Clark was born in Monahans, Texas and eventually settled in Nashville, where he helped create the progressive country and outlaw country genres. His songs "L.A. Freeway" and "Desperados Waiting for a Train" that helped launch his career were covered by numerous performers.
He was an accomplished luthier and often played his own guitars. He achieved success as a songwriter with Jerry Jeff Walker’s recordings of "L.A. Freeway" and "Desperados Waiting For A Train". Artists such as Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, Brad Paisley, John Denver, Alan Jackson, Rodney Crowell, The Highwaymen, and Kenny Chesney have recorded Clark’s songs. Emmylou Harris has accompanied him on several recordings, particularly his own version of "Desperados Waiting For A Train" on his first album, Old No. 1, released in 1975. Clark is frequently referred to as "The Fifth Highwayman".
Clark has been a mentor to such other singers as Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell. He organized Earle's first job as a writer in Nashville. In the 1970s, the Clarks' home in Nashville was an open house for songwriters and musicians and it features in the documentary Heartworn Highways, an evocation of the songwriter scene in Nashville at that time. (Snapper/Catfish, 1981/2003, with Townes Van Zandt, David Allan Coe, and Steve Earle). Numerous artists have charted with Clark-penned tunes. In 1982, Bobby Bare made it to the Country Top Twenty with Clark’s "New Cut Road". That same year, bluegrass leader Ricky Skaggs hit No. 1 with Clark’s "Heartbroke", a song that permanently established his reputation as an ingenious songwriter. Among the many others who have covered Clark's songs are Vince Gill, who took "Oklahoma Borderline" to the Top Ten in 1985; The Highwaymen, who introduced "Desperados Waiting For A Train" to a new generation that same year; and John Conlee, whose interpretation of “The Carpenter” rode into the Top Ten in 1987.
Steve Wariner took his cover of Clark's "Baby I’m Yours" to No. 1 in 1988; Asleep at the Wheel charted with Clark's "Blowin’ Like a Bandit" the same year. Crowell was Clark’s co-writer on "She’s Crazy for Leavin’", which in 1989 became the third of five straight #l hits for Crowell. Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson cover Clark’s "Out in the Parkin' Lot," co-written with Darrell Scott, on Paisley's Time Well Wasted CD. Jimmy Buffett has covered Clark’s "Boats to Build" and "Cinco de Mayo in Memphis". Clark credits Townes Van Zandt as being a major influence on his songwriting. They were best friends for many years until Van Zandt's death in 1997, and since then Clark has included one of Van Zandt's compositions on most of his albums. In 1995, he recorded a live album with Van Zandt and Steve Earle, Together at the Bluebird Cafe, which was released in October 2001. Other live material can be found on his album Keepers.
In 2006 Clark released Workbench Songs. The album was nominated for "Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album" at the Grammy Awards. He also toured with Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely, and John Hiatt in 2004, 2005 and 2007.
In May 2008, Clark canceled four concerts after breaking his leg. After two months on crutches, he began to perform again on July 4 at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC where he appeared with Verlon Thompson. On June 20, 2009, Clark announced a new album entitled "Somedays the Song Writes You" which was released on September 22, 2009. It features originals along with a Townes Van Zandt song entitled "If I Needed You".
In December 2011 This One's For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (a two-CD set) was released by Icehouse Music.
Guy Clark won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album in 2014 for My Favorite Picture of You.
On May 17, 2016, Clark's death was announced on his Facebook page.
Clark was married to songwriter and artist, Susanna Clark from 1972 through her death from cancer on June 27, 2012.
Homegrown Tomatoes
Guy Clark Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Than bacon & lettuce & home grown tomatoes
Up in the mornin' out in the garden
Get you a ripe one don't get a hard one
Plant 'em in the spring eat 'em in the summer
All winter without 'em's a culinary bummer
I forget all about the sweatin' & diggin'
Everytime I go out and pick me a big one
Homegrown tomatoes home grown tomatoes
Wha'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things money can't buy
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes
I've been out to eat and that's for sure
But it's nothin' a homegrown tomato won't cure
Put 'em in a salad put 'em in a stew
You can make your very own tomato juice
Eat 'em with eggs eat 'em with gravy
Eat 'em with beans pinto or navy
Put 'em on the side put 'em in the middle
Put a home grown tomato on a hotcake griddle
If I's to change this life that I lead
I'd be Johnny tomato seed
Cause I know what this country needs
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see
When I die don't bury me
In a box in a cemetery
Out in the garden would be much better
I could be pushin' up homegrown tomatoes
In Guy Clark's song Homegrown Tomatoes, the singer expresses his love for homegrown tomatoes in a lighthearted and humorous way. The opening lyrics reveal that there is nothing in the world the singer likes better than "bacon & lettuce & homegrown tomatoes," and he enjoys picking the ripe tomatoes in his garden in the morning. The song then emphasizes the importance of eating homegrown tomatoes in the summer and bemoans the fact that not having access to them during the winter is a "culinary bummer."
