Confusing lyrics

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Okay, so this one has always bothered me. The third verse of "Where I Come From" by Alan Jackson has one of the most confusing lyrics I've seen in my life.

I was chasin' sun on 101
Somewhere around Ventura
I lost a universal joint and I had to use my finger

First off, Ventura/finger is one of the worst attempts at a rhyme I've ever seen in my life (AJ has a lot of terrible rhymes in his songs). Also, what does he mean by "use [his] finger"? Is that a clumsy way of saying hitchhiking? Dialing a phone maybe?

This tall lady stopped and asked
If I had plans for dinner
Said no thanks ma'am, back home
We like the girls that sing soprano

And why does he randomly shoehorn in an encounter with what I presume is a drag queen? What relevance does this have to the song's message? Is this a subtle bit of transphobia? Homophobia? Anythingphobia? A random "lol California is weird" joke?

I heard this song at least three times in the past week, so this was just sitting there and I had to pick it up. Are there any other songs that you are similarly confused by?

[bboat11]

Oct 3, 2017 13:04:44 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

Okay, so this one has always bothered me. The third verse of "Where I Come From" by Alan Jackson has one of the most confusing lyrics I've seen in my life.

I was chasin' sun on 101
Somewhere around Ventura
I lost a universal joint and I had to use my finger

First off, Ventura/finger is one of the worst attempts at a rhyme I've ever seen in my life (AJ has a lot of terrible rhymes in his songs). Also, what does he mean by "use [his] finger"? Is that a clumsy way of saying hitchhiking? Dialing a phone maybe?

This tall lady stopped and asked
If I had plans for dinner
Said no thanks ma'am, back home
We like the girls that sing soprano

And why does he randomly shoehorn in an encounter with what I presume is a drag queen? What relevance does this have to the song's message? Is this a subtle bit of transphobia? Homophobia? Anythingphobia? A random "lol California is weird" joke?

I heard this song at least three times in the past week, so this was just sitting there and I had to pick it up. Are there any other songs that you are similarly confused by?

LMAO I have always loathed the lyrics to that song. But the verse that has always bothered me most was:

"Well, I was headin' home on 65 somewhere around Kentucky,
And the CB rang for the bobtail rig that's rollin' on like thunder.
And I answered him, and he asked me, "Aren't you from out in Tulsa?"
"No, but you might've seen me there, I just dropped a load of salsa."

Like, did they really just try to rhyme Kentucky and thunder? That might even be worse than "Ventura/finger"... Also, Tulsa/salsa really bothers me... The conversation between the truckers sounds so contrived.

Literally everything about this song is so awkward though. Like, the chorus is all about Southern Pride, which is fine and dandy, but many of the verses have nothing to do with said southern pride. Like the one I quoted above. Or else the southern pride is hinted at through some form of rude behavior, like the thinly veiled transphobia you pointed out above, or when he flat-out insults the waitress when she asks him if he liked her biscuit.

I love Alan Jackson, but "Where I Come From" is definitely not one of his better releases

[Ten Pound Hammer]

At least it's better than "Country Boy", the only country song that could legit be sung by Herbert the Pervert...

[Andy]

I've always assumed that "universal joint" is some kind of car part, and the implication is that the narrator's car broke down, and "use his finger" means he had to try to thumb for a ride. A tall lady stops her car to pick him up, and since she finds him attractive, asks him out to dinner. The narrator turns her down, stating that he prefers women who "sing soprano" (i.e. have high-pitched voices) - the implication being that the tall woman had a deep, manly voice. Unfortunately, it seems like a bit of transphobic humor that hasn't aged well at all.

Edit: I find that songmeanings.com can be helpful in making sense of song lyrics, and it's look like other people have had this interpretation as well: songmeanings.com/songs/view/82405/

[keelhauled]

A universal joint is a joint in a driveline that allows each end to move independently out of line with each other. You'll find them in vehicles in front axles, to allow the wheels to turn, and in the driveshaft that runs from the transmission to the differential(s), to absorb the movement in the suspension.

In a big rig, losing the universal would mean that the joint in the driveshaft from the transmission back to the axles failed, which would immobilize the truck.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

I know what a universal joint is. It's "use my finger" that's the baffling part there

[Andy]

Oct 3, 2017 22:42:41 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

I know what a universal joint is. It's "use my finger" that's the baffling part there

Right, I just mentioned it because establishing that his truck broke down explains why he'd be in need of a ride. He had to "use [his] finger" to thumb a ride. It would make more sense to say "use my thumb" obviously, but "finger" kinda rhymes with "Ventura" whereas "thumb" doesn't. That's my interpretation at least.

[.indulgecountry]

I enjoy that up to this point this thread is basically all about how terrible "Where I Come From" is... and to that, I can agree. That one's always been an instant station changer for me.