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".
Pastures Of Plenty
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
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My poor feet have traveled a hot dusty road
Out of your dust bowl and Westward we rolled
And your deserts were hot and your mountains were cold
I worked in your orchards of peaches and prunes
I slept on the ground in the light of the moon
On the edge of the city you'll see us and then
California, Arizona, I harvest your crops
Well its North up to Oregon to gather your hops
Dig the beets from your ground, cut the grapes from your vine
To set on your table your light sparkling wine
Green pastures of plenty from dry desert ground
From the Grand Coulee Dam where the waters run down
Every state in the Union us migrants have been
We'll work in this fight and we'll fight till we win
It's always we rambled, that river and I
All along your green valley, I will work till I die
My land I'll defend with my life if need be
Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free
The song "Pastures of Plenty" by Ramblin' Jack Elliott talks about the struggles of migrant workers during the Great Depression, who traveled from the Dust Bowl region of the United States to California and other Western states in search of work. The singer describes the harsh conditions that they faced during their journeys, including hot deserts and cold mountains, as well as the physical labor that they were forced to do.
The verses of the song mention specific crops that the migrant workers picked or harvested, such as peaches, prunes, hops, beets, and grapes. The singer also mentions the Grand Coulee Dam, which was a major public works project in Washington state during the Depression that provided jobs for many people.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes the unity and strength of the migrant workers, who come from all over the country to work together and fight for their rights. He talks about how they will continue to work and fight until they are able to achieve their goals and ensure that their "pastures of plenty" remain free.
Overall, "Pastures of Plenty" is a powerful tribute to the thousands of migrant workers who endured incredible hardships during one of the most difficult times in American history, and is a reminder of the ongoing struggles for workers' rights and social justice.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a mighty hard row that my poor hands have hoed
I have endured many difficult times and worked tirelessly with my hands.
My poor feet have traveled a hot dusty road
My feet have carried me through many hot and dusty places.
Out of your dust bowl and Westward we rolled
I left a place affected by drought and dust storms and journeyed westward.
And your deserts were hot and your mountains were cold
The regions I traveled through had both scorching deserts and freezing mountains.
I worked in your orchards of peaches and prunes
I labored in your fields of ripe peaches and prunes.
I slept on the ground in the light of the moon
I slept outside on the ground under the moon's light.
On the edge of the city you'll see us and then
You can spot us on the outskirts of the city.
We come with the dust and we go with the wind
We arrive in a swirl of dust and leave just as quickly.
California, Arizona, I harvest your crops
I gather your crops in California and Arizona.
Well its North up to Oregon to gather your hops
I travel north to Oregon to collect your hops.
Dig the beets from your ground, cut the grapes from your vine
I extract the sugar beets from your soil and cut the grapes from your vines.
To set on your table your light sparkling wine
So that you can enjoy your wine on your table.
Green pastures of plenty from dry desert ground
Lush green pastures arise from previously barren and dry desert land.
From the Grand Coulee Dam where the waters run down
Water flows from the Grand Coulee Dam.
Every state in the Union us migrants have been
Migrants like me have been in every state across the United States.
We'll work in this fight and we'll fight till we win
We will work hard and fight for our rights until we succeed.
It's always we rambled, that river and I
I have always roamed around with the river.
All along your green valley, I will work till I die
I will work tirelessly in your fertile valleys until I pass away.
My land I'll defend with my life if need be
I will protect my land with my life if necessary.
Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free
Because my bountiful pastures should always remain free and accessible for everyone.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind