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.
L.A. Freeway
Jerry Jeff Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make note of all good wishes
Say goodbye to the landlord for me
That sum-bitch has always bored me
Throw out them old LA papers
And that moldy box of vanilla wafers
Adios to all this concrete Gonna get me some dirt road back street
[Chorus]
If I can just get off of that L.A. freeway
Without getting killed or caught
Down that road in a cloud of smoke
For some land that I ain't bought bought bought
If I can just get off of that L.A. freeway
Here's to you old skinny Dennis
Only one I think I will miss
I can hear your Bassman singin'
Sweet and low like a gift your bringin'
Play it for me one more time now
Got to give it all we can now
I believe everything your saying
Just keep on keep on playing
[Chorus]
Put the pink slip in the mailbox
Leave the key in the old front door lock
They will find it likely as not
With all the things that we have forgot
Oh Susanna now don't you cry, babe Love's a gift that's surely handmade
We've got something to believe in
Before you know it's time we're leavin'
[Chorus]
The song L.A. Freeway by Jerry Jeff Walker is about his desire to leave Los Angeles for a simpler life in the countryside. The lyrics describe the process of packing up and leaving, including saying goodbye to the landlord and throwing out old possessions. Walker expresses his contempt for city life, singing about the "concrete" and his desire for "dirt road back street". The chorus references his fear of getting caught or killed while trying to leave the city and his desire to find some land to live on.
The second verse is a tribute to "skinny Dennis", a fellow musician who may have also been looking to escape the city. Walker praises his friend's singing and encourages him to keep playing. The final verse is about leaving behind the old life, including leaving the key in the door and the pink slip in the mailbox. Walker assures his lover, Susanna, that their love is something to believe in and that they have something special before they leave.
Line by Line Meaning
Pack up all your dishes
Start collecting all of your belongings, starting with the dishes.
Make note of all good wishes
Take a moment to remember and express gratitude for all of the well-wishes others have given you.
Say goodbye to the landlord for me
Please convey my farewell to the landlord.
That sum-bitch has always bored me
I've always been bored of that guy.
Throw out them old LA papers
Get rid of those outdated papers from Los Angeles.
And that moldy box of vanilla wafers
Also toss the old box of vanilla wafers that has gone bad.
Adios to all this concrete
Goodbye to all the concrete and city life.
Gonna get me some dirt road back street
I'm going to seek out and find some peaceful, dirt backroads.
If I can just get off of that L.A. freeway
I really need to get away from the congested L.A. freeways.
Without getting killed or caught
I need to do this without any negative consequences or obstacles.
Down that road in a cloud of smoke
I want to speed away down the road in a dramatic fashion.
For some land that I ain't bought bought bought
I'm on a journey to find land I haven't purchased yet.
Here's to you old skinny Dennis
A tribute to the one and only skinny Dennis.
Only one I think I will miss
He's the only person I think I'll miss from this place.
I can hear your Bassman singin'
I still hear the sound of your Bassman playing.
Sweet and low like a gift your bringin'
It's such a sweet and low sound, like a gift I'm receiving.
Play it for me one more time now
One more time! Play it for me!
Got to give it all we can now
Put all our effort into this, let's go all in.
I believe everything you're saying
I have complete trust in you and what you're telling me.
Just keep on keep on playing
Don't stop playing, keep going.
Put the pink slip in the mailbox
Leave the car registration in the mailbox.
Leave the key in the old front door lock
Also leave the key in the old front door lock for the next occupant.
They will find it likely as not
It's very probable that they will find it.
With all the things that we have forgot
Everything we've forgotten in the time we've been here.
Oh Susanna now don't you cry, babe
Comforting words to someone named Susanna who is feeling sad about the departure.
Love's a gift that's surely handmade
Love is a unique and special gift, crafted just for us.
We've got something to believe in
We have something special that we both believe in.
Before you know it's time we're leavin'
Time goes by so fast and before we know it, it's time to leave.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GUY CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dchav863
I can imagine the nostalgy listening to this song in 2023 after hearing it first in 1972 and growing with it.
@wilsonnperez2101
This is from 1973!
@JimDavidson-FingerpickinGood
@@wilsonnperez2101 Guy Clark wrote this song and Jerry Jeff first released it 1972.
@bencaruso6802
I played bass on this record. My part along with my band was recorded in NYC in an all nighter. Got so loaded by end on session at 6am, I forgot my gold top les Paul which was later stolen from the engineers apartment. NOT the memory I want to remember! BC
@bradleyluft7428
That's is truly a bummer man!
@bradleyluft7428
But sounds like it was a great session.
@zebratangozebra
Nice story to tell...think of it as a trade
@jimcarlile6679
Great record, good job !
@beatleyears
Great job, Ben. Sorry about Les.
@davidwood301
Started listening to Jerry Jeff at 16.Under the influence of him and Jack Kerouac by 19 I hitch hiked from Jersey up through Canada to California and back with a friend. Best summer of my life. Still a huge fan, and still makes me laugh and cry. RIP