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".
Cuckoo
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the Cukoo never warbles till the 5th day of July
I've gambled in England, and I've gambled in Spain
If I have gambled, I'll win you next game
My oh, huh, huh, huh
So I can say will you as she passes by
Oh, the cukoo is a pretty bird, and she warbles as she flies
But the Cukoo never warbles till the 5th day of July
The lyrics to Ramblin' Jack Elliott's song The Cuckoo are steeped in symbolism and meaning. The song talks about the cuckoo bird, a pretty bird that is known for its lovely melodies. The first line of the song talks about the bird's beauty and the way it warbles as it flies. However, the next line reveals a deeper meaning – the bird only warbles on the 5th day of July. This could be interpreted to represent the fleeting nature of beauty, as the bird's song is only heard on a single day of the year. The line could also represent the idea that beauty is often hidden and not always immediately noticeable.
The song then takes a turn and talks about gambling, with the singer claiming to have gambled in England and Spain. The line "If I have gambled, I'll win you next game" suggests that the person singing has a confidence and determination to succeed, no matter what the odds are. This is likely a metaphor for life and the struggles that people face – the singer is saying that even if they have faced difficulties in the past, they will still come out on top.
The last line of the song repeats the earlier line about the cuckoo bird, tying together the themes of beauty and determination. The line "So I can say will you as she passes by" adds another layer of meaning, suggesting that the singer is hoping to catch the attention of someone that they find beautiful as they pass by their cabin in the mountains.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the cukoo is a pretty bird, and she warbles as she flies
The Cuckoo is a beautiful bird which sings beautifully while flying
But the Cukoo never warbles till the 5th day of July
Surprisingly, this melodious bird only sings on the fifth of July
I've gambled in England, and I've gambled in Spain
I have enjoyed gambling in various countries such as England and Spain
If I have gambled, I'll win you next game
If I have lost a game, I will surely win the next one to impress you
My oh, huh, huh, huh
Expressing excitement or surprise for something said or done earlier
I'll build me a cabin on the mountain so high
I plan to build a house on top of a very high mountain
So I can say will you as she passes by
I hope to ask the beautiful Cuckoo bird to be my companion as she flies past my cabin
Oh, the cukoo is a pretty bird, and she warbles as she flies
Repeating that the Cuckoo is a lovely bird which sings while flying
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TAJ MAHAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cedar River
With folk legends like him, I always feel a certain aura around them. He may not sing or play as good as he did decades ago, but he still has it, you know what I mean?
Chords and lyrics below, have fun.
Intro Am G Am x2
Chorus Am / G Am / Am / G Am
Interlude Am G Am (x2 in Interlude 2)
Outro Am G Am x2
[Intro]
[Chorus]
Well the cuckoo is a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But she never says cuckoo
Til the 5th day of July
Ayahah, Ayahah
Mhmmmmhmmmhmmm
[Interlude]
[Verse 1]
I've gambled in England
And I've gambled in Spain
If I have for gamble
I'll win you next game
[Chorus]
Well the cuckoo is a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But she never says cuckoo
Til the 5th day of July
[Interlude]
[Verse 2]
Oh willy, oh willy
I'm afraid of your ways
Your mind is to gambling
And lead me astray
[Chorus]
Well the cuckoo is a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But she never says cuckoo
Til the 5th day of July
[Outro]
TheUltimateGC
I just “discovered” this channel and I can’t believe how much beautiful music there is but also to see this man still picking is such a gem.
Raccoon Little bear
Man, it's so cool to see Ramblin' Jack still pickin' & singin'. I bought my first album of his when I was a teenager. (I'm 63 now.) Great stuff.
yup
Happy to see he's still kicking and picking
Fred Stratton
Kudos to Western AF for supporting and sponsoring Ramblin'Jack!
C Davis
It always warms my heart to see Ramblin’ Jack. As much of an American treasure as Woody and Pete.
Matthew Dobsson
Yeah I'm gonna need the rest of the hour of him playin.
The Alaskan
Now, this guy is a god damn legend!
funny fella 2007
he’s an absolute legend
Cedar River
With folk legends like him, I always feel a certain aura around them. He may not sing or play as good as he did decades ago, but he still has it, you know what I mean?
Chords and lyrics below, have fun.
Intro Am G Am x2
Chorus Am / G Am / Am / G Am
Interlude Am G Am (x2 in Interlude 2)
Outro Am G Am x2
[Intro]
[Chorus]
Well the cuckoo is a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But she never says cuckoo
Til the 5th day of July
Ayahah, Ayahah
Mhmmmmhmmmhmmm
[Interlude]
[Verse 1]
I've gambled in England
And I've gambled in Spain
If I have for gamble
I'll win you next game
[Chorus]
Well the cuckoo is a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But she never says cuckoo
Til the 5th day of July
[Interlude]
[Verse 2]
Oh willy, oh willy
I'm afraid of your ways
Your mind is to gambling
And lead me astray
[Chorus]
Well the cuckoo is a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But she never says cuckoo
Til the 5th day of July
[Outro]
Gwyn Nielsen
I love it when musicians never say die. At 91, not everyone can pull this off, which is why Jack is a legend.