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.
Gettin' By
Jerry Jeff Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna try to slide one by once more.
Don't matter how ya do it.
Just do it like you know what your doing
Besides, we been down this road one before...
[Chorus]
Just gettin' by on gettin' by's my stock and trade
Pickin' up the pieces where ever they fall
Just lettin' it roll lettin' the high times carry the load
I'm livin' my life easy come easy go.
Income tax overdue.
I think she is too.
Been busted, I'll probably get busted somemore.
But I'll catch it all later.
Can't let it stop me now,
Besides, I've been down this road once before...
Last week i was thinkin,
It's record time again,
And I can see Ol' Steve Boy pacing the floor.
Oh, Steve, don't ya worry.
Something's bound to come out,
Besides, we been down this road once before...
In Jerry Jeff Walker's song "Gettin' By," he sings about his lifestyle of living day by day and not worrying about the past or the future. The lyrics of the song is a reflection of his laid-back personality, his resilient spirit and his experiences living life on the road as a musician.
The song's chorus, "Just getting by on getting by's my stock and trade," describes Walker's ability to make the most out of his situation and take life as it comes. He admits to having owed money in taxes and getting in trouble in the past, but he takes the stance of "can't let it stop me now." His experience and past mistakes have taught him that he has been in these situations before and he can get through them.
In the second verse, Walker talks about recording music again and the pressure he feels to produce another hit. He reassures himself that something is bound to come out, and he has been down this road before implying he has been in situations like this where he has had to produce and knows what to expect.
Overall, "Gettin' By" is a song about accepting life's challenges and making the best out of them. Walker takes a relaxed approach to life, not letting the past prevent him from moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Hi, buckaroos, Scamp Walker time again.
Jerry Jeff Walker greets his listeners and announces that it is his turn to play and entertain.
Gonna try to slide one by once more.
He intends to present another performance that would impress his audience.
Don't matter how ya do it.
He believes that there is no specific way to achieve success in what he does.
Just do it like you know what your doing
Jerry Jeff Walker recommends that aspiring performers present themselves confidently and professionally.
Besides, we been down this road one before...
This line is repeated several times throughout the song and serves as a reminder that he has been in this situation many times before and can handle it.
Just gettin' by on gettin' by's my stock and trade
Jerry Jeff Walker describes his lifestyle as one where he makes enough to get by and no more.
Livin' it day to day
He lives each day independently, with no specific plans or expectations.
Pickin' up the pieces where ever they fall
He deals with the challenges that come his way as they arrive.
Just lettin' it roll lettin' the high times carry the load
Jerry Jeff Walker believes that good times can outweigh the tough times, and that it's essential to take life as it comes.
I'm livin' my life easy come easy go.
He accepts that life can be unpredictable and thus lives casually without worrying too much about the future.
Income tax overdue.
He acknowledges that he owes taxes which he hasn't paid yet.
I think she is too.
He suspects that his partner could be in the same situation.
Been busted, I'll probably get busted somemore.
He's been caught doing something wrong before and expects it to happen again.
But I'll catch it all later.
Although he admits his wrongdoing, he has no plans to resolve the issue immediately.
Can't let it stop me now,
He won't let any challenges or roadblocks stop him from achieving his goals.
Last week I was thinkin,
Jerry Jeff Walker reminisces about a moment from last week.
it's record time again,
He's in the process of recording a new album.
And I can see Ol' Steve Boy pacing the floor.
He imagines his producer Steve Boy fretting over the album's production.
Oh, Steve, don't ya worry.
He reassures his producer that things will work out just fine.
Something's bound to come out,
Jerry Jeff Walker believes that the recording process will result in something great.
Besides, we been down this road once before...
He concludes the song by repeating his optimistic refrain that he has faced these challenges many times in the past and can overcome anything.
Lyrics Š BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Elvis Aaron Presley, Mae Boren Axton, Thomas R. Durden
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Levi Taylor
OK buckaroos, Scamp Walker time again
I'm trying to slide one by you once more
Don't matter how you do it
Just do it like you know it
I've been down that road once or twice before
Chorus:
Just gettin' by on gettin' bys my stock in trad
Living it day to day
Pickin' up the pieces wherever they fall
Just letting it roll, letting the high times carry the low
I'm just living my life easy come, easy go
Last week I was thinking, its record time again
And I could see Mike making those faces
Ah Mike, don't you worry, something's bound to come out
Besides, I've been down this road once or twice before
Chorus
Income tax is overdue, I think she is too
Been busted and I'll probably get busted some more
But I'll catch it all later, can't let em stop me now
I've been down this road once or twice before
Robert S
I don't know why, but when I read that Jerry Jeff had passed away, this is the first song that crossed my mind. One of my favorite singer songwriters, right up there in my mind with Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, Shawn Phillips and just a select few others. RIP Jerry Jeff
Laura Escobar
@John Hickey th
G see
Lon Fowler
Yes, Billy Joe Shaver, Prine, Townes, good to see Shawn Phillips listed.
Kristen Krofina
Sameâ¤ď¸
Sam Jones
After that I went to this: https://youtu.be/muG8kDYbZ5Q
Mouse Potato
Same.
Stephen Coleman
RIP JJW
one of the greatest lines in history of Texas music. âIncome tax is overdue, she is tooâ
Hemp Highway of Kentucky
I stopped and wrote that line down as I was listening to this song just now
rundoetx
God I miss Jerry Jeff already. I cant count the times I've seen him in Austin. Met he a few times, one of the nicest guys I ever met.
rundoetx
@Jill Williams Amem sister