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.
North Cumberland Blues
Jerry Jeff Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left my gal that I love way back there
But I'll be back some old day yes I will
I'll be back some old day
How bout another round
Went to Texas to build me up a home
Told my gal I was going to make it there on my own
I'll be back some old day
Let's have another round
California next, I went on a freight
Figured here boys I would finally have it made
But I'll be back some old day…..
Fast fine women living high got my bread
Expensive wine, I lost my time, I lost my head
But I'll be back some old day…...
Got a letter up in Portland, Oregon and it read
After 6 years, Jeff we're finally wed
But I'll be back some old day….
With my gal gone, I guess I'll ramble on
Looking for whatever it is that I want
But I'll be back some old day…...
The lyrics to Jerry Jeff Walker's North Cumberland Blues tell the story of a man who is constantly on the move, leaving behind his girlfriend in search of something better. He first heads to North Cumberland, throwing rods down as a fisherman would, and leaves behind the woman he loves. He promises to come back someday, but for now, he's moving on. He then goes to Texas where he aims to build a home, telling his girlfriend he'll do it on his own. Again, he promises to return to her, but he's not sure when. He then heads to California, hoping to finally find success and happiness, but ends up losing his time and head to fast, fine women and expensive wine. He continues to travel and receives a letter from his girlfriend saying they're finally wed, but he's still not ready to settle down. He's searching for something, but he's not sure what it is, and he knows he'll be back one day, but until then, he'll keep wandering.
The lyrics resonate with anyone who has ever felt restless or unsure of where they are going in life. The constant theme of leaving behind loved ones and searching for something better is something many people can relate to. It's a reflection on the human condition of always seeking more, even when we have something good right in front of us. For the man in the song, he's not sure what he's looking for, but he has a sense that he'll find it someday.
Line by Line Meaning
Throwing rods down from North Cumberland
I left North Cumberland without any regard and no plan of return.
Left my gal that I love way back there
I left behind the woman I love, and I am uncertain about my future or when I will see her again.
But I'll be back some old day yes I will
Despite not having a definite schedule or plan, I will return to where I came from someday.
I'll be back some old day
I will surely return to where I came from, even though I am not certain when or how.
How bout another round
Let's get another round of alcohol here to make merry, for I have no specific direction to follow and nothing to lose.
Went to Texas to build me up a home
I went to Texas with the intent of settling down and building a home for myself.
Told my gal I was going to make it there on my own
I assured my lady that I would make it in Texas on my own without her help.
California next, I went on a freight
After Texas didn't pan out, I moved on to California by hopping a freight train.
Figured here boys I would finally have it made
I thought I would finally achieve the success and happiness I seek by coming to California.
Fast fine women living high got my bread
I enjoyed the company of expensive and attractive women and lived a high life, spending extravagantly.
Expensive wine, I lost my time, I lost my head
I wasted my precious time and energy on indulging in expensive wine, and I became unaware of my priorities and responsibilities.
Got a letter up in Portland, Oregon and it read
I received a letter while in Portland, Oregon, and it contained important news.
After 6 years, Jeff we're finally wed
After six years of waiting, my lady and I finally got married.
With my gal gone, I guess I'll ramble on
Now that my lady is not there, I have no choice but to keep moving forward and wander aimlessly.
Looking for whatever it is that I want
I am searching for what I truly desire in life, even though I am unsure what that is or whether I will ever find it.
Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.