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".
Tramp on the Street
Ramblin' Jack Elliott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He who lay down by the rich man's gate.
Well, he begged for some crumbs from the rich man to eat
But they left him to die like a ramp on the street.
[Chorus]
He was some mother's darlin', he was some mother's son;
Once he was fair and once he was young,
But they left him to die like a tramp on the street.
If Jesus should come and knock on your door,
Would you let Him come in and pick from your store?
Would you turn Him away, with nothing to eat?
Would you leave Him to die like a tramp on the street?
He was Mary's own darlin', he was God's chosen son;
Once He was fair and once he was young,
And Mary, she rocked Him, a little darlin' to sleep,
But they left him to die like a tramp on the street.
Jesus, He died on Calvary's peak,
Nails in His hands, Lord, nails in His feet,
Gave His life's blood for you and for me,
But they left Him to die like a tramp on the street.
The verses of Ramblin' Jack Elliott's song Tramp on the Street describe the sad fate of a homeless man who begs for food from the wealthy but is ignored and left to die alone on the street. The chorus highlights the fact that this man was once someone's beloved child, and is a reminder that anyone can fall on hard times and find themselves in a desperate situation. The second verse raises the metaphorical question of how we would treat Jesus himself if he came to us in the guise of a beggar, challenging the listener to search their heart and consider their own capacity for charity and compassion.
The final verse brings the theme of the song full circle by comparing the homeless man to Jesus, who was also rejected and left to die despite his divine status. The parallel between the two figures underscores the message of the song - that we are all connected as human beings and must care for one another regardless of social status or material wealth.
Line by Line Meaning
Only a tramp was Lazarus that day,
Lazarus was only a poor man begging for scraps who was ignored by the rich man despite being near his gate.
He who lay down by the rich man's gate.
Lazarus lay down by the gate of the rich man's estate hoping for a morsel of food or a few coins.
Well, he begged for some crumbs from the rich man to eat
Lazarus begged for even the smallest amount of leftover food from the rich man's table in order to survive.
But they left him to die like a ramp on the street.
Despite Lazarus' pleas for help, the rich man ignored him and he eventually died alone, like a stray animal on the street.
He was some mother's darlin', he was some mother's son;
Lazarus was once a beloved child to his mother, who undoubtedly mourned his fall into poverty and eventual death.
Once he was fair and once he was young,
At one time, Lazarus was handsome and full of life, but circumstances outside of his control left him impoverished and struggling to survive.
And some mother rocked him, a little darlin' to sleep,
Lazarus' mother lovingly cared for him since he was a baby, soothing him to sleep and hoping for a good future for her child.
But they left him to die like a tramp on the street.
Despite Lazarus' upbringing and potential, his poverty and suffering meant he was treated like a disposable outcast.
If Jesus should come and knock on your door,
The song asks the listener to imagine if Jesus came to their door, as a test of their charity and morality.
Would you let Him come in and pick from your store?
If Jesus were to knock, would you welcome him and share what you possess?
Would you turn Him away, with nothing to eat?
Or would you send Jesus away empty-handed, despite his obvious need?
Would you leave Him to die like a tramp on the street?
The song implores the listener to consider their treatment of those who are downtrodden and in need, as they could be treating Jesus the same way.
He was Mary's own darlin', he was God's chosen son;
Jesus was both the son of Mary and also believed by many to be the son of God, making his death even more tragic.
Once He was fair and once he was young,
Just like Lazarus, Jesus too was once a young, full-of-life person before his tragic death.
And Mary, she rocked Him, a little darlin' to sleep,
Mary would have cared for Jesus as a baby, just like any mother would care for their child, rocking him to sleep and hoping for a bright future.
But they left him to die like a tramp on the street.
Despite Jesus' loving upbringing and significance to many people, he too was subjected to a tragic and undignified death.
Jesus, He died on Calvary's peak,
The song refers to Calvary, the hill where Jesus was crucified and ultimately died.
Nails in His hands, Lord, nails in His feet,
The nails refer to Jesus' crucifixion by the Romans, which caused him immense suffering and ultimately resulted in his death.
Gave His life's blood for you and for me,
The song recognizes the religious significance of Jesus' death, which many believe was a sacrifice for the salvation of others.
But they left Him to die like a tramp on the street.
Despite Jesus' significance and sacrifice for others, his tragic death was not given the dignity it deserved in the eyes of those who killed him.
Lyrics © Public Domain Publisher
Written by: Grady Cole, Hazel Cole
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind