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".
The Soldier's Last Letter
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, it filled her old heart full of joy
But she didn't know 'til she read the inside
It was the last one from her darling boy
"Dear Mom," was the way that it started
"I miss you so much," it went on
"And, Mom, I didn't know that I loved you so
"I'm writing this down in a trench, Mom
So don't scold if it isn't so neat
For you know as you did, when I was a kid
And would come home with mud on my feet"
"Well, the captain just gave us our orders
And mom we will carry them through
I'll finish this letter the first chance I get
But for now I'll just say I love you"
Then the mother's old hands began to tremble
As she fought against tears in her eyes
For they came unashamed, there was no name
And she knew that her darlin' had died
That night as she knelt down by her bedside
She prayed, "Lord above, hear my plea
Protect all the sons who are fighting tonight
And dear God keep America free"
Ramblin' Jack Elliott's song "The Soldier's Last Letter" is a heart-wrenching story about a mother who receives a letter from her son who is at war. When the postman delivers the letter, the mother's "old heart" is filled with joy. However, when she reads the letter, she realizes that it is the last one from her darling boy. The letter starts with "Dear Mom" and goes on to express how much he misses her. He also writes that he didn't know that he loved her so much, but he promises to prove it once the war is won.
The soldier writes the letter from a trench, asking his mom not to scold him if the writing is not neat. He reminisces about his childhood when he would come home with mud on his feet, and his mother would not scold him. The soldier mentions that the captain has given them the orders, and they will carry them through. He promises to finish the letter once he gets the chance but writes that for now, he loves his mother. The mother's hands begin to tremble as she reads the letter and tries to hold back her tears. She doesn't know that her son has died in the war until the end.
That night, as the mother kneels down by her bedside, she prays to the Lord above, asking him to protect all the sons who are fighting tonight and to keep America free. The song is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by soldiers and their families during wartime.
Line by Line Meaning
When the postman delivered the letter
The moment the postman handed over the letter to the soldier's mother
Well, it filled her old heart full of joy
The mother felt very happy upon receiving the letter
But she didn't know 'til she read the inside
The soldier's mother was oblivious to the content of the letter
It was the last one from her darling boy
Sadly, the letter was a final goodbye from her son who had passed away
"Dear Mom," was the way that it started
The letter was addressed to his mother and began with a greeting
"I miss you so much," it went on
The soldier expressed how much he missed his mother
"And, Mom, I didn't know that I loved you so
The soldier regretted not telling his mother how much he loved her sooner
But I'll prove it when this war is won"
He promised to prove his love for her by winning the war
"I'm writing this down in a trench, Mom
The soldier was writing the letter from a trench
So don't scold if it isn't so neat
He requested his mother not to scold him over the messy handwriting due to the situation he's in
For you know as you did, when I was a kid
He reminded his mother of how she treated him when he was young - without scolding him for such things
And would come home with mud on my feet"
He referenced how he would come home to muddy feet
"Well, the captain just gave us our orders
The soldier received marching orders from his superior
And mom we will carry them through
He promised that he and the rest of the soldiers would execute the orders well
I'll finish this letter the first chance I get
He intended to complete the letter as soon as he could
But for now I'll just say I love you"
The soldier declared his love for his mother before concluding the letter
Then the mother's old hands began to tremble
The content of the letter caused the soldier's mother to shake with sadness and distress
As she fought against tears in her eyes
She tried to fight back tears while reading the letter
For they came unashamed, there was no name
Tears flowed freely and without shame, revealing the strong emotions she felt
And she knew that her darling had died
The mother realized that her son had passed away
That night as she knelt down by her bedside
The mother then went to her bedroom and knelt down by her bed
She prayed, "Lord above, hear my plea
She prayed to God, asking for His help
Protect all the sons who are fighting tonight
She prayed that God would protect all the soldiers fighting that night
And dear God keep America free"
She asked for God's help to keep America free
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERNEST TUBB, ERNEST, EST. OF TUBB, HENRY REDD STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind