Shooter Jennings lived his first few years in a crib on his parents' tour bus. By age five, he was playing drums. Between tours, he took piano lessons. He started playing guitar at fourteen and sometimes played in his father's band. He and his father recorded a few things together when they happened to have some microphones set up and the tape recorder plugged in. At age sixteen, Jennings discovered rock 'n' roll.
As an adult, Jennings left Nashville, Tennessee to seek his fortunes in Los Angeles. He assembled and performed with Stargunn, a southern rock band whose sound he described as Lynyrd Skynyrd mutating into Guns N' Roses. Stargunn performed at local clubs for six years, built a rabid following and earned praise from the local music press. But the Hollywood party scene eventually began to bother him. He says, "I was posing as a rocker—a country guy trying to be something he wasn't."
On March 30, 2003, Jennings dissolved Stargunn and moved to New York City to spend time with his girlfriend and sort out what he wanted to do next. An unexpected gig at the House of Blues a few weeks later revived his creativity. He returned to Los Angeles to form another band, the 357s. After six weeks in the studio, he completed his first solo album, Put the O Back in Country. Universal South released the album in early 2005.
Jennings portrayed his father in the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line. He is the host of Shooter Jennings' Electric Rodeo, a two-hour weekly music show on Sirius Satellite Radio's Outlaw Country channel. He currently dates Drea de Matteo. Shooter Jennings' second solo album "Electric Rodeo" was released on April 04, 2006.
Electric Rodeo
Shooter Jennings Lyrics
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I make a lot of money I don't know where it goes
All I know is the guitar and the bottle
My daddy was a loaded gun
He said, "It ain't no fun living on the run, son"
But everywhere I go trouble seems to follow
And I pick my songs at night at the next big show
My friends they come and they go
And love moves a little too slow
When you're riding with an electric rodeo
I can't complain, you know I do alright
Singing my songs in a different town every night
Looking for a woman to keep me warm tonight
From California to the dirt of New York
From Dallas, Texas to the streets of Baltimore
Wishing I was home with a little girl of my own
And I ride
I pick my songs at night at the next big show
My friends they come and they go
And love moves a little too slow
When you're riding with an electric rodeo
Oh, this time will be the last time
Oh, this time will be the last time
So I ride
Yeah, I pick my songs at night at the next big show
My friends they come and they go
And love moves a little too slow
When you're riding with an electric rodeo
And you ain't got no place, you can't rest your bones
The lyrics of Shooter Jennings's "Electric Rodeo" paint a picture of life on the road for a musician. The first verse sets the stage with the admission that the singer has been on the road for sixteen weeks, making money, but not knowing where it goes, consumed by music and alcohol. The chorus conveys the restlessness and instability that comes with living a life of traveling and performing, with the challenge of finding a sense of belonging and connection, even in romantic relationships.
The second verse expands on the family's background, specifically the father's life on the run and the consequences of his choices. The singer has inherited the same wanderlust, which continues to be a major part of his life. The places he visits, from California to Baltimore, give a sense of the vastness of the country and the many different cultures he encounters. The mention of a "little girl of his own" suggests that despite the ups and downs of a transient lifestyle, he feels a deeper sense of longing for a more settled existence.
The final repetition of the chorus, with the addition of the new line "And you ain't got no place, you can't rest your bones", expresses the coldness and alienation of life on the road, with the constant moving and the lack of a steady home base. The song ultimately leaves open the question of whether this life is sustainable, or whether the singer will eventually settle down and leave the electric rodeo behind.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been sixteen weeks since I've been back home
I've been away from home for a long time, about sixteen weeks
I make a lot of money I don't know where it goes
I earn a lot of money but I'm not sure how I spend it
All I know is the guitar and the bottle
The only two things I really know are playing the guitar and drinking
My daddy was a loaded gun
My father was a dangerous man
He said, "It ain't no fun living on the run, son"
My father told me that living life on the run isn't enjoyable
But everywhere I go trouble seems to follow
I always attract trouble no matter where I go
So I ride
I keep on traveling and moving ahead
And I pick my songs at night at the next big show
I choose my music at night for my next big performance
My friends they come and they go
My friends are temporary and they leave quickly
And love moves a little too slow
I find it hard to fall in love and the process of falling in love is slow for me
When you're riding with an electric rodeo
Living a rocking lifestyle with unpredictable situations
I can't complain, you know I do alright
Although I cannot deny the hardships, I am okay
Singing my songs in a different town every night
Performing my music in a different city every night
Looking for a woman to keep me warm tonight
Seeking female companionship for the night
From California to the dirt of New York
From the west coast in California to east coast cities like New York
From Dallas, Texas to the streets of Baltimore
Traveling from Texas to Baltimore, stopping at different locations in between
Wishing I was home with a little girl of my own
Hoping to return home to my little girl
Oh, this time will be the last time
I believe this time will be the final performance of this nature
And you ain't got no place, you can't rest your bones
There's nowhere to stay and rest your body
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WAYLON ALBRIGHT JENNINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind