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".
Talkin' Sailor Blues
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the Chev unstuck when the Dodge showed up
But the Dodge got stuck in the tractor rut,
Which eventually pulled out the Ford
Well more rain than we?d seen for a thousand years
Caused financial joys and biblical fears
It caused some smiles it caused some tears
But more to the point of our story
For The first time in the collective memory,
That old brown prairie that had been so dry for so long was very muddy
Boggy and sticky
We?d pull one truck out and get another stuck in
And motors would roar and tires would spin
We?d sink right down, down to the diff, and we?d all take turns and do it again
Till no one could move, we?d call one more friend,
Come on out here, we need you?bring your truck
The Chev got stuck and the Ford got stuck
But the Chev unstuck when the Dodge showed up
But the Dodge got stuck in the tractor rut
Which eventually pulled out the Ford
And the Dodge
They got me stuck in the mud, so they couldn?t rehearse
And Chavase too has missed his work
Richie, he now fears the worst, he stood up his ex wife she called him a jerk
Course Holman didn?t have nothing better do to, ?cept ranch.
The Chev got stuck and the Ford got stuck
But the Chev unstuck when the Dodge showed up
But the Dodge got stuck in the tractor rut
Which eventually pulled out the Ford
Well it was truck after truck, we all got stuck
?cept the big old four by hutterite truck
We all thought ?lord are we in luck!?
But he wouldn?t come anywhere near us,
Mighty neighborly, mighty neighborly.
So we used a lot of our backs, a little of our brains
We jacked up the jacks, and snugged up the chains,
We all did our very best to refrain from shovelin?.
We put what timber we had, underneath the wheels
And we was all out of sand, but managed to steal
Two sacks of the best modern canola seed you ever did see,
That ?oughta give us some traction
The Chev got stuck and the Ford got stuck
But the Chev unstuck when the Dodge showed up
But the Dodge got stuck in the tractor rut
Which eventually pulled out the Ford
We spilled genetically modified canola seed
That was genetically modified for controlling the weeds
And for big old yields and margarine oil, raised hell all over that native prairie soil
Agriculture Canada is definitely gonna be looking for us
Ramblin' Jack Elliott's song "Talkin' Sailor Blues" is a humorous, tongue-in-cheek portrayal of a group of people struggling to free their trucks from the mud after heavy rain. The opening line sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the different types of trucks - a Chev, a Ford, and a Dodge - all get stuck in the mud at some point, but eventually get freed by the others. The chorus is a repetition of the same lines, emphasizing the absurdity of the situation.
However, the song also touches on the serious consequences of the heavy rain, which had not been seen for a thousand years. The rain caused financial joy for some and biblical fear for others. It brought smiles and tears, but more importantly, it turned the "old brown prairie that had been so dry for so long" into a "very muddy, boggy, and sticky" mess. The collective memory of the people could not recall such wet conditions, and it caused them to rely on each other for help. The song portrays a sense of community and neighborliness amidst the chaos.
Towards the end of the song, the lyrics take a political turn, as the people spill genetically modified canola seed on the native prairie soil, which raises concerns about the biological impact. Agriculture Canada is "definitely gonna be looking for us," highlighting the potential long-term consequences of human interference in the natural world.
Overall, "Talkin' Sailor Blues" is a lighthearted song that pokes fun at the struggles faced by the people after the heavy rain. However, it also highlights the importance of community and collaboration in times of hardship, and the potential consequences of human interference in the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
The Chev got stuck and the Ford got stuck
Both the Chevrolet and the Ford trucks got trapped in the muddy prairie soil.
But the Chev unstuck when the Dodge showed up
The Chevrolet managed to get unstuck with the help of the Dodge truck.
But the Dodge got stuck in the tractor rut
However, the Dodge ended up getting trapped in the tractor rut.
Which eventually pulled out the Ford
The tractor eventually managed to pull out the Ford truck, but it took some effort.
Well more rain than we?d seen for a thousand years
The prairie had not experienced so much rainfall in centuries.
Caused financial joys and biblical fears
The abundance of rain brought both happiness and concern about the consequences of the excess water.
It caused some smiles it caused some tears
People had mixed reactions to the unexpected rainfall.
