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.
Dust on My Boots
Jerry Jeff Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A mind to unravel
Footloose tramp upon a plain
Now the nights aren't warm now
I'm singing a different song now
Don't believe I'll ever change my way
'Cause I am a rambler
Of songs that sing a rambler's blues
Leave some taking heart gal
Ain't in my cards now
Can't kick the dust off my boots
There ain't no use in crying for excuses
To tell you the truth of how I feel
Understood my leaving
So don't you go to grieving
If I say ramblings all that's real
I say ramblings all that's real
There's no denying
Gal, there'll be no crying
The reason is that it suits me so
Nothing more to say now
I guess I'm on my way gal
I just stopped a spell to let you know
But I am a rambler
Love youth of gamble
Yeah gal keep walking down
See the sunshine
I'm on my way
I get the urge to roam
I know ramblings real
The lyrics of Jerry Jeff Walker's song Dust on My Boots tells the story of a man who has decided to live his life as a free-spirited rambler. He started traveling with the intention of unraveling his mind and experiencing a life that's full of excitement and uncertainty. His love for the youthful thrill of gambling and singing the blues of a rambler is what keeps him going. He sings about how his life is now different, with no warm nights and a different song to sing. However, he does not intend to change his ways and will always be a rambler at heart.
The man is aware that his lifestyle wouldn't suit everyone, and he doesn't make excuses for it. He doesn't want the people in his life to cry or grieve when he decides to ramble on, as rambling is all that's real to him. He acknowledges that there's nothing more to say than goodbye for now as he continues on his journey.
Jerry Jeff Walker's Dust on My Boots is a testament to the freedom and excitement that comes with living life as a rambler. It showcases a man who has decided to embrace the beauty of uncertainty and is determined to live life on his own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
Started traveling
Began journeying from place to place
A mind to unravel
A desire to explore and figure things out
Footloose tramp upon a plain
A wanderer on the open land
Now the nights aren't warm now
The nights are cold and lonely now
I'm singing a different song now
My perspective has changed, and I have a different outlook on life
Don't believe I'll ever change my way
I have no intention of settling down or changing my adventurous lifestyle
'Cause I am a rambler
I am a wandering, restless spirit
Love youth of gamble
I enjoy taking risks and living life on the edge
Of songs that sing a rambler's blues
I relate to and appreciate music that speaks to the struggles and joys of being a wanderer
Leave some taking heart gal
I may break some hearts along the way
Ain't in my cards now
I am not looking for a committed relationship at this time
Can't kick the dust off my boots
I cannot shake off my urge to travel and explore
There ain't no use in crying for excuses
There's no point in making excuses or being overly emotional
To tell you the truth of how I feel
I am being honest about my feelings and intentions
Understood my leaving
You knew that I would eventually leave
So don't you go to grieving
Don't be too upset about my departure
If I say ramblings all that's real
If I say that my wandering lifestyle is all that matters, believe me
There's no denying
There's no disputing this fact
Gal, there'll be no crying
There's no need for tears over this
The reason is that it suits me so
This lifestyle is what I enjoy and what makes me happy
Nothing more to say now
I have nothing else to explain or discuss about this matter
I guess I'm on my way gal
It's time for me to continue my journey
I just stopped a spell to let you know
I took a brief break to inform you of my intentions
Yeah gal keep walking down
You should keep moving forward with your life
See the sunshine
Focus on the positive things in your life
I'm on my way
I am heading out on my journey
I get the urge to roam
I frequently feel the need to travel and explore
I know ramblings real
I am certain that the wandering lifestyle is what I truly desire
Contributed by Riley M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.