Billy Joe Shaver (born in Corsicana, TX, on 16 August 1939; died 28 October… Read Full Bio ↴Billy Joe Shaver (born in Corsicana, TX, on 16 August 1939; died 28 October 2020) was an American Texas country music singer and songwriter. Shaver's 1973 album 'Old Five and Dimers Like Me' is a classic in the outlaw country genre.
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.
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.
Try And Try Again
Billy Joe Shaver Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Try And Try Again' by these artists:
Shaver Well, I went up on the mountain and I looked…
SING LIKE TALKING よくあるいつもの事と 甘くは見ていないのに 謝りそびれた訳は ベールでコートすれば 鮮やかに拭い切れる 大きなハンカチー…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Billy Joe Shaver:
A Restless Wind A stone thrown from heaven skipping cross the water With di…
Ain Down the road a ways I have heard say a…
America You Are My Woman By your way, I've often traveled Magic mother of the pearl …
American Me American me, so wild and so free Crossing the borders did…
Amtrak She′s Amtrak and ain't coming back She′s Amtrak and ain't co…
Aunt Jessie's Chicken Ranch On the old Rio Grande around midnight, the young boy…
Because You Asked Me To Long ago and far away In my ol' common labor shoes I…
Before All Hell Breaks Loose Time to resign from the human race Wipe those tears from…
Black Rose Way down in Virginia Amongst the tall grown sugar canes Live…
Blue Texas Waltz Blue Texas waltz my friend We are sweethearts again Here's…
Bottom Dollar Bottom dollars you look glad to me Oh, how I hate…
Checkers & Chess I'm playing Checkers while they're playing Chess They make t…
Chicken on the Ground There's an old familiar hillside overlooking Emhouse, Texas …
Chunk Of Coal Hey I'm just an old chunk of coal But I'm gonna…
Corsicana Daily Sun It seems like a hundred years since I reached out…
Drinkin' Back Hello barroom, my old friend Yeah, it′s me, I'm drunk again …
Drown In Love From the dimness of night I have awakened to my…
Evergreen To evergreen fields of my youth I will sing My steps…
Evergreen Fields To evergreen fields of my youth I go singin' My steps…
Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Prospero Año y Fel…
Follow Me Down The highway she's hotter than nine kinds of hell The rides,t…
Freedom's Child At the breakin' of the dawn, day is born again Just…
Fun While It Lasted I met her one evenin' in a bar room downtown She…
Georgia on a Fast Train On a rainy, windy morning that's the day that I…
Get Thee Behind Me Satan Get thee behind me, Satan For I command it in…
Good News Blues My woman left me and I'm sure glad she did My…
Good Ol USA In the good ol' USA I'm proud to say We got…
Good Ol' U.S.A. In the good ol' USA I'm proud to say We got…
Gypsy Boy The painted lantern circus With the wagons swinging slowly …
Hard to Be an Outlaw She was cuter than a speckled pup, just turned 21 She…
Heart Of Texas Verse 1: The heart of Texas is where i was born By…
Heart of Texas (Live) 1: The heart of Texas is where i was born By twist…
Heart to Heart I got a rhythm God Knows I got a rhythm…
Highway of Life On a long whining road Just aside of nowhere The whiper will…
Hill Country Love Song When the mornin' sun comes peepin' o'er the mountains And n…
Hold On To Yours Sometimes lovers get to close to understand It takes space …
Homo Erectus (kinky friedman & panama red) I left barber college Searchi…
Honey Chile Honey Chile was a Cajun gal what lived in Vacherie…
Honky Tonk Heroes The low down evenin' sun I done did everything that needs…
Honky Tonk Heroes (Like Me) Low down leavin' sun Done did everything that needs done Woe…
Honky Tonk Heroes (Live) Low down leaving sun, I've done Did everything that needs do…
Hottest Thing In Town She's the queen of the red-hot mamas, hottest thing around A…
I From the dimness of night I have awakened to my…
I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train On a rainy, windy morning that's the day that I…
I Changed My Mind Wella, wella, I was all eat up with the thought…
I Couldn't Be Me Without You I'm putting some new strings on my old guitar I know…
I Don't Seem to Fit Anywhere Just like this old rocking chair I move but I'm going…
I'll Love You As Much As I Can I'll love you as much as I can That's about all…
I'm Going Crazy in 3/4 Time A song on the clouds is a-rolling by slowly While me…
I'm in Love From the dimness of night I have awakened to my…
I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal Hey I'm just an old chunk of coal But I'm gonna…
If I Give My Soul Down a dangerous road, I have come to where I'm…
If The Trailer's Rockin' Don't Come Knockin' If the trailer's rockin' don't come knockin' on my door If…
It I met her one evenin' in a bar room downtown She…
Jesus Christ Is Still The King In this life of care and woe I have traveled…
Jesus Is The Only One That Loves Us See the Sunday mornin' wino Slowly shufflin' down the stree…
Just Can't Beat Jesus Christ He was born to be known As everybody's brother He is the…
Kneeling Drunkard's Plea Lord have mercy on me Was the kneeling drunkard's plea And…
Last Call for Alcohol Last call for alcohol I'm finally through with you It's too…
Lately I've Been Leaning Towards the Blues Lately I been leanin' toward the blues Lazy, loafin', good …
