Originally from New York, Elliott grew up in a Jewish family and had always wanted to be a cowboy. Pressured by his parents to follow in his father's footsteps and become a doctor, Elliott resisted and inspired by the rodeos he attended at Madison Square Garden, he ran away from home at the age of 15 and joined the J.E. Ranch Rodeo. Although he was only with the rodeo for three months (before his parents tracked him down and he was sent home), Elliott was exposed to his first singing cowboy, a rodeo clown who played guitar and banjo and sang songs.
Returning home, Elliott taught himself to play guitar and started busking for a living. Eventually he hooked up with Woody Guthrie and lived with him as a kind of student.
With banjo player Derroll Adams, he later toured Great Britain and Europe and had a lasting effect on the music scene there. By 1960, he had made three folk albums for the British label, Topic. Playing in the small clubs and pubs of London by day, he would then take his act to the smart, west end night clubs. Upon arriving back in the U.S., Elliott discovered he had become well-known within the folk scene.
Elliott's greatest influence was Woody Guthrie. Guthrie's son, Arlo, has said that because of his dad's illness and early death, he never really got to know him. Arlo acknowledged that he learned his dad's songs and musical style through Elliott.
Elliott's musical style influenced Bob Dylan so heavily that Dylan's first gig in New York City was billed as "Son of Jack Elliott." While Dylan rose to prominence through his compositions, Elliott continued as an interpretive troubadour, bringing old songs to new audiences in an idiosyncratic manner.
Elliott appeared on Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue and played Longheno de Castro in Dylan's Renaldo and Clara.
Jack Elliott's style is distinctive in its use of excellent guitar technique matched with laconic, humorous storytelling and an emotional intensity in the singing.
Elliott's nickname is due not to his travel habits, but rather to the countless stories he would relate before answering the simplest of questions. Folk singer Odetta claims that it was her mother who gave him the name by remarking, "Oh Jack Elliott, yeah, he can sure ramble on!"
He was famously parodied in on the BBC in the 1960s by Kenneth Williams as Rambling Syd Rumpo who was a recurring character on Round the Horne. His claims of authenticity as a folk artist (despite being a Jewish doctor's son from New York City) and disparagement of other folk artists were also parodied by the Folksmen (Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer) in A Mighty Wind both in the name of their "hit" Ramblin' and in their claims that their version was more authentic than the New Main Street Singers's version.
Jack Elliott's first recording in 20 years, "South Coast", earned him his first Grammy in 1995. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1998. Ramblin' Jack's long career and strained relationship with his daughter Aiyana were chronicled in her 2000 documentary, "The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack".
At 75, he has recently changed labels and released "I Stand Alone" on the Anti- label, with an assortment of guest backup players including members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers; again, an idiosyncratic collection of little-known music delivered with humor and intensity. He is on record as saying his intention was to title the album "Not For The Tourists" because it was recorded in response to his daughter's request for songs he loved but never played in concert. When she asked why he did not play them in public, he replied "These songs are not for the tourists".
Buskin'
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That if somebody's playing music you help him out
And ah, the nearest available farmer would shake down all his neighbors
And say "Hey, let's help these guys out"
And he took his hat off and go around and collect up a bunch of money
We'd maybe get four or five dollars and somebody's hat
Throw up the gas tank and get a quarter milk and some crackers and head out!
We call that "Buskin'"
It's from the Spanish "Buscar", to search
The lyrics to Ramblin' Jack Elliott's song "Buskin'" speak to a tradition in Carolina where if somebody is playing music, others will come together to help out. The nearest available farmer would gather up the neighbors and collect money to support the musicians. This gathering of funds would typically result in just a few dollars, which would be enough to grab a quarter milk and some crackers before heading out. The lyrics describe the tradition as "Buskin'", which comes from the Spanish word "buscar", meaning "to search".
The song is essentially a tribute to the spirit of community and support that is found in small towns and rural areas. It speaks to the idea that when people come together and support each other, amazing things can happen. In this case, a group of musicians were able to perform and travel throughout the summer thanks to the support of their community.
Overall, "Buskin'" is a celebration of grassroots music and the connections that are formed through it. It showcases the power of community and the generosity of people who are willing to support each other in achieving their goals.
Line by Line Meaning
In Carolina it's a tradition
Playing music and helping musicians is a widespread practice in Carolina
That if somebody's playing music you help him out
People who play music in Carolina receive support and assistance from their community
And ah, the nearest available farmer would shake down all his neighbors
When an opportunity to help musicians arose, a nearby farmer would rally his fellow neighbors to offer their support
And say "Hey, let's help these guys out"
The farmers would urge their neighbors to provide assistance to the musicians
And he took his hat off and go around and collect up a bunch of money
The farmer would gather funds by collecting donations from his neighbors
We'd maybe get four or five dollars and somebody's hat
The musicians would receive roughly four or five dollars and sometimes a hat as compensation for their performance
Throw up the gas tank and get a quarter milk and some crackers and head out!
With the money earned and donated supplies, the musicians would purchase gas, milk, and crackers and continue on their journey
We'd did that all summer in 1953
This practice of busking continued throughout the entirety of the summer in the year 1953
We call that "Buskin'"
This practice of street performing for money is termed 'Busking'
It's from the Spanish "Buscar", to search
The word 'Busk' is derived from the Spanish verb 'Buscar', meaning 'to search'
Contributed by Carson L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.