Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From

Subject: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From:
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 03:02 AM

I just found the lyrics to this song on the database, but the heading is messed up, so I don't know if that's the correct title, and so I can't find out who wrote it or who recorded it. I THINK I first heard it by Glenn Yarbrough when he was still with the Limeliters way back in the '60's, but I can't remember (if you can remember the '60's you weren't really there, someone said).

Any clues?

STOO BALL

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 05:02 PM

I think (if memory serves) it's a Carson Robison piece. The real scholars of the Mudcat will correct me, if I'm wrong. Kendall Morse included it on his first Folk-Legacy album, Lights Along the Shore, now available as a "custom cassette."

Sandy

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From:
Date: 18 Jun 99 - 12:38 AM

www.ascap.com lists I'M GOIN BACK TO WHUR I COME

Writer(s): ROBISON CARSON J By: LIME LIGHTERS/JONES SPIKE/among others...

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: bigJ
Date: 18 Jun 99 - 03:46 PM

I take it that this is the song that has the line 'I'm going back to where I come from; where the honeysuckle smells so sweet it darn near makes you sick'. It's on the Limeliters' 'Our Men in San Francisco' LP (London RD7550) wher it's credited to 'Bruce'. It was released in 1963 - I remember the 60's rather better than I remember last week.

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: RWilhelm
Date: 18 Jun 99 - 05:26 PM

I just heard this song for the first time at a party last weekend. I could only find one CD of Carson Robison recordings and it was not included. Does anyone know if the song is currently availible on CD by anybody?

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 18 Jun 99 - 10:17 PM

Earl,

Glenn Yarbrough (former lead tenor for the Limelighters) has this on his "Live at Harrah's" CD. If you click on "Support the Mudcat" at the top of the main page, you can go to CDNow. Search for Yarbrough and you should find the CD. There is a little RealAudio clip of the song there as well. If you order this way, through the Mudcat, the Mudcat gets a little portion of the sale price. You get the song and Max gets a little money to feed the ferrets who keep the server running.

Enjoy the song!

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: RWilhelm
Date: 21 Jun 99 - 02:55 PM

Sounds like a plan.

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: stoo ball
Date: 21 Jun 99 - 11:55 PM

Thanks, guys. I heard a duo perform this last week, but they didn't know anything about it, except that one said his father used to whistle it all the time. I think they were missing some lines in their version. Anyhow, I'll pass this on to them.

Thanks again!

STOO

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: GUEST,Jack
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 08:17 PM

The original song was recorded by Carson Robison (1890 - 1957)on 78 RPM records in the late '30s or early '40. He was an outstanding musician and entertainer.

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: kendall
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 09:40 PM

What Sandy said.

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: Cool Beans
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 10:29 PM

It's on my CD "Drawerful of Fives," sung by guest artist Bob Baldwin (the late Downeast Bob), with me on guitar.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/martykohn

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 11:26 PM

That's one of the songs that doesn't play the sample on your CDBaby site, though! Not that I don't like the ones available, I DO, just had my curiosity up about this one.:-) LOVE your sounds!

thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 15 Mar 09 - 05:13 AM

Cathy Fink recorded this song on her 1985 Rounder LP, The Leading Role. I don't know whether this album is available on CD.

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: GUEST,IURob89
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 01:49 PM

I've researched this for my grandfather who can still remember the words, but hasn't heard it played in years. The version this 92 y/o entitled "Goin Back to Whur I Come From" sung by Carson J. Robison from the early forties and includes my favorite line not found in some other versions:

And then one night, that great temptation
Got the best of me and drove me to a life of sin"

I love to hear him sing funny song, especially since he has been a deacon some 60 years. He may have problems with his short term, but I'm thankful for his sharp long term memory.

This version can be found on Youtube, enjoy!

Subject: Lyr. Add: I'm Going Back to Where I came from
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 03:56 PM

I'M GOING BACK TO WHERE I CAME FROM
Jessie Mae Robinson (?), c. 1944.

1
I'm going back to where I come from
Where the honeysuckle smells so sweet it durn near makes you sick
I used to think my life was hum-drum
But I sure have learned a lesson that is bound to stick
There ain't no use of me pretendin'
The city just ain't no place for a guy like me to end in
Goin' back to where I come from
Where the mockin' bird is singin' in the lilac bush.
2
I used to go down to the station
Every evenin' just to watch the Pullman train come rollin' in
And then one night, that great temptation
Got too great, so I just up and left my kith and kin
I took my hat and fourteen dollars
And I went through all the troubles of the plight that always follows
When you're rich and huntin' romance
But my huntin' days are over, I can tell you that.
3
I met a man in Kansas City
An' he winked and asked me if I'd like to step around
I said, "Why, yes, why sure, that's what I'm here for, betcha life"
So he said he'd take me to the hottest spots in town
He mentioned things he'd have to fix up
So he took my fourteen dollars but there must have been a mix-up
He's been gone since Monday evenin'
And I've gotta hunch I'll never see that guy no more.

I'm goin' bach to where I come from
Where the mockin' bird is singin' in the lilac bush.

4
When I get old and have a grandson
I'll tell him 'bout my romance, and you watch his eyes pop out
But chances are he won't believe me
So he'll do the same darn thing when he grows up, no doubt
But he can't say I didn't warn him
What will happen when he meets up with that city guy, gol darn him
I'm goin' back to where I come from
Where the mockin' bird is singin' in the lilac bush.

Spike Jones and His City Slickers, Del Porter vocal, 1944.

Jessie Mae Robinson is credited as composer by Spike Jones and several others, but I can't find it in her lists of compositions.

Jessie Mae Robinson was African-American; the first black composer to be taken up by ASCAP, who have a register of 46 of her compositions.

http://lyricsplayground.com

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: kendall
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 04:34 PM

I learned this one fr9om Carson Robison in 1945

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: GUEST,Judy
Date: 05 Jan 11 - 04:32 PM

This was a family fave "sing along in the car" in the 50's and 60's. Thanks for the info--I'm pleased that I remember the words pretty much as you have them here.

Question: anyone have the chords for this? I play ukulele (badly) but can work it out from guitar chords.
Thanks,
J

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Jan 11 - 06:03 PM

ASCAP lists the title as "I'm goin' back to whur I come from," by Carson J. Robison, with title variations including "I'm going back to where I come from."
Work ID: 390110137; publisher Universal Music Corporation, Santa Monica, CA.
Performers include Spike Jones, The Way Farers, Lime Lighters.

Music sites including lyricsplayground.com incorrectly name the author.

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: 12-stringer
Date: 05 Jan 11 - 11:02 PM

The chords are simple enough, just your basic four in the key of choice. I learned it from Porter Waggoner's comedian, Skeets Rose, who occasionally did this on the Opry and on the 60s Porter and Dolly TV show, so the chords reflect that version, still the only one I've ever heard.

[G] I met a man in Kansas [D] City
An' he winked and asked me if I'd like to [G] kinda step a[D]round
I said, "Why, [G} yes, that's what I'm [D] here for,
So he said he'd take me [D7] to the hottest [G] spots [D7] in [G] town
He mentioned [C] things he'd have to [G] fix up
So he [A] took my fourteen dollars but there [D] must have been a [D7} mix-up
He's been [G] gone since Monday [D] evenin'
And I've [D7] gotta hunch I'll never see that [G] guy no more.

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 06 Jan 11 - 06:42 PM

Glenn Yarbrough did a great version on an early Limeliters album, but I think he did it in the key of C. Since that's a key I can barely play in (and I don't sound like Yarbrough, no matter how I try!), I think I'm finally going to stop banging my head against the wall and spewing expletives - and try it it G.

Thanks, 12-stringer!

Jay

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: GUEST,Phil in Australia
Date: 12 Apr 11 - 10:51 PM

There was an early version of this song (mid to late 1940s) sung by Virginia O'Brien. No record of it though in any discography that I have seen- couldn't have been very popular, although I can remember it being played from time to time on 2BH Broken Hill when I was a kid.

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 13 Apr 11 - 12:03 AM

Virginia O'Brien - I certainly remember her (though not her recording of the song, sorry to say). She was a comedic actress well-known for her "frozen face" - singing with an absolute deadpan.

For a while she was married to Kirk Alyn, the first actor to play Superman in movie serials made in 1948 and 1950, respectively.

Jay

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: GUEST,Sara O'Keeffe
Date: 13 Apr 11 - 07:31 AM

Thanks for the memory! I haven't thought about this song in a long time. My then boyfriend sang it at Bognor Folk Club around 1978, and very well I might add!

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: kendall
Date: 13 Apr 11 - 08:44 AM

I can't believe that I forgot to mention that I recorded this one for Folk Legacy records back in the mid 70s. As far as I know it is still available.

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: GUEST,Larry Bee
Date: 01 Jan 12 - 08:00 AM

I would like get hold of the sheet music for 'Im going back'. I used to play this many years ago for my own entertainment but have misplaced the music.

Subject: RE: Help: Goin' Back To Where I Come From
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Feb 12 - 04:15 PM