But more to the point of our story
However, the main focus of the narrative is yet to be revealed.
For The first time in the collective memory,
No one could remember the last time the prairie had been so muddy.
That old brown prairie that had been so dry for so long was very muddy
The once dry and barren land had become boggy and sticky due to the rainfall.
We?d pull one truck out and get another stuck in
They would manage to rescue one truck only to have another one get trapped in the mud.
And motors would roar and tires would spin
The sound of truck engines and spinning wheels was a common occurrence in their attempts to free the vehicles from the mud.
We?d sink right down, down to the diff, and we?d all take turns and do it again
The trucks would sink so deep that their differentials would touch the ground, and everyone would take turns trying to move them out of the mud.
Till no one could move, we?d call one more friend,
When everyone's resources had been exhausted, they would call one more person to help.
Come on out here, we need you?bring your truck
They called on others to join in and bring their trucks to help with the rescue mission.
They got me stuck in the mud, so they couldn?t rehearse
The mud prevented them from rehearsing for their performance.
And Chavase too has missed his work
The mud also prevented Chavase from going to work.
Richie, he now fears the worst, he stood up his ex wife she called him a jerk
Richie was worried because he missed meeting his ex-wife, and she scolded him for it.
Course Holman didn?t have nothing better do to, ?cept ranch.
Holman had nothing else to do except work on his ranch.
Well it was truck after truck, we all got stuck
One by one, all the trucks that attempted to rescue the other trucks also got stuck.
?cept the big old four by hutterite truck
The only truck that did not get stuck belonged to a group of Hutterites.
We all thought ?lord are we in luck!?
Everyone was hopeful when they saw the Hutterite truck that had not gotten stuck.
But he wouldn?t come anywhere near us,
Unfortunately, the Hutterite truck did not want to get involved in helping the other trucks that were stuck.
Mighty neighborly, mighty neighborly.
The Hutterites were not interested in being good neighbors and helping those in need.
So we used a lot of our backs, a little of our brains
They relied more on physical labor than clever solutions.
We jacked up the jacks, and snugged up the chains,
They tightened the chains and made sure the jacks were stable as they worked to free the trucks from the mud.
We all did our very best to refrain from shovelin?.
They tried not to use shovels to avoid further damaging the muddy ground.
We put what timber we had, underneath the wheels
They used wood planks under the wheels to create traction and help the trucks move forward.
And we was all out of sand, but managed to steal
They had run out of sand, but found a way to acquire some more without any legal consequences.
Two sacks of the best modern canola seed you ever did see
They were able to obtain some high-quality genetically modified canola seed.
That ?oughta give us some traction
They hoped that the canola seed would help provide the grip and traction necessary to free the trucks from the mud.
We spilled genetically modified canola seed
The truck carrying the canola seed accidentally spilled some of it on the ground.
That was genetically modified for controlling the weeds
The canola seed was genetically modified to help control unwanted plant growth.
And for big old yields and margarine oil, raised hell all over that native prairie soil
The presence of the genetically modified canola seed disrupted the local ecosystem and caused harm to the native prairie soil.
Agriculture Canada is definitely gonna be looking for us
They were aware that their use of the genetically modified canola seed could result in consequences from Agriculture Canada.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@captyoss
Thanks from Italy Mr. Ramblin'
@stacyblue1980
One of the best pickers of all time. I adore him. Love him to bits.
@shirleyjennings5787
Awesome!
@richox1956
Wow, I always new that Bob Dylan learned the Woody Guthrie style from Jack Elliot but here it is....... Bob's" Talkin' New York" from his first album is taken directly from this song! Good work Jack
@peerperemans897
There's some Bearmountain picnic innit innit? Or the other way around...
@taylorbateman496
Talking fishing blues, talking dust bowl blues, and talking union were a few Woody did that started this talking type of song. Colter Wall recorded talking prairie boy recently keeping it alive!
@dennisdevine3382
Awesome Jack! Just awesome!
@elipkau
Hey that’s a Woody Guthrie’s song!! Great !! Super beautiful
@toppermoore1925
Yep
@williamcole9040
ALL THE STRINGS SOUUND DEAD…..FABULOUS TONE AND PICKING. IS THERE A TALKIN DUSTBOWLBLUES?