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.
Movin' on
Jerry Jeff Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See it's time to go
Time to get movin'
Take the Gonzo show down the road
I told Freddy to get ready
Loosen up the kit
After this song we're long gone
That's that and this is it
[Chorus: ]
I hope everybody here is really feeling fine
Speakin' for myself and the band
We've had a hell of a time
We laughed and cried and we carried on
Everybody sang a sing-along
Had a good time, time we was movin' on
Guys like us are happy
Every place we go
We never stay long, no,
That's the rule of the open road
We don't like it
We don't take it
We simply leave it there
When we can't impress anymore
We pick it up and leave you there
[Chorus: ]
Yeah, everybody here was great
And we liked it fine
But there's other people waiting for us down the line
We don't want to overstay our welcome here, you see
When we come back next time
Think how happy we'll be
Now the right one is turning
The wheels are in the well
Whether we're remembered, only time'll tell
It's a crazy business, making people sing and dance
But we don't even think about it
We step up, we take a chance
[Chorus: ]
Movin' on
Movin' on, baby now
Movin' on, yeah
Movin' on, come on
Movin' on
Movin' on
Oooooh...
The song "Movin' On" by Jerry Jeff Walker is essentially an ode to life on the road as a touring musician. The lyrics describe the feeling of needing to keep moving, of never overstaying one's welcome, and always being ready to pick up and leave at a moment's notice. The singer is speaking as a member of a band, and they are packing up to leave after a gig. They reminisce about the good times they had and express appreciation for the audience, but ultimately they must move on to the next town and the next show.
The first stanza sets up the scene, with the band packing up and getting ready to go. The second stanza outlines the band's philosophy of not staying in one place for too long, and the third stanza expresses gratitude for the present audience but also hints at future shows yet to come. The chorus is a celebration of the good times they had at this particular gig, with everyone singing and having fun. The last stanza reflects on the uncertainty of life on the road and the fact that the band's legacy and impact are uncertain.
In summary, "Movin' On" is a song about the joys and challenges of life as a touring musician, with a focus on the need to keep moving and never stay in one place for too long.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking at the clock
Acknowledging that it's time to leave
See it's time to go
Noticing it's time to move on
Time to get movin'
Time to hit the road
Take the Gonzo show down the road
Embarking on their musical journey
I told Freddy to get ready
Preparing to leave with the band
Loosen up the kit
Getting the instruments ready for transport
After this song we're long gone
Leaving quickly after finishing the performance
That's that and this is it
Accepting that it's time to move on
[Chorus: ]
Repeating the refrain of the song
I hope everybody here is really feeling fine
Wishing the audience all the best
Speakin' for myself and the band
Sharing their perspective as a group
We've had a hell of a time
Enjoyed their experience so far
We laughed and cried and we carried on
Shared memorable moments with the audience
Everybody sang a sing-along
Encouraged audience participation
Had a good time, time we was movin' on
Enjoyed their performance but it's time to leave
Guys like us are happy
They enjoy their lifestyle on the road
Every place we go
They travel to many different destinations
We never stay long, no,
They don't overstay their welcome
That's the rule of the open road
Guiding principle for touring musicians
We don't like it
They don't appreciate certain situations
We don't take it
They don't put up with anything they don't like
We simply leave it there
They move on without dwelling on negativity
When we can't impress anymore
When they feel they can no longer meet expectations
We pick it up and leave you there
They move on to a new audience
[Chorus: ]
Repeating the refrain of the song
Yeah, everybody here was great
Complimenting the audience's positive energy
And we liked it fine
Enjoying their experience at the venue
But there's other people waiting for us down the line
Mentioning future destinations and audiences
We don't want to overstay our welcome here, you see
Preferring to leave the audience wanting more
When we come back next time
Planned future return visit
Think how happy we'll be
Expressing anticipation for future performances
Now the right one is turning
Their journey continues
The wheels are in the well
Driving away from the venue
Whether we're remembered, only time'll tell
Leaving without knowing their impact on the audience
It's a crazy business, making people sing and dance
Acknowledging the unique job of a musician
But we don't even think about it
Not dwelling on the challenges of their profession
We step up, we take a chance
Accepting the risks of pursuing their passion
[Chorus: ]
Repeating the refrain of the song
Movin' on
Leaving
Movin' on, baby now
Leaving and transitioning to the next destination
Movin' on, yeah
Leaving with enthusiasm
Movin' on, come on
Leaving and inviting others to join them
Movin' on
Leaving
Movin' on
Leaving
Oooooh...
Musical outro
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DON WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind