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.
Rex
Guy Clark Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She'll lead you down through misery
Leave you low, come time to go
Alone and low as low can be
If I had a nickel I'd find a game
If I won a dollar I'd make it rain
If it rained an ocean I'd drink it dry
Legs to walk and thoughts to fly
Eyes to laugh and lips to cry
A restless tongue to classify
All born to grow and grown to die
So tell my baby I said so long
Tell my mother I did no wrong
Tell my brother to watch his own
And tell my friends to mourn me none
I'm chained upon the face of time
Feelin' full of foolish rhyme
There ain't no dark till something shines
I'm bound to leave this dark behind
Ride the blue wind high and free
She'll lead you down through misery
Leave you low, come time to go
Alone and low as low can be
The song "Rex" by Guy Clark is a heart-wrenching tale of resignation and acceptance of one's fate. The singer advises the listener to ride the blue wind high and free, but be prepared to face misery and to be left alone and low when the time comes to go. He wishes he had a nickel to find a game and a dollar to make it rain, but he is dissatisfied with his life, no matter how much he has. He contemplates his mortality and acknowledges the inevitability of death, reminding us that we are all born to grow and grown to die eventually.
The second stanza of the song speaks of the human condition, of having legs to walk but also thoughts to fly, of having eyes to laugh but also lips to cry. The restless tongue, he says, tries to classify everything in the world, but ultimately, all of us are bound to leave this world behind.
The final stanza is a series of messages for his loved ones. He tells his baby and mother goodbye and assures them that he did no wrong. He advises his brother to watch his own life and his friends not to mourn him. He recognizes that he is chained to the face of time, full of foolish rhyme, and that there is hope only in shining something bright in the darkness.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of disillusionment with life and an acceptance of the inevitability of death. It is a poignant reminder to make the most of the time we have and to shine our light in the darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
Ride the blue wind high and free
Take a chance and explore the possibilities of life
She'll lead you down through misery
But be prepared to face difficult times
Leave you low, come time to go
In the end, you may be alone and broken
Alone and low as low can be
Feeling empty and hopeless
If I had a nickel I'd find a game
If I had a little money, I would find a way to gamble it
If I won a dollar I'd make it rain
And if I were lucky enough to win, I'd immediately spend it all
If it rained an ocean I'd drink it dry
I am insatiable and never satisfied, always wanting more
And lay me down dissatisfied
Even with all these things, I would still be discontent
Legs to walk and thoughts to fly
We are all capable of moving forward and exploring the world
Eyes to laugh and lips to cry
We have the capacity for both joy and sadness
A restless tongue to classify
We are constantly trying to define and understand the world around us
All born to grow and grown to die
We are all born and eventually will pass on
So tell my baby I said so long
Say goodbye to my loved ones
Tell my mother I did no wrong
Assure my mother that I lived my life without regret
Tell my brother to watch his own
Warn my brother to take care of himself
And tell my friends to mourn me none
Ask my friends not to grieve my passing
I'm chained upon the face of time
I feel trapped and limited by the passage of time
Feelin' full of foolish rhyme
I'm full of nonsensical thoughts and ideas
There ain't no dark till something shines
We only perceive darkness when there is light to contrast it
I'm bound to leave this dark behind
I will eventually move past this difficult time
Ride the blue wind high and free
Despite the hardships, continue to explore and take risks in life
She'll lead you down through misery
There will be hard times, but they are a necessary part of the journey
Leave you low, come time to go
But don't allow yourself to become too beaten down in the end
Alone and low as low can be
Remember that being alone does not have to mean being unhappy
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@edwardbarrett4180
So miss the gang that’s lefts us in the last three years…. Hope you are all having fun where ever you are