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".
More Pretty Girls
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every town I ramble around there's more pretty girls than one
look down the railroad line
hear the train go by
the train drove by with the woman i love
hung down my head and cried
look down across that sea
see the breakers swell
no human tongue can tell
The first two lines of the song "More Pretty Girls" by Ramblin' Jack Elliott are repeated throughout the entire song as a chorus. The lines are seemingly simple, but they convey a powerful message that reflects the singer's wanderlust and his romantic escapades. The lyrics describe the singer's travels through various towns and cities, each one harboring more pretty girls than the last. The chorus highlights the fact that the singer is constantly on the lookout for new loves, never content with just one woman. It also underlines his fascination and appreciation for the beauty of the opposite sex.
The second verse of the song takes a somber and reflective turn. The singer hears a train go by and realizes that the woman he loves is on it. He laments his loss and the fact that he has to move on to find other pretty girls. The last verse portrays the sea and its destructive powers over love. The singer contemplates how many loves have been lost to the unforgiving waves, a thought that leaves him saddened and helpless. Overall, the lyrics of the song paint a vivid picture of the singer's adventurous spirit and his inability to settle down with just one woman.
Line by Line Meaning
There's more pretty girls than one there's more pretty girls than one
Despite falling in love with a particular woman, Ramblin' Jack Elliott realizes that there are many other equally beautiful women out there.
Every town I ramble around there's more pretty girls than one
While traveling from town to town, Ramblin' Jack Elliott sees that each place has its share of gorgeous women, making it difficult for him to remain faithful to just one.
look down the railroad line
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is feeling lost and is searching for direction and purpose in life.
hear the train go by
The sound of the train serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of life and the importance of living in the present moment.
the train drove by with the woman i love
Ramblin' Jack Elliott's love interest is on that train, further emphasizing the transient nature of relationships and the inevitability of change.
hung down my head and cried
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is in a state of emotional crisis and is lamenting the loss of his relationship with the woman on the train.
look down across that sea
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is searching for a sense of clarity and perspective that only distance and time can provide.
see the breakers swell
The tumultuous waves represent the overwhelming and unpredictable nature of life, which can be both exhilarating and terrifying.
how many a love has washed away
Ramblin' Jack Elliott reflects on how many relationships have been destroyed by the unpredictable forces of nature and fate.
no human tongue can tell
The depth of emotion and complexity of human experience is impossible to fully articulate, even with the most eloquent language.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: UNKNOWN PD WRITER, WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind