Nelson began his entertainment career in 1949, playing himself in the radio sitcom series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1952, he appeared in his first feature film, Here Come the Nelsons. In 1957, he recorded his first single ("I'm Walkin' b/w "A Teenager's Romance", Verve 10047X4S), debuted as a singer on the television version of the sitcom, and released the No. 1 album titled Ricky. In 1958, Nelson released his first #1 single, "Poor Little Fool", and in 1959 received a Golden Globe nomination for "Most Promising Male Newcomer" after starring in Rio Bravo. A few films followed, and when the television series was cancelled in 1966, Nelson made occasional appearances as a guest star on various television programs. In his twenties, he moved away from the pop music of his youth, and began to perform in a more country rock style. After recording several albums with mostly session musicians, most of which flopped, he formed the Stone Canyon Band in 1969 and experienced a career resurgence, buoyed by the live album In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 and had a surprise hit with 1972's "Garden Party", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. His comeback was short-lived, however, as his record label was bought out and folded, and his followup albums were not well promoted by his new label. He continued to perform live and take small television roles through the 1970s, though his label dropped him by the end of the decade. He released two more albums, with unimpressive results, before his death in a plane crash on New Year's Eve, 1985.
Nelson was married once, to Sharon Kristin Harmon, from 1963 until their divorce in 1982. They had four children: actress Tracy Nelson, twin sons and musicians Gunnar and Matthew, and actor Sam.
Nelson was born on May 8, 1940, in Teaneck, New Jersey. He was the second son of entertainment couple Harriet Hilliard Nelson (born Peggy Lou Snyder; July 18, 1909 – October 2, 1994) and Ozzie Nelson (March 20, 1906 – June 3, 1975). His father Ozzie was of half Swedish descent. The Nelsons' older son was actor David Nelson (October 24, 1936 – January 11, 2011).
On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), he officially modified his recording name from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". His childhood nickname proved hard to shake, especially among the generation who had watched him grow up on "Ozzie and Harriet". Even in the 1980s, when Nelson realized his dream of meeting Carl Perkins, Perkins noted that he and "Ricky" were the last of the "rockabilly breed".
In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records. After some early successes with the label, most notably 1964's "For You" (#6), Nelson's chart career came to a dramatic halt in the wake of Beatlemania, The British Invasion, and later the Counterculture era. However, instead of dropping him, Decca kept him on board.
In the mid-1960s, Nelson began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. He was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which would include singers like Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt and bands such as Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band, featuring Randy Meisner, who in 1971 became a founding member of the Eagles, and former Buckaroo steel guitarist Tom Brumley.
Nelson died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1985, flying from Guntersville, Alabama, to Dallas, Texas, for a concert. The plane he was on, a Douglas DC-3, had a history of mechanical problems. All seven passengers, including Blair, died. Only the two pilots survived.
Nelson's funeral took place at the Church of the Hills, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery, on January 6, 1986, and he was privately buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in Los Angeles. His estate was bequeathed to his children.
Call It What You Want
Rick Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put it in, take it off, no one said it was easy
Number one, I don't know, better get her direction
Here it comes, there it goes, didn't pass his inspection
Be yourself, take a chance, we know you can do it
Have a weird rubber pants, number ten with a bullet
Good words, wrong song, don't try to seduce her
No way that punk rock can set you free, put your mind at ease
Call it what you want, it's alright
It's rock and roll to me
Call it what you want, it's alright
It's rock and roll to me
It's rock and roll to me
Real bad, pay your dues, save the tuition
Take a chance, bye bye, shouldn't make a decision
My friends they arrive, rent a house on the ocean
Go to lunch, outta sight, we were talkin' promotion
No way that punk rock can set you free, put your mind at ease
Call it what you want, it's alright
It's rock and roll to me
Call it what you want, it's alright
It's rock and roll to me
It's rock and roll to me
The lyrics to Rick Nelson's Call It What You Want are very abstract and leave a lot of room for listeners to interpret them in their own way. At its core, the song is about being true to yourself and not caring what others think about you. The lyrics seem to be about making art, specifically music, and the ups and downs that come along with it.
The lines "Play it hard, make it soft, make it sound kinda sleazy, put it in, take it off, no one said it was easy" could be interpreted as advice on how to create music that is both exciting and enjoyable. The line "number one, I don't know, better get her direction, here it comes, there it goes, didn't pass his inspection" might speak to the pressure of creating a chart-topping hit and how difficult it can be to please everyone. The lyrics "real bad, pay your dues, save the tuition, take a chance, bye bye, shouldn't make a decision" could be interpreted as advice for young musicians to work hard and persevere despite setbacks.
Ultimately, the chorus of the song is the most important part, with the repeated lines “Call it what you want, it’s alright, it’s rock and roll to me.” This phrase encapsulates the idea that music should be made for the love of it, and that labels and expectations don't matter as long as it rocks.
Line by Line Meaning
Play it hard, make it soft, make it sound kinda sleazy
Experiment with different styles and tones, even if it feels risque.
Put it in, take it off, no one said it was easy
Creating music is a process, sometimes smooth, sometimes not, but it shouldn't discourage you.
Number one, I don't know, better get her direction
He isn't sure what the best path is, but he knows he wants to improve.
Here it comes, there it goes, didn't pass his inspection
Even if you try different things, success is not guaranteed and there will be setbacks
Be yourself, take a chance, we know you can do it
Clearly the artist believes in individualism and having confidence in oneself.
Have a weird rubber pants, number ten with a bullet
Take creativity to the extreme, even though it may lead you to places that were never expected.
Good words, wrong song, don't try to seduce her
Using the right words are not going to solve everything and may not compensate for a poor song.
Sounds great, hold on, think you need a producer
Possibly you have some great ideas, but not everyone can produce an effective product alone.
No way that punk rock can set you free, put your mind at ease
Just because you can get behind the lyrics and because they strike a cord, the music isn't necessarily profound.
Call it what you want, it's alright
No matter what you call it or label it, it represents the essence of rock and roll.
It's rock and roll to me
Regardless of what you do or create, it falls under the rock and roll umbrella.
Real bad, pay your dues, save the tuition
Now the artist gives a warning that the musical path is a rocky one and to be prepared financially.
Take a chance, bye bye, shouldn't make a decision
Make the choice to continue down that path, but understand that change may be necessary, so don't hold on too tightly or become too rigid in one position.
My friends they arrive, rent a house on the ocean
The artist emphasizes the importance of friends and a close group of people during this journey.
Go to lunch, outta sight, we were talkin' promotion
Even though they are taking it easy during lunch, they still have their future in mind and continue to discuss ways to promote their music and get ahead.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARC NELSON, JONATHAN HILLMAN ROBINSON, DARRELL C. SPENCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind