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".
Rambler's Blues
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
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I'm a roamin' rambler, my home is in no one place
And I'll find a sweet, brown skinned woman that really fills my empty space
I'm known as a rambler, I'm known in every man's town
I'm the only rambler, I'm known in every man's town
Even the little birds begin weepin', when that evenin' sun goes down
The judges all knows me as a man with a smilin' face
And there's no other one that can ever take my place
I'm a roamin' man, and my home is in no one man's town
I'm a roamin' man, and my home is in no one man's town
The kids all cry and the women scream, when that evenin' sun goes down
I never had a woman that I couldn't get her back again
I never had a woman that I couldn't get her back again
I can get the best woman that ever was and I don't have to be in my gin
The lyrics of Ramblin' Jack Elliott's song Ramblers Blues depict a man who is constantly on the move, never settling down in one place for too long. He describes himself as a "roaming rambler", with no specific home or attachment to any particular place. He indicates that he is always in search of a companion and hopes to find a brown-skinned woman who will fill the emptiness inside him. Throughout the song, he speaks of his reputation as a well-known figure in every town he visits. However, despite his popularity, he feels a sense of loneliness, evident in the weeping of the little birds and the cries of the kids and women at dusk.
The song subtly suggests that this man is constantly chasing something in his search for satisfaction, and he has never found it. Despite the smile on his face and the admiration of judges, he seems to be a lonely and unsettled person. He speaks of his ability to win back any woman he desires, indicating possibly that even in relationships, he is not willing to stay in one place for long. Overall, the lyrics of this song speak to the human tendency to seek out new experiences and constantly move onto the next thing, even if that means never finding true contentment.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a roamin' rambler, my home is in no one place
I am a wanderer without a fixed abode, I seek to find companionship to fill my emptiness
I'm known as a rambler, I'm known in every man's town
I am a well-known traveler, I have visited all corners of this world
Even the little birds begin weepin', when that evenin' sun goes down
My constant travels have come at the cost of leaving behind a trail of loneliness and sorrow
The judges all knows me as a man with a smilin' face
Despite my wanderlust, I have made many acquaintances along the way and have earned a reputation for my friendly demeanor
And there's no other one that can ever take my place
I am a unique individual with a presence that cannot be replicated by anyone else
I'm a roamin' man, and my home is in no one man's town
My restless spirit prevents me from settling down in any one place for too long
The kids all cry and the women scream, when that evenin' sun goes down
My absence causes distress for those who have grown attached to me in the communities I visit
I never had a woman that I couldn't get her back again
My charismatic nature allows me to win back the affections of any woman I have previously wooed
I can get the best woman that ever was and I don't have to be in my gin
I am able to attract and charm even the most desirable of women without resorting to alcohol or other such substances
Contributed by Leo G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
GABE NOEL
DAVID PILTCH LEGEND !!