Leavin' Amarillo Sometimes I want to hug her, sometimes I want to…
Light A Candle For Me Would you light a candle for me, babe? Even though I…
Live Forever I'm gonna live forever I'm gonna cross that river I'm gonna …
Livin' A Lovin' Lie You don't love me, I can feel it No use tryin'…
Long in the Tooth Long in the tooth, long in the tooth Tryna tell ya…
Love Is So Sweet I've been around this world a long time mister I got…
Love You Till the Cows Come Home Got a roundhouse right, got a straight razor in my…
Magnolia Mother's Love I recall the day she found it Come home with…
Manual Labor By the sweat of his brow is how a mans…
Marilyn & Joe There is a place where you can go Where Marilyn…
Marilyn and Joe There is a place where you can go Where Marilyn…
Melody Sweet melody I love you, God knows it's really true I…
Mexico Down the road a ways I have heard say a…
Moonshine and Indian Blood She was standing there, full blood Apache I am a half-breed…
Music City U.S.A It all started in this little town Way down in Texas When…
Music City U.S.A. It all started in this little town way down in…
Music City USA It all started in this little town Way down in Texas When…
No Earthly Good Come hear me good brothers, come here one and all Don't…
Oklahoma Wind Jesse lit us up and passed the bottle one more…
Old Chunk of Coal Hey I'm just an old chunk of coal But I'm gonna…
Old Five & Dimers Like Me I've spent a lifetime making up my mind to be More…
Old Five and Dimers Like Me I've spent a lifetime making up my mind to be More…
People and Their Problems My sister's kid is tattooed from his head down to…
Ragged Old Truck Early this mornin' without any warnin' I took me a look…
Ride Cowboy Ride Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ride, ride…
Ride Me Down Easy The highway she's hotter than nine kinds of hell The rides,t…
Ride Em Jewboy Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ride, ri…
Silver Wings of Time The evening sun is sinking, moving homeward As darkened sha…
Slim Chance And The Can't Hardly Playboys Slim Chance and the Can't Hardly Playboys are pickin' at…
Slow Rollin' Low I've got a slow rollin' low Ain't a mother would want…
Sold American Faded jaded falling cowboy star Pawnshops itching for your o…
Star in My Heart You have to do the best you can Good friend of…
Sunbeam Special Back in my memory, a special little place A country boy…
Sweet Mama Sweet mama, lay your burdens down Sweet mama, lay your [Inc…
Sweet Melody Sweet melody I love you, God knows it's really true I…
Take A Chance On Romance Oh, the music's a sweet perfume Drifting across the room Bea…
Texas Uphere Tennessee I come up here from Waco on a U-Hault-It freight In…
That See the Sunday morning wino slowly shufflin' down the street…
That's What She Said Last Night That′s what she said last night That's what she said last…
That's Why The Man In Black Sings The Blues There's a drug dealer selling to your children everyday He'…
The Believer I can't imagine that's my problem I'm searching always for …
The Cowboy Who Started the Fight The legs on the lady a walkin' Was tanned to a…
The Cowboys Texans are gathered up in Colorado The kid with a fast…
The Git Go It's been that way since the git go It's been that…
The Good Lord Knows I Tried From the very first hello to the very last goodbye From…
The Hottest Thing In Town She's the queen of the red-hot mamas, hottest thing around A…
The Hottest Thing In Town (Live) She's the queen of the red hot mamas/hottest thing around An…
The Real Deal With a halo of gnats around my cotton-pickin' head You neve…
There's No Fool Like An Old Fool There's no fool like an old fool I'm livin' proof of…
They Aint Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore Well, a redneck nerd in a bowling shirt was a-guzzlin'…
Thunderbird Up every morning at the crack of dawn Nights as short…
Tramp On Your Street A long time ago No shoes on my feet I walked ten…
Valentine Will you be my valentine? Will you be my valentine? Will y…
Wacko from Waco I'm a wacko from Waco, ain't no doubt about it Shot…
We Stayed Too Long at the Fair We've stayed too long,much too long at the fair The sweet…
Western Union Wire (kinky friedman) From a cheap hotel in dallas On a cold Dec…
When Fallen Angels Fly I have climbed so many mountains Just to reach the other…
When I Get My Wings Been a whole lot of people thought me a fool Been…
When the Word Was Thunderbird Up every morning at the crack of dawn Nights as short…
White Freightliner Blues Goin' out on that highway, listen to them big trucks…
Whiteman's Watermelon From Maine to California I learned to live the blues Yeah, w…
Wild Man from Borneo (Kinky Friedman) I'm the star of Captain Midnite's travelin…
Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me Three fingers whiskey pleasures the drinkers Moving does mo…
Woman Is the Wonder of the World Man has been to the moon, done 'bout all a…
You Long ago and far away In my ol' common labor shoes I…
You Can't Beat Jesus Christ He was born to be known as everybody's brother He is…
You Just Can He was born to be known As everybody's brother He is the…
You Just Can't Beat Jesus Christ He was born to be known As everybody's brother He is the…
You Ought To Be With Me When I'm Alone You ought to be with me when I'm alone The…
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