LaFave began school down the road from Wills Point in Mesquite and by Junior High was making music perched behind his Sears & Roebuck drum kit. It was in this landscape that he began to define his sound and soak up a combination of his experiences among authentic songwriters from the tradition of Woody Guthrie. Before leaving Oklahoma for Austin, Jimmy did some independent recording and toured the southwest with the first version of his band Night Tribe.
In an article published in The Austin Chronicle in April 2017, LaFave announced publicly that he was battling myxofibrosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that had been diagnosed one year earlier. After various treatments failed, doctors advised LaFave that there was nothing else the medical profession could provide. During the course of his illness leading up to this announcement, LaFave continued to perform – not cancelling even one show. In addition, he continued to record new songs that he hoped would add to his legacy.
At the time of the public announcement, The Austin Statesman announced that a concert to honor LaFave would be held at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas on May 18, 2017. LaFave helped in the selection of friends and musicians who would perform that night. LaFave also selected charities that would benefit from a crowdfunding effort set up in his honor. A crowdfunding effort "Celebrating Jimmy LaFave" was set up via GoFundMe and received about $55,000 in donations.
LaFave died of cancer at his home in Austin, Texas, at the age of 61. His death came just three days after making an appearance at the Paramount Theater tribute show in Austin. According to The Austin Statesman: "A sold-out audience heard artists ranging from Austin artists including Eliza Gilkyson, Slaid Cleaves and Ruthie Foster, plus some from out-of-state including Nashville’s Gretchen Peters, Boston’s Ellis Paul and Woody Guthrie’s granddaughter Sarah Lee Guthrie, primarily playing songs that LaFave wrote or were part of his repertoire."
Within 24 hours, LaFave's death was reported in numerous newspapers throughout Texas and Oklahoma, in The New York Times and as far away as England, where he often performed
He moved to Austin in 1986, where he continued to write songs and to develop his musical ideas. Shortly after arriving he was asked to help launch the songwriter nights at the new performance venue Chicago House. In 1988 he recorded his self–produced tape, Highway Angels...Full Moon Rain, which won the Austin Chronicle Reader’s Poll Tape of the Year Award. This led to a recording contract with a small independent label and allowed LaFave the opportunity to work with Bob Johnston, producer of several of LaFave’s favorite albums including Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde and Nashville Skyline.
His second album, Highway Trance was released in 1994 followed by his third CD, Buffalo Return to the Plains, in 1995.
The grass roots demand and critical acclaim for LaFave’s music, which led to extensive touring in the United States and Europe, was recognized in 1996 when he was asked to tape a performance for the PBS musical series Austin City Limits, and was invited by Nora Guthrie to appear in Cleveland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to Woody Guthrie. That same year LaFave won his second consecutive Austin Music Award for Best Singer–Songwriter. His fourth CD, Road Novel, which was released in early 1997, received many glowing reviews. That year he was asked by Nora Guthrie to speak and perform at the induction of Woody Guthrie into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
In 2001, LaFave released Texoma, a celebration of the Americana spirit with a heartfelt valentine to the heartland. KGSR Program Director, Jody Denberg called it a “phenomenon.” Denberg said, “the phones lit up immediately after it was added to the playlist, and they stayed lit.” Since the release of Texoma, Jimmy combined his solo dates with the Woody Guthrie tribute tour titled “The Ribbon of Highway – Endless Skyway,” featuring a rotating cast of Americana musicians that has included such notables as Eliza Gilkyson, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Tom Russell and Slaid Cleaves. The two–disc live album Ribbon of Highway Endless Skyway is a collection of the tour’s live performances that features some of Jimmy’s interpretations of Woody Guthrie classics.
Encouraged by his friend, fellow Austin artist Eliza Gilkyson, LaFave signed with indie label Red House records, and in 2005 released Blue Nightfall. This stunningly soulful album was LaFave’s first in 4 years and won him much critical attention. LaFave’s album Cimarron Manifesto finds LaFave taking a more country road, with sweet and mournful songs about life and loss and special guest appearances by Carrie Rodriguez, Ruthie Foster and Kacy Crowley. Following the release of this album, LaFave toured across North America.
Only One Angel
Jimmy LaFave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And be safe and warm and dry, baby
At the mention of your name
And always sing your special song and know deep inside that spirit, girl
That nothing could go wrong
If you want to know what pulls me through
I have only one angel, babe, that one angel is you
’Til the day would leave me breathless, baby
Searching for words again
And hope that you could hear that sound
In streams of magic colors that are painted across the ground
If you gotta know what pulls me through
I have only one angel, babe, that one angel is you
And I’ll always take you with me like a charm
You keep me in the good light safe from harm
You chase the dark clouds far away
You keep my feet from turning into clay
If I could send out a melody
Do you suppose when the word got out that the circle would reach to me
And cross that line in some distant land
Where the silver strings that ring, my friends, are played by ancient hands
If you want to know what pulls me through
I have only one angel, babe, that one angel is you
The lyrics of Jimmy LaFave's song "Only One Angel" speaks about the power of love and how it can sustain a person through difficult times. The singer talks about being able to fly through a midnight rain and feel safe and warm at the mention of his lover's name, who is his one angel. With just the thought of her, he can always sing her special song and feel like nothing could go wrong. The chorus revolves around the idea that his one angel is the force that pulls him through anything he may be facing, keeping him in the good light and safe from harm.
The second verse talks about running through the desert wind searching for words again, but hoping that his lover could hear the message he is trying to convey. He speaks about the streams of magic colors painted across the ground and how he hopes she can hear those sounds. The bridge speaks about the possibility of sending out a melody and wondering if the circle would reach some distant land, where ancient hands play the silver strings that ring. The song ends with the same chorus where he emphasizes that his only one angel is the one who pulls him through.
Line by Line Meaning
I could fly through a midnight rain
I feel safe and secure with you, even in the midst of difficult times
And be safe and warm and dry, baby
You bring comfort and protection to me
At the mention of your name
Just the thought of you fills me with joy and peace
And always sing your special song and know deep inside that spirit, girl
You have a special place in my heart and soul, and I feel connected to you in a spiritual way
That nothing could go wrong
With you by my side, I feel like I can handle anything that comes my way
If you want to know what pulls me through
I draw strength and inspiration from you
I have only one angel, babe, that one angel is you
You are my guiding light and my source of hope and love
And I could run through the desert wind
I would go to great lengths and endure any hardship for you
’Til the day would leave me breathless, baby
Until I am exhausted and cannot go on anymore
Searching for words again
I am always seeking new and better ways to express my love for you
And hope that you could hear that sound
I want you to know how much you mean to me, and how much I appreciate you
In streams of magic colors that are painted across the ground
My love for you is vibrant and colorful, and it fills my world with beauty and wonder
I’ll always take you with me like a charm
You are always on my mind and in my heart
You keep me in the good light safe from harm
You bring positivity and safety into my life
You chase the dark clouds far away
You help me overcome negativity and adversity
You keep my feet from turning into clay
You give me strength and stability, and prevent me from feeling stuck or lost
If I could send out a melody
If I could express my love for you in a song or some other way
Do you suppose when the word got out that the circle would reach to me
Would others hear my message of love and feel inspired by it?
And cross that line in some distant land
Would my love for you transcend boundaries and reach others far away?
Where the silver strings that ring, my friends, are played by ancient hands
In places where music and tradition are woven together, would my love for you resonate?
Contributed by Mia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.