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.
I Ain't Livin' Long Like This
Jerry Jeff Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I look for trouble and I found it son
Straight down the barrel of a lawman's gun
I tried to run but I don't think I can
He said one move and you're a dead man friend
You ain't living long like this
I can't live at all like this, can I baby?
He slipped the handcuffs on behind my back
He left me hanging against a cold steel rack
You ain't living long like this
Grew up in Houston off the wayside drives
Son of a carhop and some all night dives
Daddy drove a stock car to an early death
He said remember son in his dying breath
You ain't living long like this
You can't live at all like this, oh no baby
You know the story 'bout the wheel go 'round
Don't let them take you there all down town
Ain't living long like this
I live for Angel she's a roadhouse queen
Make Texas Ruby look like Sandra Dee
I want to love her but I don't know how
I'm at the bottle and I'm stumbling here
I'm in the jailhouse now
I ain't living long like this, oh no baby
You know the story about the jailhouse rock
Well go on and do it, don't get caught
You ain't living long like this, oh no baby
Go on and do it but don't get caught
Cause there all in the jailhouse now
Jerry Jeff Walker’s song “I Ain't Living Long Like This” is a country rock song with Rodney Crowell’s lyrics which tells the story of a man who lives for trouble and finds it one day when he is faced with the barrel of a lawman's gun. The lyrics describe the man’s attempt to escape but ultimately getting caught and put behind bars. The man grew up in Houston off the wayside drives in a family that was involved in underground activities. His father, who drove a stock car, died an early death and left him with a valuable lesson which was to not live life recklessly. However, the singer admits that he is unable to follow his father's advice and continues to live a dangerous lifestyle.
The lyrics of “I Ain't Living Long Like This” is about the consequences of living a dangerous and reckless lifestyle. The man cannot escape the trouble that he has set himself up for and ends up in jail. The lyrics depict not only his imprisonment but also the woman he loves, Angel, who looks like Sandra Dee but is a “roadhouse queen”. The song also highlights the irony of the man’s self-destructive behavior and his inability to change his ways. Although he acknowledges that he cannot go on living recklessly, he is unable to stop himself from doing so.
Overall, the song describes the dangers of living carelessly and the cycle of destruction that it can cause. The cautionary tale speaks to the idea that people are responsible for their own actions and must choose to change their behavior if they wish to avoid the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
I look for trouble and I found it son
I deliberately seek out danger and now I'm facing the consequences.
Straight down the barrel of a lawman's gun
The officer has his weapon trained on me and I am at his mercy.
I tried to run but I don't think I can
I attempted to flee, but it seems improbable that I can escape.
He said one move and you're a dead man friend
The officer issued a warning that any sudden movement on my part will result in him killing me.
You ain't living long like this
Living my life this way is dangerous and will lead to my early demise.
I can't live at all like this, can I baby?
This lifestyle is not sustainable, and I can't continue living like this.
He slipped the handcuffs on behind my back
The officer restrained me by placing handcuffs on me from behind.
He left me hanging against a cold steel rack
The officer left me alone with my back against a cold, metal structure.
Grew up in Houston off the wayside drives
I was raised in Houston, specifically in the areas adjacent to the highways.
Son of a carhop and some all night dives
My mother was a waitress who worked at a drive-in restaurant, and my father was a regular patron of various late-night bars.
Daddy drove a stock car to an early death
My father was a race car driver who died young, likely due to his dangerous profession.
He said remember son in his dying breath
Before passing away, my father gave me some advice to bear in mind.
You ain't living long like this
Living recklessly is unsustainable and will ultimately lead to an early death.
You can't live at all like this, oh no baby
This kind of lifestyle is not suitable for anyone to live indefinitely.
You know the story 'bout the wheel go 'round
You're probably familiar with the concept of karma, where one's actions and decisions will come back to affect them in some way.
Don't let them take you there all down town
Avoid getting into unnecessary trouble by staying away from downtown areas.
Ain't living long like this
Living recklessly will lead to a short lifespan.
I live for Angel she's a roadhouse queen
I'm deeply in love with Angel, who is the star entertainer at a roadhouse bar.
Make Texas Ruby look like Sandra Dee
She's incredibly talented and beautiful, even outshining famous performers like Texas Ruby and Sandra Dee.
I want to love her but I don't know how
I have strong feelings for Angel, but I'm not sure how to properly express them.
I'm at the bottle and I'm stumbling here
I'm heavily intoxicated and having trouble standing up straight.
I'm in the jailhouse now
Because of my actions, I've been put in jail.
You know the story about the jailhouse rock
You're probably familiar with the concept of being in jail due to criminal activity.
Well go on and do it, don't get caught
If you're going to engage in risky behavior, be careful not to get caught by the authorities.
You ain't living long like this, oh no baby
Living a life of crime and recklessness will catch up to you eventually.
Go on and do it but don't get caught
You can take the risk if you want, but it's best to try to avoid being apprehended by the law.
Cause there all in the jailhouse now
Anyone who gets caught by the police will inevitably end up in jail, just like me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Rodney Crowell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind