVI DO SOME RESEARCH AND FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH THEY MADE FROM THAT SONG AND MAKE A DONATION IN THAT AMOUNT TO THE RESEARCH FOR A CURE FOR BOB SEGARS CONDITION WITH HIS EARS, WHICH PART OF THIS SONG WAS ABOUT.
• Linda from Omaha, NeI've always wondered what the line "Is that a woman or a man" meant. That line has always seemed out of place to me. Can anyone make sense of it for me?
• Myra from Chicago, IlAll you classic rock fans, I'm right there with you! Metallica does an awesome job, but i really prefer the original!
• Myra from Chicago, IlThis song is so damn awesome! Being on the road all the time ain't fun at all. Bob Seger did an awesome job creating this song and Metallica (one of my FAVORITE bands) did a good job paying tribute to it.
• Sally from South Orange, NjLove this song, love Metallica's cover, love Bob Seger.
• Daniel from San Diego, Nvthis song is so awesome...one of the best 70s songs around
• Jasper from Alphen, NetherlandsListen to Golden Earring's Turn the Page. It's really a great cover. I think much better than the original and Metallica's cover.
• Eddie from Natchez, MsAny song about a personal experiance that is played generally makes the TOP 40. Also, songs like these have more staying power than most.
• Rick from Seattle, WaI know the meaning of the song is completely unrelated to the civil war, but everytime I hear it, I can't help but think of the Confederate retreat from Petersburg/Richmond, on the road to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginiat at Appomatox. Maybe its the weariness of the melody, or the lyrics: "You always seem outnumbered, you don't dare make a stand.
  Here I am, on the road again."
• Jon from Oakridge, OrSounds kind of evenly split. Well, here's what I think; LOVE BOTH VERSIONS.
• Dae from Sumter, ScHands down, Bob Seger's original version is the best. The saxophone in the background adds the right mood, and lets you know that while songs are written for our enjoyment, there is a price to pay.
  I refuse to listen to anyone else's version. Sometimes, you must remain a purist.
• Nooxara from Albany, AkI perfer Bob Segers more then anything else.
• Matt from Hollowville, NyThis is a great song and I love Bob Seger's original. But Metallica really made it sound even better. The intensity and anger in Hetfield's voice really made it fit perfectly
• Sam Warren from Morristown, InI first heard this song on the radio and i fell in love with it...
• Derek from Brampton, CanadaYjr teo versions, when listened to back to back, really show how well Bob Seger can sing and how badly Metallica sinfs. I think that modern day wannabe great musician's should just leave well enough alone. They also ruined Wiskey in the Jar :P Another favourite of mine from the early seventies.
• Josh from New York, Nyto be honest i think metallica's version is better. the horn section in seger's kinda alters the mood and knocks it off pace. pound-for-pound, vocally, seger OWNS hetfield, but i think the music on metallica's is better.
• Thomas from Suisun City, CaI love both versions and classify them as seperate pieces of art. The Seger version is more mellow and showing a man who takes the grief and misery in stride as part of the industry. Metallica shows you a side where the artist just snaps under the pressure, wants to shout out his frustrations, and does so THROUGH his art. They are both great versions of the same song.
  For Cody, covering a song is NOT disgracing them. The artist(s) get permission from the owner of the song to do the cover, usually, and they cover a song to show RESPECT to the original artist/lyricist. It would be safe to assume they spoke with Seger before singing it and then allowed him to hear the final version and give his OK before releasing it publicly.
• Harland from MilestoneI really can't decided between which version i like better, just two amazing musicians and bands working on this song. I wonder if they'd ever convider doing it together that would be sweet.
• -megan from OshawaThis song was played at my grandpa's funeral and till this day I still cry every time I hear it.
• Ydur from Knoxville, TnInspired by then novelist and future recording artist Leonard Cohen.
• Isaac from Lisboa, PortugalI absolutly adore Metallica, but when it comes to "Turn The Page" they're way out of their league! Bob Seger does it like the masterpiece this song is! It's only a song, it's a trade mark almost a hymn although written about life on the road the interpretations are many and everyone that listens to this song can have their meaning. There were a couple of years after I started listening to this song that I found what it was about, although it makes perfect sense I had never thought about it in that way. I guess it has a special and personal meaning for everyone who listnens to it.
• Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScMetalica's version is great, but I prefer the original.
• Amanda from Carthage, TnI agree with you adam. I absolutely love bob segar, but metallica did an amazing job, despite the shoes they had to fill with this one.
• Adam from Lawrencetown, CanadaMetallica did an awesome job on this, personally, I think its better than Seger's, the heavy taste suits it better.
• Brandon from Morristown, TnThis song is beautiful.I love its opening,its sorta haunting.But someone said Golden Earring did a cover of this?I didn't know that existed(then again ive found bb king,clapton,page,and some other people doing a song together).A I like Metallica's version,it doesnt sound like the orginal cause its by another band with a different style than Mr.Seger's style.But this song is good.It seems to reflect the life of a early musician(tours and stuff).Then again its only my opinion.
• Cody from San Antonio, Txi absolutely hate metallica's cover, along with every other metallica song ive ever heard. they seem pretty talentless to me, even though most people would disagree. i wouldnt hate em as much if they didnt disgrace works of art such as "turn the page," Budgie's "breadfan" (most people think metallica wrote it), and Blue oyster cult's "Astronomy." i wish bands with less talent would leave such amazing pieces of music alone.
• Joe from College Park, Md
  Todd two-times, that seems unlikely. I can think of a number of meanings for the line 'Turn the page', but the clearest evidence that it was intentional is that it fits into the rhyme and meter. Try singing the song without those 3 words.
• Todd from Menomonee Falls, WiOn a radio show about 5 years back, I heard Bob Seger wrote or finished writing the song on the way to their next gig so he didn't have all the lyrics memorized and there was no title. So the first time this song was performed live he wrote on the bottom of the page (turn the page). Has anyone else ever heard this? Nobody seems to believe me and I can't find it on the Internet.
• Charlie from Thomaston, Cti hate the fact that no one remembers that bob seger wrote this! they think that its about strippers because metallica twisted it into somehting it was not origonally about, which is strange because metallica is usually great and praiseworthy
• Tom from Trowbridge, EnglandI'm a Metallica fan but I prefer the original; it sounds much better as a slow, country number. I'm not saying Metallica's version is rubbish, it's just that they turned it into a heavy metal beast of a song, which wasn't intended.
• Katie from AustraliaLove this song. I heard Metallica's version first, and I heard Bob Seger's original about six years later. I was surprised at how mellow it is compared to the Metallica version. I love both interpretations of the song, Bob Seger is a legend.
• Ted from Loveland, CoThis song has been done many times over by artists like
  Metalica
  Golden Earring
  Waylon Jennings,
  John Michael Murphy
  Stone Mountain Boys
  Travis Tritt
• Blackdog from New Milford, NjI absolutely hate Metallica's version and think it does not do Bob Seger justice.
• Brian from Mayfield Heights, OhMetallica's cover of this is absolutely incredible, along with the rest of their "Garage, Inc." tracks.
• David from Gosford, AustraliaJon English did a wonderful cover of this in 1975, in which he really brings out the anger in the line "and you just want to EXPLOOOOOOOOOOOODE!!!!" It's chilling. It also reaches an amazing climax to the song at the end. It may not be for everybody, especially those accustomed ot the road-weariness of the original, but the lyric has a lot of pent up aggression in it, and this really shows in the cover with the music and power in the vocal to match. Check it out.

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