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".
Soul Of A Man
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Want somebody to tell me, what is the soul of a man
I'm goin′ to ask the question, answer if you can
If anybody here can tell me, what is the soul of a man?
I've traveled in different countries, I've traveled in foreign lands
I′ve found nobody to tell me, what about the soul of a man
I saw a crowd stand talkin′, I came up right on time
We're hearin′ the lawyer and the
Doctor, say a man ain't nothin′ but his mind
I want somebody to tell me, answer if you can!
Want somebody to tell me, what is the soul of a man
I read the bible often, I tried to read it right
As far as I can understand, there ain't nothin′ but a barrin' lie
I want somebody to tell me, answer if you can!
I want somebody to tell me, what is the soul of a man
When Christ stood in the temple, the people stood amazed
Was showing the doctors and the
Lawyers, how to raise a body from the grave
Won't somebody tell me, answer if you can!
Want somebody to tell me, what is the soul of a man
Won′t somebody tell me, answer if you can!
I want somebody to tell me, tell me what is the soul of a man
In Ramblin' Jack Elliott's song "Soul Of A Man," the singer is searching for the answer to a timeless question: What is the soul of a man? He's traveled to different countries and spoken to people from all walks of life, but no one can seem to give him an answer. He's read the Bible and listened to doctors and lawyers, but their answers all fall short. As he finds himself wandering through life, he continues to ask the question, hoping that one day someone will provide him with the answer he's looking for.
The song is a deep reflection on the human condition and what makes us who we are. The singer is seeking the essence of humanity - the intangible quality that defines us as human beings. He's frustrated and perhaps even a little bit desperate for answers. The song's repetitive structure highlights his quest for meaning, and the haunting lyrics paint a vivid picture of his lonely search.
At its core, "Soul Of A Man" is a meditation on the nature of the human soul. It suggests that this question of what makes us human is one that will always be left unanswered, and that the search for meaning is a lifelong pursuit that will never truly be fulfilled.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't somebody tell me, answer if you can!
The singer poses the question of the true nature of man's soul and begs anyone who knows the answer to come forward and enlighten him.
Want somebody to tell me, what is the soul of a man
The singer is unsure of what the soul of a man truly is and is seeking a clear definition.
I'm goin' to ask the question, answer if you can
The singer reiterates his intention to ask the question of the soul of a man and hopes someone will answer.
If anybody here can tell me, what is the soul of a man?
The singer again asks any person present who knows the answer to reveal what the soul of a man is.
I've traveled in different countries, I've traveled in foreign lands
The singer has traveled all over the globe seeking the answer to this question.
I've found nobody to tell me, what about the soul of a man
The singer has yet to find anyone who can provide a satisfactory answer to the question of the soul of a man.
I saw a crowd stand talkin', I came up right on time
The singer witnessed a group of people engaged in conversation and joined them to hear what they were discussing.
We're hearin' the lawyer and the Doctor, say a man ain't nothin' but his mind
The lawyer and the doctor in the group claimed that a man's essence is solely based on his cognitive functioning.
I want somebody to tell me, answer if you can!
The singer emphasizes that he still wants someone to answer the question.
I read the bible often, I tried to read it right
The singer has read the Bible in his search for an answer to the question.
As far as I can understand, there ain't nothin' but a barrin' lie
According to the singer's interpretation, the Bible doesn't contain an honest answer to the question of the soul of a man.
When Christ stood in the temple, the people stood amazed
The singer alludes to a Biblical story in which Jesus impressed onlookers with his spiritual knowledge.
Was showing the doctors and the Lawyers, how to raise a body from the grave
Jesus demonstrated his power over life and death, and the singer suggests that these professionals have something to learn about the nature of the soul.
Won't somebody tell me, answer if you can!
The singer repeats his plea for someone to give him an answer.
Want somebody to tell me, what is the soul of a man
The singer reiterates his original question of the soul of man and aggressively seeks a definitive answer.
Writer(s): Blind Willie Johnson, Thomas Alan Waits
Contributed by Samantha L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
fancysauce64
I wish Johnny Cash was still around to cover this. He would have killed it
Craig Sutherland
I think Rambling Joe was around (musically) before Johnny Cash made his name.
I have listened to a few versions of this song, none better than this,
刁韮勹
🤝👍
Randy Struble Backing Tracks
This is one great song Jack is perfectly suited for it!!!
Michael Hart
Truly Blessed He is
Mike Rojas
Colter Wall introduced me to Jack Elliot (he explained why he's his favorite artist of all time) by god I wished he did it sooner.
rodsreel
Great version, RJE character seeps through - engineers got a good pair of ears on him/her -
love to hear Skip James do this !!!
Robert Gosselin
One of my favourite albums.
Kuastoyn
Truly a treasure of Americana; I heard this first through David Lindley's version. Slightly torn as to which is better, this one defiantly leans more toward soul, while Mr Lindley's is more Folk based. Both top notch for their genre though.
Sammy Craigars
This album is top notch Jack