Shaver was raised by his mother, Victory Watson Shaver, his father Virgil having left the family before Shaver was born. Until he was 12, he spent a great deal of time with his grandmother in Corsicana so that his mother could work in Waco. He sometimes accompanied his mother to her job at a local nightclub, where he began to be exposed to country music.
Shaver's mother remarried about the time that his grandmother died, so he and his older sister Patricia moved in with their mother and new stepfather. Shaver left school after the eighth grade to help his uncles pick cotton, but occasionally returned to school to play sports.
Shaver joined the U.S. Navy on his seventeenth birthday. Upon his discharge, he worked a series of dead-end jobs, including trying to be a rodeo cowboy. About this time, he met and married Brenda Joyce Tindell. They had one son, John Edwin, known as Eddy, who was born in 1962. The two divorced and remarried several times.
Shaver took a job at a lumber mill to make ends meet. One day his right hand (his dominant hand) became caught in the machinery, and he lost the better part of two fingers and contracted a serious infection. He eventually recovered, and taught himself to play the guitar without those missing fingers.
Shaver lost two fingers in a sawmill accident when he was young.
Shaver set out to hitchhike to Los Angeles, California. He could not get a ride west, so he went to the other side of the highway and headed east, accompanying a man who dropped him off just outside Memphis, Tennessee. The next ride brought him to Nashville, where he found a job as a songwriter for $50 per week.[2] His work came to the attention of Waylon Jennings, who filled most of his album Honky Tonk Heroes with Shaver's songs. Other artists, including Elvis Presley and Kris Kristofferson, began to record Shaver's music. This led to his own record deal.
The first few recording companies he signed with soon folded. He was never able to gain widespread recognition as a singer, although he never stopped recording his own music. On his records, he has been accompanied by other major rock and country music musicians like Willie Nelson, Nanci Griffith, Chuck Leavell and Dickey Betts (of the Allman Brothers), Charlie Daniels, Flaco Jiménez, and Al Kooper.
After losing his wife, Brenda, and his mother to cancer in 1999, Shaver lost his son and longtime guitarist Eddy, who died at age 38 of a heroin overdose on December 31, 2000. Folk country artist Todd Snider wrote and dedicated his song Waco Moon to Eddy. Shaver nearly died himself the following year when he had a heart attack on stage during an Independence Day show at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas. After successful heart surgery, Shaver came back to release Freedom's Child in 2002.
In 1999, Shaver performed at the Grand Ole Opry. In November 2005, he performed on the CMT Outlaws 2005. In 2006, Shaver was inducted in the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. He later served as spiritual advisor to Texas independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman. For his efforts, the Americana Music Convention awarded him their Lifetime Achievement Award in Songwriting. He currently lives in Waco, Texas.
Bob Dylan mentioned Shaver in his song "I Feel a Change Comin' On" (Bob Dylan and Robert Hunter) on the album, Together Through Life (2009) - "I'm listening to Billy Joe Shaver, And I'm reading James Joyce". Shaver is also the "hero" of the song, "Wish I Could Write Like Billy Joe" on the album "Stormy Love" by Bugs Henderson.
Shaver sang the themes to the Adult Swim Television show, Squidbillies. The opening themes, collectively called "Warrior Man", are only a stanza long and end with a sotto voce spoken word portion.
Shaver's debut album, Old Five and Dimers Like Me (1973), contained many songs noted for being performed by other artists such as David Allan Coe and Waylon Jennings. When I Get My Wings (1976) included "Aint No God In Mexico" (also a hit for Waylon Jennings). Gypsy Boy (1977) included "Honky Tonk Heroes" and "You Asked Me To".
Shaver is also remembered for his hit "Live Forever", co-written by his son Eddy, Robert Duvall performs it in the movie Crazy Heart and it is included in the soundtrack. The song was also performed by The Highwaymen and Joe Ely. Shaver also wrote numerous songs for artists such as Patty Loveless and Willie Nelson.
Shaver continued to release records throughout the 1980s and 1990s; the most notable was the critically acclaimed Tramp On Your Street, released in 1993, which prominently featured the guitar playing of Eddy Shaver.
Shaver's 2007 album country gospel style Everybody's Brother was Grammy-nominated. Many of the songs are duets with artists such as Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Tanya Tucker. Musicians playing on the album included Randy Scruggs, Laura Cash and Marty Stuart.
On May 22, 2014, Rolling Stone premiered the single-duet with Willie Nelson "Hard To Be An Outlaw". The album, Long In The Tooth was released on August 5, 2014 by Lightning Rod Records. After a 41-year career, Long in the Tooth became Billy Joe Shaver's first album to chart in Billboard's Top Country Albums, entering the chart at 19. The album also entered the Billboard 200, peaking at 157.
Comedian Norm Macdonald, an avid Shaver fan, occasionally praised his songwriting on his podcast Norm Macdonald Live. In 2018, Shaver appeared as a guest on Macdonald's Netflix program Norm Macdonald Has a Show.
That's Why The Man In Black Sings The Blues
Billy Joe Shaver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's rotten evil, but he ain't nobody's fool
He's dealin' death and livin' high, off your hard-earned pay
That's why The Man In Black sings the blues
That's why The Man In Black sings the blues
Why should children, why should women be abused
There's so precious few among us walking in the Savior's shoes
We've got to stamp out hunger all around the planet Earth
We've got to be our weapons in the clouds
We've got to ban these bombs I say
We've got to save our lives
We've got to do it all startin' now
That's why The Man In Black sings the blues
Why the farmer and his crops we're saving too
So every workin' stiff across this land won't have to lose
That's why The Man In Black sings the blues
The first Americans were the riskiest human beings
They saved us all that first Thanksgiving Day
Like the older folks behind, walkin' in the welfare line
Their trail of tears grows longer by the way
That's why The Man In Black sings the blues
Why should any human being be abused
There's so precious few among us walking in the Savior's shoes
That's why The Man In Black sings the blues
That's why The Man In Black sings the blues
In Billy Joe Shaver's song "That's Why The Man In Black Sings The Blues," he speaks about the injustices and issues that plague society. The opening lyrics depict a drug dealer who preys on children despite being aware of the damage he creates. The man may be evil, but he is aware and benefits from the chaos he creates. This greed and negligence is what prompts Johnny Cash, the Man in Black, to sing the blues. He aims to bring attention to the rampant and often overlooked issues that plague society, such as drug addiction, domestic violence, and poverty.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the need to end abuse against women and children. The lyrics underline the importance of empathy and kindness towards each other, seeing as there are few who embody these qualities in the world. Poverty and hunger are also discussed in the song. The importance of acting now and proactively working to prevent disaster is highlighted. The song seemingly calls for a revolution that would abolish the destructive mindset that has caused so much damage.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a drug dealer selling to your children everyday
A drug dealer is endangering the lives of innocent children by selling them drugs every day
He's rotten evil, but he ain't nobody's fool
The drug dealer is a wicked person, but he is smart enough to avoid getting caught
He's dealin' death and livin' high, off your hard-earned pay
The drug dealer is profiting from the suffering of others by selling them drugs, and living luxuriously from the money he earns
That's why The Man In Black sings the blues
Johnny Cash sings about the tragic state of society, where drug dealers can harm innocent children with impunity
Why should children, why should women be abused
Injustice affects vulnerable groups in particular, and it is a call to action to protect those who are exploited and abused
There's so precious few among us walking in the Savior's shoes
There are few people living up to the Christian ideal of helping others, and we need more people to follow this path
We've got to stamp out hunger all around the planet Earth
It is our responsibility to eliminate hunger and ensure everyone has access to basic needs around the world
We've got to be our weapons in the clouds
We must use technology and innovation to our advantage to solve global issues, such as hunger and poverty
We've got to ban these bombs I say
It is essential to work toward disarmament and abolish the use and possession of deadly weapons that threaten humanity
We've got to save our lives
We must make a concerted effort to prioritize our safety and security, and work to prevent future threats to our lives and wellbeing
That's why The Man In Black sings the blues
Johnny Cash uses his music to advocate for social justice and call attention to the pressing issues facing society
Why the farmer and his crops we're saving too
The agricultural industry is vital to ensuring we have enough food to survive, and we must prioritize supporting and protecting farmers and their crops
So every workin' stiff across this land won't have to lose
It is our duty to ensure that hardworking people across the country are not left behind and have access to opportunities for success and prosperity
The first Americans were the riskiest human beings
Native Americans faced incredible danger and hardships as the first inhabitants of America, and still face significant challenges today
They saved us all that first Thanksgiving Day
The Native Americans helped the early colonists and played a significant role in the history of America
Like the older folks behind, walkin' in the welfare line
Many elderly people struggle to make ends meet and depend on government assistance to survive
Their trail of tears grows longer by the way
Elderly people continue to face many challenges and struggles, and their path in life can be full of sadness and difficulty
That's why The Man In Black sings the blues
Johnny Cash uses his music to draw attention to the difficulties and challenges faced by older people and Native Americans, and to call for social justice
Contributed by Emma P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Arthur Markos
I sure wish more of us were exposed to this terrific singer/songwriter!
katson6
You are very welcome....it's great to know Billy Joe has fans in Brazil; he'd get a real kick out of that. I had the pleasure of meeting him last month, it was real treat and he genuinely appreciates his fans so he'd be pleased you're listening
Marianne Menon
Benny, Benny...If I didn't love BJS's music so much I'd come after you on my broomstick and turn you into an apologetic heap of jelly!!.. :) But.. Thank you both so much for this great Billy Joe Shaver tune...both of you are stars in my heart!!!
Wagner Viana Guimarães Wagner
Thanks, i'm from Brazil and a love this kind of Country Music.
Bob Dant
I love it when B.J. makes reference to what the white man did to the native American, he did the same in his song 'Oklahoma Wind'. if you haven't heard it, you are missing out.
katson6
You're welcome Ron