I Ain't Been Anywhere

Hank Snow · The Singing Ranger, Vol. 3 [Bear Family (Germany)] [1994]

(Gerry Butler - Geoff Mack)



I was sittin' at home just a listenin' to my radio

An' along came a fella who apparently had been on the go

Well he started in a braggin' bout everywhere he'd been

And there isn't any place in this whole world he hasn't seen

You ask me where I've been and I'm a going to tell you Pard

Why I ain't even been outside the gate in my backyard.



I ain't been anywhere Joe, ain't been anywhere Joe

I didn't want to go so I guess I'll never know Joe

An old stick in the mud Bud

I ain't been anywhere.



I ain't seen London Paris Washington Chicago

Bombay Mandalay Calgary Cashmere

Thailand Ireland Iceland Greenland

Halifax Poland Switzerland Scotland

Liverpool Dry Gulch Tombstone Moscow

Carlsbad Leningrad Stalingrad too bad.



I ain't been anywhere Joe, ain't been anywhere Joe

I didn't want to go so I guess I'll never know Joe

An old stick in the mud Bud

I ain't been anywhere.



Siam, Amsterdam, Oslo, Rotterdam

Birmingham, Tokyo, Melbourne, Saigon

Trinidad, Hong Kong, Florida, Reykjavik

Copenhagen, Berlin, Congo, Key West

Petersburg, Wallisburg, Cherbourg, Luxemburg

Chalush, Toronto, Cripple Creek, I'm sick.



I ain't been anywhere Joe, ain't been anywhere Joe

I didn't want to go so I guess I'll never know Joe

An old stick in the mud Bud

I ain't been anywhere.



Kumquat, Limerick, Inverness, Loch Ness

Swansea, Cuanda, Colombia, Gold Coast

Edinburgh, Singapore, Galveston, Okinawa

Blarney, Killarney, Karachi, Pyongyang

Warsaw, Tarancon, Down, Libya

Goose Bay, Labrador, Outer Space, no place.



I ain't been anywhere Joe, ain't been anywhere Joe

I didn't want to go so I guess I'll never know Joe

An old stick in the mud Bud

I ain't been anywhere.



Ohio, Toledo, Wexford, Frankfurt

Silverton, Norfolk, Alamo. Sabula

Brighton, Kiowa, Denmark, Dover

Chalis, Rio, Lima, Philippines

Hebrides, Hawaii, Portland, Cleveland

Leipzig. Laramie, Horsehair, nowhere.



I ain't been anywhere Joe, ain't been anywhere Joe

I didn't want to go so I guess I'll never know Joe

An old stick in the mud Bud

I ain't been anywhere.



Wait a minute Horsehair

Why, doggone it, that's my hometown

So I guess I must'a been there, huh

I ain't been anywhere...

I Ain't Been Anywhere

Hank Snow's "I Ain't Been Anywhere" stands as a quintessential example of his mastery of country storytelling and yodeling. Recorded during the late 1940s, the track exemplifies the acoustic, narrative-driven style that defined the early career of this influential Nashville artist. The song features Snow's signature vocal technique, where he seamlessly blends a warm baritone with high-pitched yodels to convey a sense of longing and rural authenticity. As part of his extensive discography, the recording captures the essence of the 'Singing Ranger' persona, a character known for his folksy tales of the American West. The composition reflects the era's focus on personal emotion and the hardships of life on the frontier, delivered with a simplicity that has ensured its enduring popularity among fans of traditional country music.