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.
Public Domain
Jerry Jeff Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got my irons in the fire down in Texas
Got a toe hold in Tennessee
Got my foot in the door of that California Store
Now I'm up to my ears in me
Chorus:
Don't be concerned if it all seems the same
Just be concerned that your policies will kill you
It's all just public domain
I took a bite of the Big Apple
And I dabbled in that forbidden fruit
No they promised me points
And they slipped me skinny joints
And I've yet to see me any loot
From that man in the high-heeled Gucci shoes
Chorus:
Don't be concerned if the song sounds familiar
Don't be concerned if it all seems the same
Just be concerned that your policies will kill you
It's all just public domain
I sang in the Red River Valley
I've drank with the whores in Santa Fe
Yeah, I ran with the snuff queens in Dallas
Like I ran from Snow White in L.A.
Now I've broken all my vows to Demolay
Chorus:
Don't be concerned if the song sounds familiar
Don't be concerned if it all seems the same
Just be concerned that your policies will kill you
And it's all just public domain
It makes sense to get into the rain
In Jerry Jeff Walker's song Public Domain, the singer reflects on his experiences as a musician and his career aspirations. He mentions having his "irons in the fire" in Texas, a "toe hold" in Tennessee, and a "foot in the door" of a store in California. Despite his success, he is aware that many of his songs may sound familiar or similar to others as they are all part of the public domain. He warns listeners that their policies may kill them, possibly referring to the cutthroat nature of the music industry.
The second verse continues with the theme of the music industry and the singer mentions his experiences in New York City, where he "took a bite of the Big Apple" and "dabbled in that forbidden fruit". Despite promises of success and fame, he has yet to see any profit from his work. He also mentions encountering a man in high-heeled Gucci shoes, possibly referring to a wealthy and powerful figure in the industry.
In the final verse, the singer recalls various places he has been and people he has associated with, including singing in the Red River Valley, drinking with whores in Santa Fe, and running with snuff queens in Dallas. He admits to breaking his vows to Demolay, a youth organization he may have been involved with as a child. Throughout the song, the singer reflects on his experiences and the reality of the music industry, emphasizing that it is all part of the public domain.
Line by Line Meaning
Got my irons in the fire down in Texas
I have many things going on in Texas that I am invested in
Got a toe hold in Tennessee
I am just starting to establish myself in Tennessee
Got my foot in the door of that California Store
I have made some progress in California and have some opportunities there
Now I'm up to my ears in me
I am fully immersed in myself and my endeavors
Don't be concerned if the song sounds familiar
Don't worry that my music sounds like other songs
Don't be concerned if it all seems the same
Don't worry that my music is repetitive or similar to my other songs
Just be concerned that your policies will kill you
Instead of worrying about my music, be concerned about the negative consequences of your own policies
It's all just public domain
Everything is free to use and open to anyone
I took a bite of the Big Apple
I tried my hand at success in New York City
And I dabbled in that forbidden fruit
I experimented with things that were tempting yet not good for me
No they promised me points
They made promises to me
And they slipped me skinny joints
They gave me drugs that were not what they appeared to be
And I've yet to see me any loot
I did not see any real success or money from these endeavors
From that man in the high-heeled Gucci shoes
From that powerful and wealthy man who did not keep his promises
I sang in the Red River Valley
I performed in that part of the country
I've drank with the whores in Santa Fe
I have hung out with and indulged in questionable company in Santa Fe
Yeah, I ran with the snuff queens in Dallas
I associated with women who used smokeless tobacco in Dallas
Like I ran from Snow White in L.A.
I bolted away from a negative force like Snow White did from her evil queen in Los Angeles
Now I've broken all my vows to Demolay
I have gone against the pledges I made to the youth organization of DeMolay
And it's all just public domain
All these experiences and aspects of my life are free to be used by anyone
Lyrics © NUNN PUBLISHING CO.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Liv
This just made my day, so many mornings with my Dad listening to Jerry Jeff or John Prine, so amazing how a voice can just bring you right up
William Clark
Sad they both died this year...
Kevo
Rest in peace jerry thanks for all the great music you definitely left a mark 🙏
Jeff Weiler
Jerry Jeff at the peak of his career. Just enough alcohol to make it all cohere. Killer album.
Patrick Renz
Jeff Weiler I saw him fall off the stage opening for Willie Nelson in PHX. AZ
Rick Wolfe
I quit my drinking about ten years back but every time I listen to a good, ole JJW song like this I feel like I should have a cold longneck in my hand while tending to the temperature of a bbq smoker with a couple of tasty, Texas briskets on it.
james cosgrove
Listened first at 10 still listening at 52, peace be with Jerry...
Old Guy
We are gonna miss you. This was one of my favorites.
ramhag Last
great song
Terry Farr
Now that is country kids