Origins: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes (Clark)

Subject: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From:
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 12:29 PM

I'm trying to find music & lyrics for a song with the chorus: "...the only two things money can't buy, true love and homegrown tomatoes."

I would also like to know who recorded this song.

Thanks, David Strickler ([e-mail])

Subject: RE: Help: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 12:44 PM

It was written and recorded by Guy Clark.

Subject: RE: Help: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: GUEST,Bill in Alabama
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 12:51 PM

John Denver recorded it. I don't remember which album, but the title is, I think Home Grown Tomatoes, and it's in the DT. Go to the search box (upper right) and click on H, then scroll down to it.

Bill

Subject: RE: Help: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 01:01 PM

Denver had a pretty big audience with this one, even did it on a TV special as I recall, but Guy Clark does it better (to me). Heard John Prine do it once and it was the best I ever heard....he has the right voice and inflection to make it sound as home grown as the tomatoes.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: pastorpest
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 01:39 PM

A couple of other places to find "Homegrown Tomatoes"

SING OUT! Magazine Volume 42, Number 2, Fall 1997 pages 114 and 115: lyrics, chords, melody in notation.

Guy Clark's CD "Keepers - A live recording" on Sugar Hill.

Subject: RE: Help: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: Barbara
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 06:38 PM

Greg Brown sings it, too, and I believe has it on a recording by that name.
Blessings, Barbara

Subject: RE: Help: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: GUEST,David Strickler
Date: 22 Mar 00 - 12:56 PM

Thanks for the help! I just found this site yesterday and I love it.

Subject: RE: Help: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: Kim C
Date: 22 Mar 00 - 05:22 PM

I am a fortunate lass to live in the same city as Guy Clark AND John Prine, two of my favorite songwriters. And that's one of my favorite lines ever in a song - although here in Nashville, your money -will- buy homegrown tomatas down at the Farmer's Market. :)

Subject: RE: Help: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: Cara
Date: 22 Mar 00 - 05:56 PM

My sister and I used to play this song over and over again on the jukeboxes in the bars where my dad worked when I was little. We loved it in part because there is a 'bad word' somewhere in the thing. I haven't thought about it in years. Great song. The jukeboxes also always had "All My Exes Live in Texas" which we thought was just hilarious (maybe that's the one with a bad word?) Fun memories...

Subject: RE: Help: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: SDShad
Date: 22 Mar 00 - 06:21 PM

"Home Grown Tomatoes" is also sung by a mostly little-known singer/songwriter from Kansas name of Ann Zimmerman. Mind you, I'm a Guy Clark fan, but Ann does a great job on it--she also does a charming rendition of Hoagie Carmichael's "Two Sleepy People," FWIW.

Chris

Subject: Lyr Add: HOMEGROWN TOMATOES (Guy Clark)
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Feb 03 - 07:44 PM

HOMEGROWN TOMATOES
Words and Music by Guy Clark
© EMI Music / ASCAP

as printed in Sing Out!, V42#2, (Fall 1997) page 114,

Ain't nothing in the world
That I like better
Than bacon and lettuce
And homegrown tomatoes.
Up in the mornin'
Out in the garden
Get you a ripe one,
Don't get a hard one.
Plant 'em in the spring,
Eat 'em in the summer,
All winter without 'em's
A culinary bummer.
I forget all about
The sweatin' and diggin'
Every time I go out and
Pick me a big one.

CHORUS
Homegrown tomatoes,
Homegrown tomatoes,
What'd life be without
Homegrown tomatoes?
Only two things that
Money can't buy and
That's true love and
Homegrown tomatoes.

Well you can go out to eat
And that's for sure
But it's nothin' a homegrown
Tomato won't cure.
Put 'em in a salad,
Put 'em in a stew,
You can make your
Very own tomato juice.
Eat 'em with eggs,
Eat 'em with gravy.
Eat 'em with beans,
Pinto or navy.
Put 'em on the side,
Put 'em in the middle
Put a homegrown tomato
On a hotcake griddle.

CHORUS

Now if I's to change
This life I lead,
Well, I'd be Johnny
Tomato Seed
'Cause I know what
This country needs,
It's homegrown tomatoes in
Every yard you see.
When I die
Don't bury me
In a box in
A cemetery.
Out in the garden
Would be much better.
I could be pushin' up
Homegrown tomates

CHORUS

Note: The tune, as notated, has some pretty "twisty" rythms, and rolls around (in C) on C, F7, and G7 chords.

Sing Out! Makes reference to Guy Clarks recordings:
"originally appeared on Better Days,
and now on the two-CD release Craftsman (Philo #1184/54)
and the live Keepers (Sugar Hill #1055)"

John

Subject: Lyr Add: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Feb 03 - 07:54 PM

Lyr Add previous post.

Posted to Tunes Wanted PermaThread.

John

Subject: RE: Help: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: Walking Eagle
Date: 23 Feb 03 - 08:10 PM

Thanks for all the info on this song. I really love it and am thinking of adding to my list of 'must learns'.

Subject: RE: Help: True Love and Homegrown Tomatoes
From: Barbara
Date: 23 Feb 03 - 08:25 PM

You can go here:Guy Clark words and tab page and find some of the things you want, but maybe not the tune.
Blessings,
Barbara