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.
Sweetheart Like You
Jimmy LaFave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He gone North, for a while
They say that vanity got the best of him
But he sure left here in style
By the way, that's a cute hat
And that smile's so hard to resist
But what's a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?
She wanted a whole man, not just a half
She used to call me sweet daddy when I was only a child
You kind of remind me of her when you laugh
In order to deal in this game, got to make the queen disappear
It's done with a flick of the wrist
What's a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?
You know, a woman like you should be at home
That's where you belong
Taking care for somebody nice
Who don't know how to do you wrong
Just how much abuse will you be able to take?
Well, there's no way to tell by that first kiss
What's a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?
You know you can make a name for yourself
You can hear them tires squeal
You can be known as the most beautiful woman
Who ever crawled across cut glass to make a deal.
You know, news of you has come down the line
Even before ya came in the door
They say in your father's house, there's many mansions
Each one of them got a fireproof floor
Snap out of it baby, people are jealous of you
They smile to your face, but behind your back they hiss
What's a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?
Got to be an important person to be in here, honey
Got to have done some evil deed
Got to have your own harem when you come in the door
Got to play your harp until your lips bleed.
They say that patriotism is the last refuge
To which a scoundrel clings
Steal a little and they throw you in jail
Steal a lot and they make you king
There's only one step down from here, baby
It's called the land of permanent bliss
What's a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?
In Jimmy LaFave's song "Sweetheart Like You," the singer describes a woman in a bar who catches his eye, commenting on everything from her cute hat to the way she laughs. He compares her to a woman he once knew, who desired a full partner and calls him sweet daddy. The singer then offers some advice for the woman, suggesting that she should be at home with someone who treats her well, rather than being mistreated in a dive bar like the one they're in. He also warns that people are jealous of her and may gossip about her behind her back. The song's title is repeated throughout the chorus, expressing a sort of disbelief that someone as sweet as this woman is spending time in such a run-down, miserable place.
LaFave's song is a contemplation of the fragility of our sense of self-worth and identity. Through the singer's observations of the woman in the bar, he realizes that she is more than just a pretty face, and that her presence in such a rough environment suggests that she may not yet fully value herself. The reference to a "game" and making the "queen disappear" implies that the woman may be caught up in a rough environment and isn't quite sure how to leave.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the pressure's down, the boss ain't here
The boss is away, so there's no pressure in this place
He gone North, for a while
The boss is away on some sort of trip
They say that vanity got the best of him
Rumors say that the boss was too proud
But he sure left here in style
The boss left in a flashy and impressive manner
By the way, that's a cute hat
The artist likes the hat the person is wearing
And that smile's so hard to resist
The person has a charming and engaging smile
But what's a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?
The singer is surprised to find such a nice person in a bad place
You know, I once knew a woman who looked like you
The artist is reminded of someone else by the person's appearance
She wanted a whole man, not just a half
The artist's acquaintance wanted someone complete, not incomplete
She used to call me sweet daddy when I was only a child
The artist's acquaintance used to call him 'sweet daddy' when he was young
You kind of remind me of her when you laugh
The person's laughter reminds the singer of someone else
In order to deal in this game, got to make the queen disappear
To succeed in this situation, one must eliminate competition
It's done with a flick of the wrist
This action is quick and easy
What's a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?
The singer is still baffled by the person's presence in this place
You know, a woman like you should be at home
The singer believes the person should be in a better place
That's where you belong
Home is where the person is meant to be
Taking care for somebody nice
The person should be caring for someone who treats them well
Who don't know how to do you wrong
This person won't mistreat or harm the singer
Just how much abuse will you be able to take?
The singer questions how much this person can handle
Well, there's no way to tell by that first kiss
The artist can't predict the person's threshold for mistreatment
What's a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?
The artist still can't understand how such a nice person is in this place
You know you can make a name for yourself
The artist believes the person has potential
You can hear them tires squeal
The person can have success and attention
You can be known as the most beautiful woman
The person can be famous for their beauty
Who ever crawled across cut glass to make a deal.
The person can overcome obstacles to achieve their goals.
You know, news of you has come down the line
People have heard of the person before
Even before ya came in the door
People knew of the person's arrival
They say in your father's house, there's many mansions
The person comes from a wealthy and extravagant family
Each one of them got a fireproof floor
Even the floors of the person's family mansions can withstand damage
Snap out of it baby, people are jealous of you
The singer wants the person to realize others envy them
They smile to your face, but behind your back they hiss
People may act friendly to the person, but secretly criticize them
What's a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?
The artist still cannot understand why the person is in such a bad situation
Got to be an important person to be in here, honey
A person must be significant or powerful to be in this place
Got to have done some evil deed
To stay in this place, a person must have committed a wicked act
Got to have your own harem when you come in the door
A person must have a group of admirers to succeed here
Got to play your harp until your lips bleed.
To succeed here, a person must work tirelessly and consistently
They say that patriotism is the last refuge
Some people turn to patriotism when everything else fails
To which a scoundrel clings
Someone who behaves badly may resort to patriotism
Steal a little and they throw you in jail
If you commit a small crime, you will be punished
Steal a lot and they make you king
If you commit a large crime, you may gain power
There's only one step down from here, baby
This place is just a step away from something worse
It's called the land of permanent bliss
The place that's worse than this one brings everlasting happiness
What's a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?
The singer still cannot comprehend why a nice person would be in such a bad place
Contributed by Victoria J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.