Forbert signed a recording contract with Nemperor in 1978, and they released his debut album, Alive on Arrival, that same year. His song "Romeo's Tune", although "dedicated to the memory of Florence Ballard" on the sleeve of Forbert's second album Jackrabbit Slim (released in 1979), is not about Supremes singer Ballard who died in 1976. "Forbert admits that Ballard became a timely connection for "Romeo's Tune", written about a girl from Meridian. "That seemed like such bad news to me and such sad news. She wasn't really taken care of by the music business, which is not a new story". At around this time critics hailed Forbert as "The new Bob Dylan" because of a similar vocal timbre and thoughtful songwriting. The front cover of Jackrabbit Slim encourages such comparisons with its simplicity: a black and white photo of Steve Forbert playing a well-worn Martin acoustic guitar with a capo on it, his shirt tinted green. The record was recorded in Nashville and produced by John Simon who had worked with The Band.
After many successful years, Forbert sought out new inspiration and found it when he relocated to Nashville in 1985. Forbert's tribute to Jimmie Rodgers, Any Old Time, was nominated for a 2004 Grammy in the best traditional folk category. In 2006, he was inducted into the Mississippi Music Hall of Fame.
Recent albums include Strange Names & New Sensations (2007), The Place And The Time (2009), and Over With You (2012).
www.steveforbert.com
In The Jailhouse Now #1
Steve Forbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He used to steal and gamble and rob
He thought he was the smartest man around
I found out last Monday
They locked him up on Sunday
They've got him in the jailhouse way down town
He's in the jailhouse now
Hey, you know I warned him once or twice
Quit playin' cards and shootin' the dice
He's in the jailhouse now
Well, he played that game called poker
Pinochle, whist and euchre
But shooting dice, Lord, it was his greatest game
So now he's down in jail
Nobody to go his bail
The judge done said that he refused a fine
He's in the jailhouse now
The jailhouse now
I warned him once or twice
You better quit playin' the cards
And shootin' the dice
He's in the jailhouse now
Well, I went out last Tuesday
I met a gal named Susie
Told her I was the swellest man around
We started spendin' my money
She started callin' me honey
We took in every cabaret in town
We're in the jailhouse now
In the jailhouse now
You know I told that judge right to his face
I couldn't stand to see his place
We're in the jailhouse now
The song "In The Jailhouse Now #1" by Steve Forbert tells the story of two different characters who have landed themselves in jail due to their bad decisions. The first character is Ramblin' Bob, a friend of the singer who enjoyed stealing, gambling, and robbing, but thought he was smarter than everyone else. Unfortunately, he was not smart enough to avoid getting caught and is now in jail. The second character is the singer himself, who met a girl named Susie and spent all his money on her, only to end up in jail with her. Both characters seem to have been warned about their reckless behavior but did not listen and are now paying the price.
The song illustrates the themes of consequence and regret, as both characters are facing the consequences of their actions and are remorseful for not heeding the warnings. It also sheds light on the idea of overconfidence and arrogance, as Ramblin' Bob thought he was too clever to get caught, and the singer thought he was too important to be in jail. However, now that they are behind bars, they realize that their actions were not worth the price they paid.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a friend called Ramblin' Bob
I was acquainted with a man called Ramblin' Bob
He used to steal and gamble and rob
His methods of acquiring money were dishonest and illegal
He thought he was the smartest man around
He believed himself to be the most intelligent person he knew
I found out last Monday
I received information about Bob's arrest last Monday
They locked him up on Sunday
Bob was arrested on Sunday and taken into custody
They've got him in the jailhouse way down town
Bob is currently incarcerated in a jail outside the main area of the town
He's in the jailhouse now
Bob is currently imprisoned in a correctional facility
Hey, you know I warned him once or twice
On certain occasions, I gave advice to Bob to avoid the situation he currently faces
Quit playin' cards and shootin' the dice
My advice to Bob was to stop gambling
Well, he played that game called poker
Bob enjoyed participating in the game of poker
Pinochle, whist and euchre
Bob also participated in other card games like Pinochle, whist, and euchre
But shooting dice, Lord, it was his greatest game
However, the most preferred game for Bob was rolling dice
So now he's down in jail
Bob is now imprisoned
Nobody to go his bail
No one has come forward to provide bail money for Bob's release
The judge done said that he refused a fine
The judge will not release Bob by imposing a monetary penalty
Well, I went out last Tuesday
On a previous Tuesday, I left my house
I met a gal named Susie
I encountered a woman who introduced herself as Susie
Told her I was the swellest man around
I bragged to Susie about how great I believed myself to be
We started spendin' my money
Susie and I began using the money I had on hand
She started callin' me honey
Susie referred affectionately to me as honey
We took in every cabaret in town
We attended many nightclubs throughout the town
We're in the jailhouse now
Both Susie and I have been incarcerated
You know I told that judge right to his face
I confronted the judge and told him directly about my dissatisfaction with the jail system
I couldn't stand to see his place
The environment of the judge's place of authority was unbearable to me
We're in the jailhouse now
Susie and I remain in prison
Contributed by Stella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
russrosh
on Get Well Soon
Love it!