Don Edwards left home when he was 16 to work on Texas oil fields and experience the western life. He made his professional debut in 1961 after he was hired as a singer, actor, and stuntman at the newly opened Six Flags Over Texas. He worked there for five years before moving to Nashville to seek a recording contract. In 1993 he appeared on Nanci Griffith's Grammy Award winning album Other Voices, Other Rooms on which he accompanied Griffith on a Michael Burton song entitled "Night Rider's Lament".
Edwards played the character Smokey in Robert Redford's The Horse Whisperer. Edwards also performs the song "Coyotes" that plays during the final minutes of the documentary Grizzly Man.
In 2005, Don Edwards was inducted into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame.
The Habit
Don Edwards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've bummed along from Portland down to San Antone
From Shady Hook to Frisco, over plains and hills
For once you get the Habit, you just can't keep still
I've seen a lot of places where I'd like to stay
I gets to feelin' restless, then I'm on my way
I was never meant for sittin' on my own door sill
And I ride wherever the wind blows
I'm driftin' like a tumbleweed
I'm just a wanderin' troubadour
A song and my guitar is all I need
I've been in rich men's houses and I've been in jail
And when it's time for leavin', I just hits the trail
I'm a human bird of passage and the song I trill
Is once you get the Habit, you just can't keep still
Now the sun is sort of coaxin' and the road is clear
And the wind is singin' ballads that I just gotta hear
It ain't no use to argue when you feel the thrill
For once you get the Habit, you just can't keep still
I ride wherever the wind blows
I'm driftin' like a tumbleweed
And I'm just a wanderin' troubadour
A song and my guitar is all I need
And I ride wherever the wind blows
And I'm driftin' like a tumbleweed
And I'm just a wanderin' troubadour
A song and my guitar is all I need
A song and my guitar is all I need
The song "The Habit" by Don Edwards is about the feeling of not being able to stay in one place for too long. The lyrics suggest that the singer has traveled across the country, from Portland to San Antone, and has been to many other places in between. However, despite seeing many places where he would like to stay, the singer feels restless and continues to move on. He describes himself as a "human bird of passage," meaning that he has an innate desire to keep moving.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that the singer is like a tumbleweed, being pushed around by the wind. He follows his heart and his guitar, never settling down for too long in any one place. The line "For once you get the Habit, you just can't keep still" suggests that this lifestyle has become a part of who he is, and he may not be able to change it.
The lyrics are an ode to the wanderlust that many people experience at some point in their lives. The simple chord progression and the relaxed rhythm of the song add to the feeling of ease and wanderlust that the singer describes.
Line by Line Meaning
I beat my way wherever any winds have blown
I've traveled extensively, allowing the wind to guide my path.
I've bummed along from Portland down to San Antone
I've traveled from Portland, Oregon to San Antonio, Texas.
From Shady Hook to Frisco, over plains and hills
I've traveled from Shady Hook to San Francisco across various terrains.
For once you get the Habit, you just can't keep still
Once you get the travel bug, you will always want to keep moving.
I've seen a lot of places where I'd like to stay
I've visited many places that I would have liked to call home.
I gets to feelin' restless, then I'm on my way
I become restless and feel the need to move on.
I was never meant for sittin' on my own door sill
I was never meant to stay in one place for too long.
And I ride wherever the wind blows
I let the wind guide my travel.
I'm driftin' like a tumbleweed
I'm drifting along without any set destination like a tumbleweed.
I'm just a wanderin' troubadour
I'm a wandering singer or poet.
A song and my guitar is all I need
All I need is music and my guitar to keep me going.
I've been in rich men's houses and I've been in jail
I've experienced both extremes in society from being in rich people's houses to being incarcerated.
And when it's time for leavin', I just hits the trail
When it's time to leave, I hit the road without hesitation.
I'm a human bird of passage and the song I trill
I am a human bird of passage and the song I sing reflects my transient lifestyle.
Now the sun is sort of coaxin' and the road is clear
The sun is calling out to me, and the road ahead looks clear and inviting.
And the wind is singin' ballads that I just gotta hear
The wind is singing music that I feel compelled to listen to.
It ain't no use to argue when you feel the thrill
There's no point in arguing when you feel the excitement and urge to travel.
And I ride wherever the wind blows
I continue to let the wind guide my journey.
And I'm just a wanderin' troubadour
I remain a wandering poet and musician.
A song and my guitar is all I need
My love for music, and my guitar is all I need to keep me going.
Contributed by Madelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mike Riley
on Line Shack Blues
Way up in the mountains by the timber line
There's a run-down cabin you can barely find
It's got a few provisions for a man to use
But there ain't a thing to drive away the line shack blues
With promises of springtime in a winter pay
The foreman sent me here and here is where I'll stay
He told me 'bout the peace and quiet and the view
But he never said a thing about the line shack blues
Oo, I'm all alone
Up here where the zephyrs and the coyotes moan
Oo, it's lonesome too
A man can loose his mind from them old line shack blues
I'm just about as bored as a man can be
I'm getting mighty tired of my own company
I've told me every story that I ever knew
One-sided conversation got the line shack blues
Oo, I'm all alone
Up here where the zephyrs and the coyotes moan
Oo, it's lonesome too
A man can loose his mind from them old line shack blues
I keep hoping maybe this is worth it all
If I can only make it till the April thaw
I tell ya partner there is one thing I know is true
I'm never coming back to these old line shack blues
Oo, I'm all alone
Up here where the zephyrs and the coyotes moan
Oo, it's lonesome too
A man can loose his mind from them old line shack blues
A man can loose his mind from them old line shack blues
Mike Riley
on Line Shack Blues
It's "zephyrs", not sapphires. Zephyrs moan... sapphires do not.
Slick
on The Campfire Has Gone Out
The word is GREED not Grieve.