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".
Me & Bobby McGee
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
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Waitin' for the train
Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down
Just before it rained
Rode us all the way to New Orleans
I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandanna
And was playing soft
With them windshield wipers slappin' time
I was holdin' Bobby's hand in mine
We sang every song that driver knew
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free
Feelin' good was easy, Lord,
When he sang the blues
And feelin' good was good enough for me
Good enough for me and Bobby McGee
From Kentucky coal mines
To the California sun
Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Through all kinds of weather, Lord
Through everything I done
Bobby baby kept me from the cold
Then somewhere near Salinas, Lord
I let him slip away
Lookin' for the home I hope he'll find it
And I'd trade all of my tomorrows
For one single yesterday
Holdin' Bobby's body next to mine
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin' left is all that Bobby left me
Feelin good was easy, Lord
When he sang the blues
And buddy, that was good enough for me
Good enough for me and Bobby McGee
The opening lines of the song ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ by Ramblin' Jack Elliott is about the singer and his friend Bobby McGee, who are both in a rundown condition in Baton Rouge waiting for a train. The singer sings about feeling worn out and tired, but his mood brightens a bit when Bobby catches a ride with a truck driver heading to New Orleans right before it starts to rain. As they drive, the singer pulls out his harpoon and starts to play softly. Bobby starts singing the blues and the trio sings every song the driver knows.
The chorus of the song, “Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose, Nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free” refers to the idea that when you have nothing, you are free to do as you please, but that freedom is a result of having nothing of value. The next few verses describe how the singer and Bobby shared a deep bond and a journey from the coal mines of Kentucky to the sunny beaches of California. But, despite their closeness, the singer lost Bobby somewhere along the way and now wishes he could have one more chance to hold Bobby's body next to his. The song ends with the chorus, emphasizing the idea that for those like the singer who have lost everything, the only good thing left is the memory of their friend Bobby McGee.
Line by Line Meaning
Busted flat in Baton Rouge
I am stranded in Baton Rouge with no money and nowhere to go.
Waitin' for the train
I am waiting for a train to leave Baton Rouge to take me somewhere else.
Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
I feel worn out and tired, just like my old jeans.
Bobby thumbed a diesel down
My friend Bobby hitchhiked a ride on a truck carrying diesel fuel.
Just before it rained
Just when a storm was about to start.
Rode us all the way to New Orleans
The truck took us all the way to New Orleans.
I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandanna
I took out my harmonica from my dirty red bandanna.
And was playing soft
I played the harmonica quietly.
While Bobby sang the blues
Bobby sang sad songs about his troubles.
With them windshield wipers slappin' time
The sound of the windshield wipers matched the rhythm of our music.
I was holdin' Bobby's hand in mine
I held Bobby's hand tightly as we shared this moment.
We sang every song that driver knew
We sang all the songs that we knew with the truck driver along the way.
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
Being free means not having anything left to hold you back.
Nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free
Things that have no value are free.
Feelin' good was easy, Lord,
It was easy to feel good.
When he sang the blues
When Bobby sang sad songs.
And feelin' good was good enough for me
Feeling good was enough for me and Bobby.
Good enough for me and Bobby McGee
It was enough for both of us to feel good while being together.
From Kentucky coal mines
I traveled from Kentucky's coal mines.
To the California sun
To the sunny state of California.
Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Bobby and I had a close relationship and he knew everything about me.
Through all kinds of weather, Lord
We went through all kinds of situations and challenges together.
Through everything I done
Regardless of everything I did in life.
Bobby baby kept me from the cold
Bobby was always there to keep me warm, both physically and emotionally.
Then somewhere near Salinas, Lord
We lost Bobby somewhere near the town of Salinas.
I let him slip away
I allowed him to leave and didn't try to hold onto him.
Lookin' for the home I hope he'll find it
I hope that he finds a place to call home and be happy in.
And I'd trade all of my tomorrows
I would give up anything in the future.
For one single yesterday
Just to have one more day with Bobby by my side.
Holdin' Bobby's body next to mine
Missing Bobby's presence and wishing to hold him one last time.
Nothin' left is all that Bobby left me
All that's left of Bobby is his memory.
And buddy, that was good enough for me
Even though Bobby is gone, I'm content with the good memories we shared.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Fred L. Foster, Kris Kristofferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind