During the late 1950s, Crosby was a member of a local Oneonta teen band called The Tones. The band traveled to Philadelphia to audition for Dick Clark's "American Bandstand", but were turned down. Members of the band found Dick Clark's house and were able to get a recommendation to audition at New York City's Baton Records through the company's lead producer Sol Rabinowitz. The band was given a recording contract, but the studio wanted a quintet backed by studio musicians, which left Crosby and another member out of their recordings.
After high school, Crosby joined the National Guard, but his thirst for adventure led him to go AWOL and roam the country busking for a living in areas like New Orleans, Texas, Florida, and New York. He played mostly ukulele until Harriet Ottenheimer, one of the founders of The Quorum, got him settled on a guitar in 1963. He adopted his stage name "Jerry Jeff Walker" in 1966. He spent his early folk music days in Greenwich Village in the mid 1960s. He co-founded a band with Bob Bruno in the late 1960s called Circus Maximus that put out two albums one with the popular west coast hit "Wind", but Bruno's interest in jazz apparently diverged from Walker's interest in folk music. Walker thus resumed his solo career and recorded the seminal album "Mr. Bojangles" with the help of David Bromberg and other influential Atlantic recording artists. He settled in Austin, Texas, in the 1970s associating mainly with the country-rock outlaw scene that included artists such as Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Waylon Jennings, and Townes Van Zandt.
"Mr. Bojangles" (written by Walker) is perhaps his most well-known and most-often covered song. It was about an obscure alcoholic but talented tap-dancing drifter, (not the famous stage and movie dancer Bill Robinson, as usually assumed). Bojangles is thought to have been a folk character who entertained informally in the south of the US and California, and some say he might have been one of the most gifted natural dancers ever. Authentic reports of him exist from the 1920s through about 1965. Artists from Nina Simone to Bob Dylan, Philip Glass to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, have covered the song. Walker has also recorded songs written by others such as "LA Freeway" (Guy Clark), and "Up Against the Wall Red Neck Mother" (Ray Wylie Hubbard).
A string of records for MCA and Elektra followed Jerry Jeff's move to Austin, before he gave up on the mainstream music business and formed his own independent record label. Tried & True Music was founded in 1986, with his wife Susan as President and manager. Susan also founded Goodknight Music as his management company and Tried & True Artists for his bookings. A series of increasingly autobiographical records followed under the Tried & True imprint. Tried & True also sells his autobiography called "Gypsy Songman". In 2004, Jerry Jeff released his first DVD of songs from his past as performed in an intimate setting in Austin, TX.
He interpreted the songs of others like Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, Keith Sykes, Paul Siebel, Bob Dylan, Todd Snider and even a rodeo clown named Billy Jim Baker.
His son, Django Walker, is also a musician. In addition to his residence in Austin, Walker had a retreat on Ambergris Caye in Belize where he recorded his "Cowboy Boots and Bathing Suits" album in 1998.
Members of his band varied over the years. The Lost Gonzo Band and the Gonzo Compadres have backed him in the past. Key members of his band included Craig Hillis - guitarist and arranger on Viva Terlingua, John Inmon, Freddy Krc, Gary P. Nunn, Bob Livingston, Bobby Rambo, Mitch Watkins, Steve Samuel, David Bromberg and others.
Don't It Make You Wanna Dance?
Jerry Jeff Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feels so good just to get back home
Back to my friends and all the faces I love to see
Like a rainbow in the sky
A certain twinkle that's in her eye
Telling me they believe in what I am
And what I want to be
Don't it make you wanna dance?
Don't it make you wanna smile?
When you're down, down, down in the country
Could you sing a while?
Don't it make you wanna dance?
Don't it make you wanna smile?
When you're down, down, down in the country
Could you sing a while?
Oh Lord, don't it feel right tonight
Makin' music when you feel just right
And feeling better with every single song
And look around, everyone is a friend
And every single one has found his friend
So when the chorus comes around
They have a body to bone, yeah
Don't it make you wanna dance?
Don't it make you wanna smile?
When you're down, down, down in the country
Could you sing a while?
Don't it make you wanna dance?
Don't it make you wanna smile?
When you're down, down, down in the country
Could you sing a while?
Don't it make you wanna dance?
Don't it make you wanna smile?
When you're down, down, down in the country
Could you sing a while?
Don't it make you wanna dance?
Don't it make you wanna smile?
When you're down, down, down in the country
Could you sing a while?
Don't it make you wanna dance?
Don't it make you wanna smile?
When you're down, down, down in the country
Could you sing a while?
Don't it make you wanna dance?
Don't it make you wanna smile?
When you're down, down, down in the country
Could you sing a while?
Don't it make you wanna dance?
Don't it make you wanna smile?
When you're down, down, down in the country
Could you sing a while?
Don't it make you wanna dance?
Don't it make you wanna smile?
When you're down, down, down in the country
The lyrics to "Don't it Make You Wanna Dance" by Jerry Jeff Walker express the joy of returning home after being away for a long time. The singer expresses how good it feels to return to his beloved friends and familiar faces that believe in him and support his dreams. The upbeat tempo and catchy melody of the song contribute to the earworm quality that urges listeners to get up and dance.
The lyrics capture the magic of music and how it brings people together. The singer mentions how making music with his friends makes him feel just right and how every person in the room has found their friend. The chorus repeats the phrase "Don't it make you wanna dance?" and "Don't it make you wanna smile?" which encourages listeners to let loose, enjoy the moment, and keep singing.
Overall, the song is a celebration of life, love, and the power of music. It reminds us of the importance of connecting with others, especially during tough times, and finding joy in the simple things in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I've been gone for so long
After a long absence, it feels great to return home.
Feels so good just to get back home
Being back home brings a sense of comfort and joy.
Back to my friends and all the faces I love to see
Being around friends and familiar faces is a source of happiness and contentment.
Like a rainbow in the sky
Being around loved ones evokes a feeling of beauty and delight, just like a rainbow in the sky.
A certain twinkle that's in her eye
A sign in someone's eye that they believe in who you are.
Telling me they believe in what I am
Feeling positively supported in your identity and aspirations by those around you.
And what I want to be
Feeling confident in oneself and their future.
Don't it make you wanna dance?
This feeling of joy and happiness is so contagious that it makes one want to dance.
Don't it make you wanna smile?
This positive energy and support is reflected in a smile.
When you're down, down, down in the country
Even when feeling low or down, being in a rural area with music and friends can uplift one's spirit.
Could you sing a while?
Music and singing have the ability to make one feel alive and positive.
Oh Lord, don't it feel right tonight
The feeling of happiness and contentment is so strong that it feels right.
Makin' music when you feel just right
Creating music is an outlet that brings about positivity and contentment.
And feeling better with every single song
Music has a therapeutic effect, and with each song, one can feel better.
And look around, everyone is a friend
In this environment, everyone feels like a friend.
And every single one has found his friend
Every person seems to have found their own friend in this environment.
So when the chorus comes around
When the chorus of a song starts, everyone is excited.
They have a body to bone, yeah
Everyone is eager to dance and move together.
Don't it make you wanna dance?
This environment is so lively and joyful that it makes one want to dance.
Don't it make you wanna smile?
This energy is reflected in a smile.
When you're down, down, down in the country
Even when feeling low, being in this environment can uplift one's spirit.
Could you sing a while?
Singing and music can still bring positivity and joy.
Don't it make you wanna dance?
This joy and energy is so powerful that it makes one want to dance.
Don't it make you wanna smile?
This positivity is reflected in a smile.
When you're down, down, down in the country
Even in tough times, being in this environment can bring about joy and happiness.
Could you sing a while?
Music and singing can still have a therapeutic impact.
Don't it make you wanna dance?
This environment is so infectious that it makes one want to dance.
Don't it make you wanna smile?
This positivity is reflected in a smile.
When you're down, down, down in the country
Being in the country with good music and friends can bring about a sense of joy and happiness.
Could you sing a while?
Music and singing can still have a positive effect in difficult times.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Rusty Wier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wichitarick
DANCING THE DANCE
Hearing a little song breathes beginnings into bringing us up to prance
Tapping toes to and fro while hearing sound is just the start of unlocking hidden magic in your feet
Masculine or feminine both have their ways who takes the lead often left to chance
Music matters less for the listener & more for the needed beat,get in step to make your day complete
Ring of fire to guide a buck dancers step,wisping in willows often better than pomp and circumstance
Folk unfancy while foxtrot is footloose,cutting the rug fulfilling feelings from oh so deep
Swaying with the Samba the rest doing the rumba,satcheting the salsa takes on a hot romance
Cajun rhythms or wily waltzes ,wanting to boogie woogie will have them waiting in line like sheep
Twist and shout leave no doubt, it is not square to let the legs levitate, so pick a partner take a chance
Religious or rebellious ,cha cha in Charleston, country in Colorado beginning from a bar room or ballroom let the music lift you from your seat and into the street.R.C.
Thanks. Keep Rockin "Peace Takes Practice" Rick
@oldfashionedtruth7704
Possibly the best song ever recorded. Dead serious. Lyrics are perfect and give me some sort of feelin, feel me? 😃. If you don’t agree, try dancing in your kitchen with your wife and 6yr old daughter to this song… you’ll understand then. And if your daughter sings every word it makes it even that much more amazing. Mad love and prayers from Tennessee!
💪🏼🧡🇺🇸
@robertpatterson3801
RIP JERRY JEFF 😒😒 YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A LEGEND
@dougnance5254
Gonzo til the end.
@markperron851
Jerry Jeff's music refuses to allow you to stay down. Gotta love it!!!
@recsec
Bought this album the day it went on sale. Was 15 at the time. Still a damn great album!!
@kshorns
One of the best from the whole "progressive country" era. An essential on my list!
@jimmcpeters7488
Same 4 me.
@1kshoundog
RIP Jerry Jeff. Thanks for the good times, for being there in the bad times, and for all the memories.
@ronmiele
JJ and the Lost Gonzos...spent many nights in the 70's and 80's with one of the greats!
@gregfrancis5252
TO ME HIS BEST,,,A DOUBLE ALBUM,,,I STILL HAVE MINE FROM MY HIPPY DAYS,,,SMOKED MANY A JOINT TO THIS ALBUM