The song also explores the versatility of tomatoes, with lyrics suggesting that they can be used in various dishes, such as salads, stews, and even tomato juice. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "homegrown tomatoes," emphasizing the importance of growing one's own food and the satisfaction that comes with consuming something that was nurtured and cared for by one's own hands.
The song also ends with a humorous twist, with the singer expressing his desire to be buried in his garden so that he can continue to push up homegrown tomatoes even after his death. Overall, the song celebrates the joy and taste of fresh produce and the satisfaction of growing one's own food.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't nothin' in the world that I like better
Nothing in this entire world can make me as happy and content as....
Than bacon & lettuce & home grown tomatoes
....eating a combination of bacon, lettuce, and homegrown tomatoes does.
Up in the mornin' out in the garden
Early every day, I head out to my garden
Get you a ripe one don't get a hard one
It's best to pick the tomatoes that are ripe, and not the unripe ones
Plant 'em in the spring eat 'em in the summer
Tomatoes should be planted during the spring season, and then, they can be eaten in the summer
All winter without 'em's a culinary bummer
Not having homegrown tomatoes during winter is an unfortunate culinary setback
I forget all about the sweatin' & diggin'
All the hard work and effort that goes into sweating and digging is soon forgotten
Everytime I go out and pick me a big one
Every single time I go out to the garden and pick a big, ripe tomato
Homegrown tomatoes home grown tomatoes
Homegrown tomatoes are simply the best
Wha'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
I can't even imagine what my life would be without my beloved homegrown tomatoes
Only two things money can't buy
There are only two things in this world that money can't buy
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes
Those two things are true love and, of course, my delicious homegrown tomatoes
I've been out to eat and that's for sure
I have dined out countless times, that's a fact
But it's nothin' a homegrown tomato won't cure
Yet, nothing can cure my cravings for a freshly-picked, homegrown tomato
Put 'em in a salad put 'em in a stew
You can add homegrown tomatoes to salads or stews
You can make your very own tomato juice
You can even make your own tomato juice with homegrown tomatoes
Eat 'em with eggs eat 'em with gravy
Homegrown tomatoes go well with eggs or gravy
Eat 'em with beans pinto or navy
They're also great with beans, whether pinto or navy
Put 'em on the side put 'em in the middle
You can put homegrown tomatoes on the side or right in the middle
Put a home grown tomato on a hotcake griddle
Why not try a delicious homegrown tomato on a hotcake griddle?
If I's to change this life that I lead
If I had to change the way I live my life
I'd be Johnny tomato seed
I would transform myself into a little tomato seed named Johnny
Cause I know what this country needs
I believe that I know what this country is currently lacking
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see
And that is, homegrown tomatoes grown in every yard throughout the nation
When I die don't bury me
When I pass away, do not lay me to rest
In a box in a cemetery
Inside a coffin buried in a cemetery
Out in the garden would be much better
It would be much better if I were laid to rest out in my beloved garden
I could be pushin' up homegrown tomatoes
Even in death, I could be contributing to the growth of my precious homegrown tomatoes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GUY CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hwatt1960
+Fats Dulange
My friend texted me this morning, told me and I just won't look it up, but I'm listening to all my favorite songs.
Maybe if I don't read it, just ain't so true?
That big river out in Egypt sort of denial.
Godammit.
The world just got a hell of a lot smaller.
@kristaharmon7584
Love this song...holding my children on my hip and swinging them around...dancing in our little garden and this song just always fit. Thank you Guy Clark for your amazing contribution to our music that has been threaded through our lives.
@mikepepper6315
Guy Clark was a national treasure.
@markusvlad7217
Love that my 12 year old likes this song and isnt embarrassed by her dad playing it.
@artwilmeth6944
Guy wanted to buried in a garden so he'll be pushing up home grown tomatoes. RIP to a master story teller
@billygoatupnorth
ART WILMETH my dad always wanted to be buried in the mater garden and I just found this by accident... Bought a tear to my eye....
@grattanwalsh8704
Amen, a national treasure! ROOY! All cowbodyed to hell!
@nomadjeff1922
This always reminds me of being a kid and picking tomatoes from the garden and my mom making the best BLT's ever. We were poor but I remember that being a big treat. Every time I have a BLT I think of those days.
@brettbuss2665
Nice.
@marjoryrainey287
That's a beautiful memory
@johnoglesby1137
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