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".
Pony
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Been everywhere in the whole wide world.
I rode the high line with old blind Darby.
I danced real slow with Ida Jane.
I was full of wonder when I left Murfreesboro.
Now I am full of hollow on Maxwell street...
And I hope my Pony
I hope my Pony
I walked from Natcher to Hushpukena.
I built a fire by the side of the road.
I worked for nothin in a Belzoni saw mill.
I caught a Blind out on the be and O.
Talullah's friendly.
Belzoni ain't so.
A 44'll get you 99.
And I hope my Pony
I hope my Pony
I hope my Pony knows the way back home.
I run my race with burnt face Jake.
Gave him a Manzanita cross.
I lived on nothin but dreams and train smoke.
Somehow my watch and chain got lost.
I wish I was home in Evelyn's Kitchen,
With old Gyp curled around my feet.
And I hope my Pony
I hope my Pony
I hope my Pony knows the way back home.
In "Pony", Ramblin' Jack Elliott recounts his worldly adventures with a mix of pride and sadness. The lyrics express his nomadic journey and the alienation that comes with it, all while showing a longing for the comfort of home. He chronicles his travels from Murfreesboro to Maxwell Street, and from Natcher to Hushpukena. He names specific people he's met, such as old blind Darby and Ida Jane. He worked in a Belzoni saw mill and caught a train called Blind out on the be and O. The verses capture the joy of travel and the thrill of the unknown, as well as its loneliness and hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen it all boys -- I've been all over.
I have traveled extensively and have had many experiences.
Been everywhere in the whole wide world.
I have visited every corner of this earth.
I rode the high line with old blind Darby.
I accompanied a blind man named Darby on a high line.
I danced real slow with Ida Jane.
I danced slowly with a woman named Ida Jane.
I was full of wonder when I left Murfreesboro.
I was filled with amazement when I left Murfreesboro.
Now I am full of hollow on Maxwell street...
I now feel empty and unmotivated on Maxwell street.
And I hope my Pony
I hope my beloved animal companion,
I hope my Pony
I hope my cherished equine friend,
I hope my Pony knows the way back home.
knows the way back to my place of belonging.
I walked from Natcher to Hushpukena.
I traveled on foot from Natcher to Hushpukena.
I built a fire by the side of the road.
I constructed a fire beside the road.
I worked for nothin in a Belzoni saw mill.
I labored for no pay at a Belzoni sawmill.
I caught a Blind out on the be and O.
I captured a train on the Be and O railway line.
Talullah's friendly.
Talullah is friendly.
Belzoni ain't so.
Belzoni is not as friendly.
A 44'll get you 99.
A .44 caliber gun will get you into trouble.
And I hope my Pony
And I wish that my horse,
I hope my Pony
I hope that my most treasured animal companion,
I hope my Pony knows the way back home.
knows the way back to my true home.
I run my race with burnt face Jake.
I ran my race with a man named Burnt Face Jake.
Gave him a Manzanita cross.
I presented him with a Manzanita cross.
I lived on nothin but dreams and train smoke.
I survived solely on hopes and the smoke from trains.
Somehow my watch and chain got lost.
In some manner, I lost my watch and chain.
I wish I was home in Evelyn's Kitchen,
I longed to be in Evelyn's Kitchen,
With old Gyp curled around my feet.
With my beloved dog, Gyp, curled around my feet.
And I hope my Pony
And I hope that my horse,
I hope my Pony
I hope my most cherished animal,
I hope my Pony knows the way back home.
knows the way back to my original home.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, JALMA MUSIC
Written by: THOMAS ALAN WAITS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MyMoppet52
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is a National Treasure. "The Long Ride" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album in 1999. This is listed under "Folk" Playlist on my Channel. Enjoy!
For current tour info for our 80 year old treasure, photos, and cd's available, check out: Jack's site http://ramblinjack.com/home