In 2006 Isobel released a collaborative LP (Ballad of the Broken Seas) with former Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age singer Mark Lanegan, a mixture of folk and more rock-orientated music. October 2006 also saw the release of her latest album, Milkwhite Sheets, a more acoustic folk album, consisting of a mixture of traditional songs alonside Isobel's own compositions.
Isobel's band The Gentle Waves released its first album on Jeepster Records, titled The Green Fields of Foreverland, in 1999. The second Gentle Waves record, Swansong For You came out one year later. In 2002, she collaborated with Scottish jazz musician Bill Wells on a collection of Billie Holliday songs, released by Creeping Bent.
In 2003 Campbell released Amorino, the first solo album under her own name, to very good reviews. Bill Wells was featured here again, along with other jazz musicians.
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan form a unique combination of gruff vocals and dulcet voices. They have released three albums so far: Ballad of the Broken Seas, which received a nomination in the 2006 Mercury Awards, Sunday at Devil Dirt, which was released in May 2008. The album received US release in Fall 2008. And finally their third album Hawk was released in August 2010.
RAMBLIN
Isobel Campbell Lyrics
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Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can
And when it's time for leavin'
I hope you'll understand
That I was born a ramblin' man
My father was a gambler down in Georgia
He wound up on the wrong end of a gun
Rollin' down highway forty-one
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can
And when it's time for leavin'
I hope you'll understand
That I was born a ramblin' man
I'm on my way to New Orleans this mornin'
I'm leavin' out of Nashville, Tennessee
They're always having a good time down on the bayou
Lord, them Delta women think the world of me
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can
And when it's time for leavin'
I hope you'll understand
That I was born a ramblin' man
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
The song "Ramblin' Man" by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan is about a man who was born to wander and cannot settle down at one place. The lyrics suggest that the singer is constantly trying to make a living and do the best he can, but his true calling is to travel and explore different places. The first verse talks about his birthright as a ramblin' man, whose father was a gambler who met with his fate at the wrong end of a gun in Georgia. Interestingly, the singer was born in the back seat of a Greyhound bus while it was rolling down highway forty-one.
The second and last verse of the song talks about his journey to New Orleans from Nashville, Tennessee. The singer enjoys a good time down on the bayou, where the Delta women adore him. The lyrics reflect the wanderlust of the main character and his desire to be on the move continually. The chorus repeats throughout the song, creating a catchy tune, and adds to the portrayal of the singer as a man who was born for wandering.
In conclusion, the song is a poetic representation of a person whose calling in life is to explore and travel.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
I've never been able to stay in one place for too long.
Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can
I'm doing my best to make a living, but my wandering nature makes it difficult.
And when it's time for leavin'
I can't stay in one place forever, eventually it's time to move on.
I hope you'll understand
I know my lifestyle can be hard to understand, but I hope you can accept it.
My father was a gambler down in Georgia
My father was a risk taker who didn't always make the best decisions.
He wound up on the wrong end of a gun
Unfortunately, his bad choices led to his untimely death.
And I was born in the back seat of a Greyhound bus
I was literally born while my mother was on the move, already embracing a life of travel.
Rollin' down highway forty-one
Our journey never stopped, even during my birth.
I'm on my way to New Orleans this mornin'
I'm always moving forward to the next destination, with New Orleans being my current goal.
I'm leavin' out of Nashville, Tennessee
I'm already departing from one place and onto the next, with each stop being temporary.
They're always having a good time down on the bayou
I'm drawn to the festive atmosphere and good times that can be found in Louisiana's bayous.
Lord, them Delta women think the world of me
The women in this area find my wandering spirit and nomadic lifestyle charming and attractive.
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
My restless ways and constant travels define who I am.
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
I can't help but follow my wanderlust and embrace a life of constant movement.
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
My free spirit and unquenchable desire for new experiences make it impossible for me to ever settle down.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Forrest Richard Betts
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind