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.
Texas
Guy Clark Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So it's hard to figure out what I'm at the depot for
Trains are big and black and smokin' - steam screamin' at the wheels
Bigger than anything they is, at least that's the way she feels
Trains are big and black and smokin', louder'n July four,
But everybody's actin' like this might be somethin' more...
Than just pickin' up the mail, or the soldiers from the war
This is somethin' that even old man Wileman never seen before
And it's late afternoon on a hot Texas day
Somethin' strange is goin' on, and we's all in the way
Well there's fifty or sixty people they're just sittin' on their cars
And the old men left their dominos and they come down from the bars
Everybody's checkin', old Jack Kittrel check his watch
And us kids put our ears to the rails to hear 'em pop
So we already knowed it, when they finally said 'train time'
You'd a-thought that Jesus Christ his-self was rollin' down the line
'Cause things got real quiet, momma jerked me back
But not before I'd got the chance to lay a nickel on the track
[Chorus:]
Look out here she comes, she's comin'
Look out there she goes, she's gone,
Screamin' straight through Texas
Like a mad dog cyclone
Big, red, and silver
She don't make no smoke
She's a fast-rollin' streamline
Come to show the folks
[Chorus:]
Lord, she never even stopped
She left fifty or sixty people still sittin' on their cars
And they're wonderin' what it's comin' to
And how it got this far
Oh but me I got a nickel smashed flatter than a dime
By a mad dog, runaway red-silver streamline...train
The song "Texas 1947" by Guy Clark is about a six-year-old boy who witnesses a historic event at a train depot in Texas. The scene is set on a hot Texas day in the late afternoon, and the air is filled with excitement and anticipation as fifty or sixty people wait for something to happen. The boy has seen trains before, but this one is different. It's big, red, and silver, and it doesn't make any smoke. And when it finally arrives, it doesn't even stop.
The song captures the sense of wonder and awe that the boy experiences as he watches the train speed through Texas like a "mad dog cyclone." The adults around him are also amazed by the train, and they stop whatever they are doing to watch it go by. The boy sneaks a nickel onto the track to see what will happen, and it gets flattened by the train's wheels.
The song is a nostalgic tribute to a bygone era, and it celebrates the power and majesty of the railroad. It also captures the sense of excitement and adventure that were associated with train travel in the early part of the twentieth century.
Line by Line Meaning
Now bein' six years old, I had seen some trains before
As a six-year-old, I had already seen a few trains.
So it's hard to figure out what I'm at the depot for
Therefore, it was tough for me to grasp why I came to the station.
Trains are big and black and smokin' - steam screamin' at the wheels
Trains are enormous, pitch-black, and produce a lot of smoke, with steam yelling at the wheels.
Bigger than anything they is, at least that's the way she feels
At least that's how my mother perceives it – trains are larger than anything else in existence.
Trains are big and black and smokin', louder'n July four,
Actually, trains are loud, smoky, and significantly louder than Independence Day fireworks.
But everybody's actin' like this might be somethin' more...
Nevertheless, everyone present senses that this train might be more than just an ordinary train.
Than just pickin' up the mail, or the soldiers from the war
Perhaps it is for something more important than delivering mail or fetching troops from the war.
This is somethin' that even old man Wileman never seen before
Old man Wileman, who has seen a lot, has not witnessed anything like this before.
And it's late afternoon on a hot Texas day
The train arrives in the evening on a hot day in Texas.
Somethin' strange is goin' on, and we's all in the way
Something odd is happening, and we are all in the path of it.
Well there's fifty or sixty people they're just sittin' on their cars
Many folks are sitting patiently in their automobiles.
And the old men left their dominos and they come down from the bars
Even the old men gave up their games of dominos and left the bars to see what was happening.
Everybody's checkin', old Jack Kittrel check his watch
Everyone is checking their belongings; old Jack Kittrel checks his timepiece.
And us kids put our ears to the rails to hear 'em pop
Many of us children eagerly place our ears on the metal rails to hear the sounds of the train as it approaches.
So we already knowed it, when they finally said 'train time'
We all know when the conductors finally announced that the train is arriving.
You'd a-thought that Jesus Christ his-self was rollin' down the line
The reaction to the train's arrival was so over the top that one would think Jesus himself was on board.
'Cause things got real quiet, momma jerked me back
Things get quiet after the hullabaloo, and my mom pulls me away.
But not before I'd got the chance to lay a nickel on the track
But before I leave, I find the opportunity to place a nickel onto the train track.
Look out here she comes, she's comin'
Suddenly, here it comes, it's on its way.
Look out there she goes, she's gone,
Just as quickly as it came, it's gone off into the distance as well.
Screamin' straight through Texas
The train is screaming through the state without hesitation.
Like a mad dog cyclone
The train is like a fierce cyclone, raging through town.
Big, red, and silver
It's a huge train that is red and silver in color.
She don't make no smoke
Despite the earlier mention of trains producing massive amounts of smoke, this one surprisingly does not.
She's a fast-rollin' streamline
Despite its size, this train is streamlined and built for speed.
Come to show the folks
This train seems to have come to display its speed and power to the people.
Lord, she never even stopped
The train never even stopped, leaving everyone wondering what just happened in awe and amazement.
She left fifty or sixty people still sittin' on their cars
Even after the train disappeared, many people were left sitting in their cars, trying to process what just occurred.
And they're wonderin' what it's comin' to
The people are all trying to understand what just happened and what it could possibly mean.
And how it got this far
They are left contemplating how something like this could have even occurred in the first place.
Oh but me I got a nickel smashed flatter than a dime
I was lucky enough to get my nickel flattened as thin as a dime.
By a mad dog, runaway red-silver streamline...train
It was all thanks to the incredible power of this massive, speedy red and silver train.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Guy Clark
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vanessa McCleskey Roden
I absolutely have loved Guy Clark since the first time I seen him live, that was in 1975, in Ft. Worth, Texas, I was 16 years old! He was the most talented songwriter, and him and his awesome music will live on forever! My heart hurts because he is no longer with us! But he's up there with his beloved Suzanna, and his old friend Townes! Rip Michelangelo!
Cowboy Logic
Such an amazing presence!
Louis Edwards
He was an un sung hero who could sing
Boris Stone
Guy Clark is amazing. So sad he died. Never saw him live. Thanks for this great video!
Elizabeth Heyenga
I'm getting pretty old, but Guy Clark still stays at the top of the heap, and I cut my teeth on some great music.
He was too good for the music business. His acoustic version of LA Freeway is 100 times the song the record label forced with a symphony and backup.
Randy Ross
A favorite guy Clark song
Dharma Bum
so bad ass. the real deal.
david ahr
TEXAS TREASURE !! We miss you every day.
Andrew Z
A late comer fan but I did see him about 20 years ago. I wanted this song but it wasn't to be. He laughed and cracked a joke when he forgot the first line of a verse of Desperados and someone sitting in the front prompted him by calling out the line. I'm wondering if he had some native blood just noticing his high cheekbones which could indicate that.
ran 77
.