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".
Rapping and Rambling- Folsom Prison Blues
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
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And I ain't seen the sunshine since...I don't know when.
I'm stuck in Folsom Prison and time keeps dragging on,
But that train keeps a-rollin', on down to San Anton.
When I was just a baby my mama told me, "Son,
"always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns."
But I shoot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.
I bet there's rich folk eatin' in a fancy dining car.
They're probably drinkin' coffee and smoking big cigars.
Well I know I had it comin', I know I can't be free,
But those people keep a-movin', and that's what tortures me.
Well if they freed me from this prison, if railroad train was mine,
I bet I'd move it on a little farther down the line.
Far from Folson Prison, that's where I want to stay,
And I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott's song, "Rapping and Rambling- Folsom Prison Blues," tells the story of a man stuck in Folsom Prison, reflecting on his past and longing for freedom. The lyrics begin with the sound of a train and the singer expressing that he has not seen the sunshine in a long time. He feels trapped in the prison, with time dragging on, and the train passing him by, rolling down to San Anton. The singer remembers his mother's advice to always be a good boy, but he disregards her warning and shoots a man in Reno. He hangs his head and cries as he hears the whistle blowing, haunted by the memory of what he did.
The singer then imagines the rich and fancy folk eating and drinking in a dining car. He knows he deserves to be in prison, but it tortures him that these people can move on with their lives while he is stuck in the same place. He dreams of being free, able to move the train farther away from Folsom Prison. The song ends with the singer longing to hear the lonesome whistle that would blow his blues away.
Overall, the song explores a theme of regret and the consequences of one's actions. The singer is trapped in prison, but his mind is free to reflect on his choices and how they have led him to where he is. The song also emphasizes the idea that life goes on, even for those who are stuck in the same place.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear the train a-comin', it's rollin round the bend,
I can hear the sound of the train coming towards me; it has been a long time since I have experienced anything positive in my life.
And I ain't seen the sunshine since...I don't know when.
I haven't had any time outside since I can't remember.
I'm stuck in Folsom Prison and time keeps dragging on,
I am locked in Folsom prison and time seems to be moving very slowly.
But that train keeps a-rollin', on down to San Anton.
Even though I'm not moving from this prison cell, the train passes by every once in a while and continues on its journey down to San Antonio.
When I was just a baby my mama told me, "Son,
When I was just a baby, my mother told me,
"always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns."
"To be a good person, don't play with weapons."
But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.
Despite my mother's advice, I shot a man in Reno solely for my own amusement.
When I hear that whistle blowin', I hang my head and cry.
When I hear the train whistle blowing outside, I feel a deep sense of sadness and desperation.
I bet there's rich folks eatin' in a fancy dining car,
I am imagining wealthy people eating in a luxurious dining carriage on that same train that's carrying on to San Antonio.
They're probably drinkin' coffee and smoking big cigars.
I fantasize that these rich individuals are probably drinking coffee and smoking large cigars, basking in luxury and privilege.
Well I know I had it comin', I know I can't be free,
I understand that I am the one to blame for my current situation, and I know there is no way for me to escape my imprisonment.
But those people keep a-movin', and that's what tortures me.
The fact that the people and train keep moving forward continuously adds extreme psychological distress.
Well if they freed me from this prison, if railroad train was mine,
If I were to ever get released from prison or were in control of the train,
I bet I'd move it on a little farther down the line.
I would move the train on to a new place far away, making a new start in life.
Far from Folson Prison, that's where I want to stay,
I want to be far from Folsom prison and never have to come back again.
And I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away.
If ever that lonesome whistle did blow, it would make all my worries and pain go away.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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Mikey Madnez
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