Lyr Req: Hard Travelin'/Travellin' (Woody Guthrie)

Subject: Hard Travellin'
From: Rob S.
Date: 29 Oct 00 - 10:25 PM

This is a Woody Guthrie song from what I have been told, and I cannot make out the words on the version of the song I have, could anyone help? Thanks...

Rob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: Stewie
Date: 29 Oct 00 - 10:44 PM

They have been posted in this thread:

Click

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: Doctor John
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 01:31 PM

What are flat wheelers and those other RR things? Dr John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 05:48 PM

Ah spelling. In the US, there's only one "l" in travelin'. It's in DigiTrad.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: Doctor John
Date: 31 Oct 00 - 04:30 PM

...and no "g" either! Dr John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: StandingBear (inactive)
Date: 01 Nov 00 - 01:47 PM

Doctor... A "flatwheeler" is a train that rides very rough and bounces a stowaway around as he or she attempts to stay comfortable. A "fast rattler" would be the same thing as above, only usually much faster in actual m.p.h. Anything else you need clearing up on, just send me a Private message and I'd be glad to help.

Peace on you,

'Bear

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: Rob S.
Date: 01 Nov 00 - 01:50 PM

thanks for the help..

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 11:13 AM

obviously a flat wheeler is a bumpy ride because there's a flat spot on one of the wheels

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 09:09 PM

Always liked Cisco Huston's rendition of this song.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: Bluegrassman
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 08:32 PM

Hard Travelling

I've been havin' some hard travelin', I thought you know
I've been hittin' some hard travelin' way down the road
I've been havin' some hard travelin', hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
I've been havin' some hard travelin', Lord
Well I've been ridin' them fast rattlers, I thought you know
I've been ridin' them blind passengers way down the road
I've been ridin' them dead enders, flat wheelers, kickin' up cinders
I've been havin' some hard travelin', Lord
I've been hittin' some hard rock man and I thought you know
I've been leanin' on the pressured grill way down the road
Hammer flyin', air hose suckin'
Six feet of mud and a shovel muggin'
I've been havin' some hard travelin', Lord
Well I've been layin' in a hard rock jail I thought you know
I've been layin' there ninety days way down the road
And a mean old judge said to me it's ninety days for vagrancy
And I've been havin' some hard travelin' Lord
I've been workin' at Pittsburgh Steel I thought you know
I've been dumpin' that red hot slag way down the road
I've been blastin', I've been firin', I've been a pourin' that red hot iron
And I've been a havin' some hard travelin', Lord
I've been hittin' some hard harvest and I thought you know
North Dakota to Kansas City way down the road
Cuttin' that wheat and stackin' that hay
And tryin' to make 'bout a dollar a day
And I've been a havin' some hard travelin', Lord
Well I've been workin' on Lincoln Highway I thought you know
I've been hitchin' on 66 way down the road
Heavy load and worried mind lookin' for a woman that's hard to find
And I've been havin' some hard travelin', Lord

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: Joybell
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 09:09 PM

Knowed (not "know") is the word at the ends of those lines. Doesn't work otherwise. Written and sung by Woody Guthrie that way. It's also how it is in the DT.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 11:44 PM

Hmmm

I don't hear it "Six feet of mud and a shovel muggin'"
Don't make no sense t'all, hardly.

I hear "Six feet 'o mud; I sure been muckin' it." I.e., I sure been in the muck. How you gonna mug a shovel? Besides, suckin' and muckin' rhyme; suckin' and muggin' don't.

Yes, I thought you knowed. Rhymes with road.

"I been doin' some hard travelin'" is also the way I heard it.

I'm trying to think now about the train, because that strikes me as odd too. The passengers are the people, who are blinded by the cinders (esp. if you're a hobo hanging on outside the car instead of passenger sitting inside it).

I been ridin' them fast rattlers, I thought you knowed.
I been ridin' them fast rattlers, way down the road.
I been ridin' them fast rattlers, flyin' cinders, blind passengers;
I been doin' some hard travelin', Lord.

Finally, contrary sod that I am, I don't think a fast rattler is the same as a flat wheeler, if that's what was meant by "as above." A flat wheeler would indeed be a bad trip; a fast rattler is just a train going like a bat so all the couplings and anything else that's loose rattles.

(I'll flag a fast rattler, I'll ride her on down, boys!
They're runnin' the bums outta town. ---Utah Phillips)

Chicken that there Charlie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travellin'
From: Joybell
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 12:07 AM

My friend the engineer (retired) says trains do get flat tyres. So a flat wheeler would be a different thing from a fast rattler.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: Lyr Add: HARD TRAVELIN' (Woody Guthrie)
From: Bluegrassman
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 09:35 AM

These are the words that Woody used, strange how this has bubbled on since 29th October 2000 before someone helped Rob ;-)




HARD TRAVELIN'
(Woody Guthrie)

I've been havin' some hard travelin', I thought you knowed
I've been havin' some hard travelin', way down the road
I've been havin' some hard travelin', hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
I've been havin' some hard travelin', lord

I've been ridin' them fast rattlers, I thought you knowed
I've been ridin' them flat wheelers, way down the road
I've been ridin' them blind passengers, dead-enders, kickin' up cinders
I've been havin' some hard travelin', lord

I've been hittin' some hard-rock minin', I thought you knowed
I've been leanin' on a pressure drill, way down the road
Hammer flyin', air-hose suckin', six foot of mud and I shore been a muckin'
And I've been hittin' some hard travelin', lord

I've been hittin' some hard harvestin', I thought you knowed
North Dakota to Kansas City, way down the road
Cuttin' that wheat, stackin' that hay, and I'm tryin' make about a dollar a day
And I've been havin' some hard travelin', lord

I've been working that Pittsburgh steel, I thought you knowed
I've been a dumpin' that red-hot slag, way down the road
I've been a blasting, I've been a firin', I've been a pourin' red-hot iron
I've been hittin' some hard travelin', lord

I've been layin' in a hard-rock jail, I thought you knowed
I've been a laying out 90 days, way down the road
Damned old judge, he said to me, "It's 90 days for vagrancy."
And I've been hittin' some hard travelin', lord

I've been walking that Lincoln highway, I thought you knowed,
I've been hittin' that 66, way down the road
Heavy load and a worried mind, lookin' for a woman that's hard to find,
I've been hittin' some hard travelin', lord

Note from Joe Offer (31 May 2017) - these are exactly the lyrics you'll find at the official Woody Guthrie Website, http://woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Hard_Travelin.htm

Woody Guthrie recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byBv-LOqMWM

Subject: Origins: Hard Travellin'/Travelin' (Woody Guthrie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 May 17 - 03:04 AM

Here is the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:

Hard Traveling

DESCRIPTION: "I been doin' some hard travelin', I thought you knowed." The singer describes the hard times he's met on his travels: "Workin' in a hard rock tunnel," "Workin' that Pittsburgh steel," facing the lonely task of following Highway 66
AUTHOR: Woody Guthrie
EARLIEST DATE: 1940 (recording, Woody Guthrie & Almanac Singers)
KEYWORDS: work nonballad loneliness hardtimes rambling train prison farming work worker hobo
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Lomax-FSNA 226, "Hard Travellin'" (1 text, 1 tune)
PSeeger-AFB, p. 89, "Hard Traveling" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 59, "Hard Traveling" (1 text)
DT, HARDTRAV*
Roud #13926
RECORDINGS:
Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston & Sonny Terry [Saunders Terrell], "Hard Traveling" (on WoodyFolk)
Pete Seeger, "Hard Travelling" (on PeteSeeger18)
File: LoF226

---

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

The Ballad Index Copyright 2016 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

---

HARD TRAVELIN' (Digital Tradition lyrics)
(Woody Guthrie)

I been a-havin'some hard travelin',
I thought you knowed.
I been a-havin'some hard travelin',
Way down the road.
I been a-havin'some hard travelin',
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin',
I been a-havin'some hard travelin', Lord.

I been a-workin' in a hard rock tunnel,
I thought you knowed;
I been a-leanin'on a pressure drill,
Way down the road.
Hammer flyin', air hose suckin',
Six feet of mud, I sure been a-muckin',
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I been a-workin' that Fittsburgh steel,
I thought you knowed;
I been a-workin' that red-hot slag,
Way down the road.
I been a-blastin', I been a-firin',
I been a-duckin' red-hot iron,
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I been hittin' some hard harvestin',
I thought you knowed;
I been hittin' some rough handlin',
Way down the road;
Cut that wheat and stack that hay,
Tryin' to make about a dollar a day,
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I been a-hittin' that Lincoln Highway,
I thought you knowed;
I been a-hittin' that sixty-six,
Way down the road;
Heavy load and a worried mind,
Lookin' for a woman that's hard to find,
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lord.

Copyright Ludlow Music, Inc.
@rambling @work
filename[ HARDTRAV
TUNE FILE: HARDTRAV
CLICK TO PLAY
RG

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travelin'/Travellin' (Woody Guthrie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Oct 23 - 04:22 PM

Here are the lyrics from https://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Hard_Travelin.htm

HARD TRAVELIN'
(Woody Guthrie)

I been havin'some hard travelin',
I thought you knowed.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Way down the road.
I been havin'some hard travelin',
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin',
I been havin'some hard travelin', Lord.

I've been ridin' them fast rattlers,
I thought you knowed.
I've been ridin' them flat wheelers,
Way down the road.
I've been ridin' them blind passengers,
Dead enders, kickin' up cinders.
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.



I been hittin' some hard-rock minin',
I thought you knowed;
I been leanin'on a pressure drill,
Way down the road.
Hammer flyin', air-hose suckin',
Six foot of mud, I shore been a-muckin',
I've been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I've been hittin' some hard harvestin',
I thought you knowed;
North Dakota to Kansas City,
Way down the road;
Cut that wheat and stack that hay,
Tryin' to make about a dollar a day,
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I been workin' that Pittsburgh steel,
I thought you knowed;
I been a-workin' that red-hot slag,
Way down the road.
I been a-blastin', I been a-firin',
I been a-duckin' red-hot iron,
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I been a-hittin' that Lincoln Highway,
I thought you knowed;
I been a-hittin' that sixty-six,
Way down the road;
Heavy load and a worried mind,
Lookin' for a woman that's hard to find,
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lor.

(not done yet - I'll fix it later)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hard Travelin'/Travellin' (Woody Guthrie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Oct 23 - 04:22 PM

Here are the lyrics from https://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Hard_Travelin.htm

HARD TRAVELIN'
(Woody Guthrie)

I been havin'some hard travelin',
I thought you knowed.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Way down the road.
I been havin'some hard travelin',
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin',
I been havin'some hard travelin', Lord.

I've been ridin' them fast rattlers,
I thought you knowed.
I've been ridin' them flat wheelers,
Way down the road.
I've been ridin' them blind passengers,
Dead enders, kickin' up cinders.
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.



I been hittin' some hard-rock minin',
I thought you knowed;
I been leanin'on a pressure drill,
Way down the road.
Hammer flyin', air-hose suckin',
Six foot of mud, I shore been a-muckin',
I've been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I've been hittin' some hard harvestin',
I thought you knowed;
North Dakota to Kansas City,
Way down the road;
Cut that wheat and stack that hay,
Tryin' to make about a dollar a day,
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I been workin' that Pittsburgh steel,
I thought you knowed;
I been a-workin' that red-hot slag,
Way down the road.
I been a-blastin', I been a-firin',
I been a-duckin' red-hot iron,
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lord.

I been a-hittin' that Lincoln Highway,
I thought you knowed;
I been a-hittin' that sixty-six,
Way down the road;
Heavy load and a worried mind,
Lookin' for a woman that's hard to find,
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lor.

(not done yet - I'll fix it later)