Here’s another story about a tune from my CD, White Lightnin’
I love the country singer/songwriter Jamey Johnson. He’s not that well known, but he’s had a #1 album and won 2 CMA and ACM awards. He was born in Enterprise, AL and raised in Montgomery. A number of his tunes mention Alabama. That may be part of the reason I connect. I was listening to him a lot when I wrote ‘Get Me Back to Alabama’. Around the same time my son, Ben, was working in a studio in LA (Los Angeles, not Lower Alabama). I went to see Ben and the song came together.
You hear about how crazy the folks in California are and how beautiful they are. They go to a lot of trouble to maintain both. There’s also the weather, it’s beautiful. Ben, who had lived his whole life in Alabama and Georgia, was put off by all the great weather. “It’s sunny every day.” He told me in disgust. “It never changes.” He’s the only person I ever heard complain about sunshine every day, but I get it. The same is boring. Ben wanted to come back to Georgia in the worst way. He made it home and swears he’ll never go back to the left coast.
I couldn’t decide the “best way” to get back to Alabama so you’ll notice each chorus offers a different path home.
You can hear a sample of “Get Me Back To Alabama” at https://russstill.com/white-lightnin/ and check out Track 5. Or you can hear my solo version of the song at https://youtu.be/Dr9Eyc-jN_s
You can buy the whole CD there or buy the song on iTunes under Russ Still and The Moonshiners.
GET ME BACK TO ALABAMA
Verse 1
I’m out here on the far left coast
Trying hard to make the most
Of everything that this place can provide
There’s fancy dudes and skinny girls
But from all that I’ve observed
They’re all crazy it’s something they can’t hide
Put me in the fastest lane
To where the folks are half way sane
CHORUS
Get me back to Alabama
Phoenix south through Casa Granda
It’s the place I wanna be
Where I can live my life carefree
I don’t care which road I take
As long as I get back to the place
Where I can live the life I planned
Get me back to Alabam…a
VERSE 2
They’re all health nut wanna bes
All tofu and gluten free
I need to find something to eat
They’re skin and bones and painted tans
Whitened teeth and smokin’ bans
I need to find some relief
Get me back to southern fried
Sometime soon before I die
CHORUS
Get me back to Alabama
I-10 through Louisiana
It’s the place I wanna be
Where I can live my life carefree
I don’t care which road I take
As long as I get back to the place
Where I can live the life I planned
Get me back to Alabam…a
GUITAR
BRIDGE
Sunshine’s nice but 40 days
Since it rained and there’s a haze
I don’t care what folks say this sucks
I can’t stand these traffic jams
I’m leaving as fast as I can
Lord I hope this Chevy don’t get stuck
I’m missing out on collard greens
Southern girls in tight fit jeans
CHORUS
Get me back to Alabama
I’ll detour through south Montana
It’s the place I wanna be,
Where I can live my life carefree
I don’t care which road I take
As long as I get back to the place
Where I can live the life I planned
Get me back to Alabama