Green Green Grass Of Home - Tom Jones - Guitar Cover By The Laidback Guitarist

Published 2024-07-21

"Green, Green Grass of Home", written by Claude "Curly" Putman Jr and first recorded by singer Johnny Darrell in 1965, is a country song made popular by Porter Wagoner the same year, when it reached No. 4 on the Country chart. It was also recorded by Bobby Bare and by Jerry Lee Lewis, who included it in his album Country Songs for City Folks (later re-issued as All Country). Tom Jones learned the song from Lewis' version and, in 1966, he had a worldwide No. 1 hit with it.

The meaning behind the song finds the singer returning to his childhood home for what seems to be his first visit there since leaving in his youth. When he steps down from the train, his parents are there to greet him, and his sweetheart, Mary, comes running to join them. They meet him with "arms reaching, smiling sweetly". With Mary, the singer strolls at ease among the monuments of his childhood, including "the old oak tree that I used to play on", feeling that "it's good to touch the green, green grass of home".

Abruptly, the singer switches from song to recitation, as he awakens and sees "four grey walls" surrounding him and realizes that his return home was only a dream and that he is actually in prison. As he resumes singing, we learn that the singer is waking on the day of his scheduled execution. He sees a guard and "a sad old padre" who will walk with him to his execution at daybreak, and then he will return home "in the shade of that old oak tree, as they lay me 'neath the green, green grass of home".

Here is my take on the track. Enjoy and remember, Peace & Love ✌️

Lyrics:
The old hometown looks the same
As I step down from the train
And there to meet me is my mama and papa

Down the road I look and there runs Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

Yes, they'll all come to meet me
Arms reaching, smiling sweetly
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

The old house is still standing
Though the paint is cracked and dry
And there's that old oak tree that I used to play on
Down the lane, I walk with my sweet Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

Then I awake and look around me
At four grey walls that surround me
And I realize, yes, I was only dreaming
For there's a guard and there's a sad, old padre
On and on, we'll walk at daybreak
Again, I'll touch the green, green grass of home

Yes, they'll all come to see me
In the shade of that old oak tree
As they lay me
'Neath the green, green grass of home