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.
Louisiana Man
Rick Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They raise him on the banks of the river bed
A houseboat tied to a big tall tree a home for my papa and my mama and me
The clock strikes three papa jumps to his feet
Already mama's cookin' papa somethin' to eat
At half past papa he's ready to go he jumps in his piro headed down the bayou
He's got fishin' lines strung across the Louisiana River
He's settin' his traps catchin' anything he can
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man
Muskart hides hanging by the dozen even got a little baby muskart's cousin
Gotta 'em fryin' in the hot hot sun tomorrow papa's gonna turn them into mon
They call mama Rita and my daddy Jack
My little baby brother on the floor that's Mac
Red and Lynn are the family twins big brother Ed's on the bayou fishin'
On the river float papa's great big boat that's how my papa goes into town
He takes every bit of the night and day
Then even reach the place where the people stay
I can hardly wait till tomorrow comes around
That's the day my papa takes his fures to town
Papa promised me that I could go even let me see a cowboy show
I saw the cowboys and Indians for the first time then I told my papa gotta go again
Papa said son we got the lines to run
We'll come back again cause there's work to be done
He's got fishin' lines...
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man
The lyrics of Rick Nelson's song Louisiana Man tell the story of a family that lives on a houseboat on the banks of the river in Louisiana. The father, who is a fisherman, wakes up early in the morning to go catch fish for his family. The song takes us through his daily routine of setting traps, catching fish, and bringing them back home to fry them in the hot sun. The family has a lot of children, and the song mentions names of some of them. The singer is excited about going into town with his father to sell the furs they have caught, and even gets to watch a cowboy show. However, his father reminds him that they have work to do and must return to fishing.
The song portrays a simple yet hardworking lifestyle that revolves around fishing and living off the river. It also touches on the importance of family and the relationships that exist within. Overall, the song seems to have a nostalgic feel of a time and place that no longer exists.
Line by Line Meaning
At first mom and papa called their little boy Ned
The parents named their son Ned when he was born
They raise him on the banks of the river bed
They brought him up near the river bed
A houseboat tied to a big tall tree a home for my papa and my mama and me
They lived on a houseboat that was anchored to a tall tree by the river which they called home
The clock strikes three papa jumps to his feet
When the clock strikes three, Papa immediately gets up
Already mama's cookin' papa somethin' to eat
Mama is already cooking food for Papa to eat
At half past papa he's ready to go he jumps in his piro headed down the bayou
At half past Papa is ready to go and sets out in his piro to go down the bayou
He's got fishin' lines strung across the Louisiana River
He has fishing lines set up across the Louisiana River to catch fish
Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat
He wants to catch a big fish for them to eat
He's settin' his traps catchin' anything he can
He sets traps to catch any type of prey
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man
Papa has to make a living and he is a Louisiana man who works hard to do so
Muskart hides hanging by the dozen even got a little baby muskart's cousin
He catches muskrats and has a dozen of their hides hanging, and even captured their baby cousin
Gotta 'em fryin' in the hot hot sun tomorrow papa's gonna turn them into mon
He will fry them in the hot sun and turn them into money the next day
They call mama Rita and my daddy Jack
My mom's name is Rita and my father's name is Jack
My little baby brother on the floor that's Mac
My baby brother is on the floor and his name is Mac
Red and Lynn are the family twins big brother Ed's on the bayou fishin'
Red and Lynn are the twin siblings in the family, while the eldest brother Ed is out fishing on the bayou
On the river float papa's great big boat that's how my papa goes into town
Papa has a big boat that he uses to travel to town on the river
He takes every bit of the night and day
It takes him all day and all night to reach the town
Then even reach the place where the people stay
He finally reaches the town where the people live
I can hardly wait till tomorrow comes around
I'm looking forward to tomorrow
That's the day my papa takes his fures to town
It is the day when Papa brings his fresh products to town
Papa promised me that I could go even let me see a cowboy show
Papa promised that I could go to town with him and even let me watch a cowboy show
I saw the cowboys and Indians for the first time then I told my papa gotta go again
I saw cowboys and Indians for the first time and enjoyed it so much that I told Papa I want to go again
Papa said son we got the lines to run
Papa tells his son that they have their work cut out for them
We'll come back again cause there's work to be done
They'll return to town once the work is finished
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Doug Kershaw
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind