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".
Old Time Feelin'
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like an old gray cat in winter, keepin' close to the wall
The lyrics of this song Old Time Feelin' by Ramblin' Jack Elliott have a hidden meaning attached to them. The "old time feeling" mentioned in the song refers to the sense of nostalgia that overwhelms a person who remembers the past fondly. This feeling, much like an old gray cat, sneaks around every corner and creeps its way down the hall, reminding us of the good old days. The reference to an old gray cat in winter keeping close to the wall is a metaphor for safety and warmth, which we often associate with the past.
The song goes on to describe how the feeling manifests itself in different situations - on a crowded street, in the middle of a storm, or even when we're feeling lonely. This feeling is all-encompassing and can sometimes make it difficult for us to let go of the past and embrace the present. The lyrics, "And that old time feeling keeps on hauntin' me, no matter what I do" perfectly sum up how familiar and alluring the past can be.
Overall, the song Old Time Feelin' by Ramblin' Jack Elliott is a poignant tale of how the past can hold us captive, and how it takes a great deal of effort to move on and embrace the present.
Line by Line Meaning
And that old time feeling goes sneakin' down the hall
The nostalgic sentiment of the past creeps into the present subtly and gradually, like the cautious movements of an old cat.
Like an old gray cat in winter, keepin' close to the wall
Similar to how an old cat in winter avoids the cold, the old time feeling is cautious and comforting, sticking to the familiar and safe memories of the past.
Contributed by Julian F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.