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Billy Joe Shaver is an American country music singer/songwriter. He was born August 16, 1939 in Corsicana, Texas. Shaver's 1973 album Old Five and Dimers Like Me is a classic in the outlaw country genre.
Shaver was raised by his mother, Victory Watson Shaver, after his father Virgil left the family before he was born. Until he was 12, he spent a great deal of time with his grandmother in Waco, Texas so that his mother could work. He sometimes accompanied his mother to her job at a local nightclub, where he began to be exposed to country music.
Shaver's mother remarried about the time that his grandmother died, so he and his older sister Patricia moved in with their mother and new stepfather. Shaver left school after the eighth grade to help his uncles pick cotton, but occasionally returned to school to play sports.
Shaver joined the U.S. Navy on his seventeenth birthday. Upon his discharge, he worked a series of dead-end jobs, including trying to be a rodeo cowboy. About this time, Shaver met and married Brenda Joyce Tindell. They had one son, John Edwin, known as Eddy, who was born in 1962. The two divorced and remarried several times.
Shaver took a job at a lumber mill to make ends meet. One day his right hand (his dominant hand) became caught in the machinery, and he lost the better part of two fingers and contracted a serious infection. He eventually recovered, and taught himself to play the guitar without those missing fingers.
Shaver decided that life was too short to do something he didn't enjoy, so he set out one day to hitchhike to L.A.. He couldn't get a ride west, and ended up accompanying a man who dropped him off just outside of Memphis, Tennessee. The next ride brought him to Nashville, where he found a job as a songwriter for $50/week. His work came to the attention of Waylon Jennings, who filled most of his album Honky Tonk Heroes with Shaver's songs. Other artists, including Elvis Presley and Kris Kristofferson, began to record Shaver's music. This led to his own record deal.
Unfortunately for Shaver, the first few recording companies he signed with soon folded. He was never able to gain widespread recognition as a singer, although he never stopped recording his own music.
After losing his wife, Brenda, and his mother to cancer in 1999, Shaver lost his son and longtime guitarist Eddy, who died at age 38 of a heroin overdose on December 31, 2000. Shaver nearly died himself the following year when he had a heart attack on stage during an Independence Day show at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas. After successful heart surgery, Billy Joe came back to release a new album entited "Freedom's Child" in 2002.
Billy Joe Shaver is known for his hit "Live Forever" performed by The Highwaymen. He also wrote numerous songs for artists such as Patty Loveless and Willie Nelson. For his efforts, the Americana Music Convention awarded him their Lifetime Achievement Award in Songwriting.
In 1999, Shaver was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. In November of 2005, Billy Joe Shaver performed on the CMT Outlaws 2005. In 2006, Shaver was inducted in the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. He recently served as spiritual advisor to Texas independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman. He currently lives in Waco, Texas.
In 1996, Shaver took a part in the movie The Apostle, playing opposite Robert Duvall. He had additional speaking roles in the Duvall film Secondhand Lions (2003) and in The Wendell Baker Story (2005).
In 2004, a documentary of his life, A Portrait of Billy Joe was released. The documentary was directed by Luciana Pedraza.
Quotations
"If you don't love Jesus, you can go to hell."
"May the God of your choice bless you." (Lent to his friend Kinky Friedman for his gubernatorial campaign)
Live Forever
Shaver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna cross that river
I'm gonna catch tomorrow now
You're gonna wanna hold me
Just like I always told you
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
Nobody here will ever find me
But I always be around
I'm gonna live forever now
You fathers and you mothers
Be good to one another
Please try to raise your children right
Don't let the darkness take 'em
Don't make 'em feel forsaken
Just lead them safely to the light
When this old world has blown asunder
And all the stars from fall this sky
Remember someone really loves you
We'll live forever you and I
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna cross that river
I'm gonna catch tomorrow now
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna cross that river
I'm gonna catch tomorrow now
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna cross that river
I'm gonna catch tomorrow now
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna cross that river
I'm gonna catch tomorrow now
I'm gonna live forever now
I'm gonna live forever now
I'm gonna live forever now
I'm gonna live forever now
Dream of angels and sunshine
Rivers of red wine, and orange peel blues
Dream of angels and sunshine
Rivers of red wine, and orange peel blues
The song "Live Forever" by Shaver is an anthem for living life to the fullest and leaving a legacy behind. The first verse speaks of the singer's belief that he will live forever by crossing the river and catching tomorrow. He tells the listener that they will want to hold him and miss him when he's gone, but he will always be around through the songs he leaves behind. The idea of living forever through music is a powerful sentiment, as it suggests that even after we are gone, our art and creativity can still touch people's lives.
The second verse is meant to be a message of hope and encouragement for parents. The singer urges them to be good to one another and to raise their children right, so they don't feel forsaken or lost in the darkness. He reminds them that someone loves them and that they can live forever if they lead their children safely to the light. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the idea of eternal life through music.
Overall, "Live Forever" is a beautiful and uplifting song that encourages listeners to live their lives to the fullest and leave a positive impact on the world. It suggests that we can all live forever through the art we create and the people we touch.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna live forever
I will leave a lasting impact, never to be forgotten
I'm gonna cross that river
I will transition from this life into another realm
I'm gonna catch tomorrow now
I will make the most of each day and seize opportunities when they come
You're gonna wanna hold me
You will regret taking me for granted and wish you had cherished our time together
Just like I always told you
My words of wisdom and guidance will continue to echo in your memory
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
The void I leave behind will be felt by those who knew me
Nobody here will ever find me
Even after I'm gone from this world, my impact will live on
But I always be around
My legacy and influence will continue to be present despite my physical absence
Just like the songs I leave behind me
My creative works will continue to inspire and connect with people for generations to come
You fathers and you mothers
Parents hold a great responsibility in shaping the future through their children
Be good to one another
Create a culture of kindness and respect in your relationships with others
Please try to raise your children right
Invest in the next generation and instill values that will shape them into responsible adults
Don't let the darkness take 'em
Protect children from negative influences and guide them towards light
Don't make 'em feel forsaken
Ensure children feel loved, accepted and valued
Just lead them safely to the light
Encourage and guide children towards the positive and constructive things in life
When this old world has blown asunder
When the world has experienced catastrophic change
And all the stars from fall this sky
And all that has been cherished is lost or destroyed
Remember someone really loves you
Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone and are deeply cared for by others
We'll live forever you and I
Together we will leave a lasting impact and our memory will live on
Dream of angels and sunshine
Look towards the positive and keep hope alive
Rivers of red wine, and orange peel blues
Experience life's ups and downs, joys and sorrows
Dream of angels and sunshine
Hold on to the hope for a better tomorrow
Rivers of red wine, and orange peel blues
Be present and embrace all aspects of life, both good and bad
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eddy (john Edwin) Shaver, Billy Joe Shaver
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind