Rush is considered a gifted musician and performer whose shows offer a musical celebration. His distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm, expressive voice have made him both a legend and a lure to audiences around the world. His shows are filled with the rib-aching laughter of terrific story-telling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues.
Rush's impact on the American music scene has been profound. He helped shape the folk revival in the '60s and the renaissance of the '80s and '90s, his music having left its stamp on generations of artists. James Taylor told Rolling Stone, "Tom was not only one of my early heroes, but also one of my main influences." Country music star Garth Brooks has credited Rush with being one of his top five musical influences. Rush has long championed emerging artists. His early recordings introduced the world to the work of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor, and in more recent years his Club 47 concerts have brought artists such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin to wider audiences when they were just beginning to build their own reputations.
Rush began his musical career in the early '60s playing the Boston-area clubs while a Harvard student. The Club 47 was the flagship of the coffee house fleet, and he was soon holding down a weekly spot there, learning from the legendary artists who came to play, honing his skills and growing into his talent. He had released two albums by the time he graduated.
Rush displayed then, as he does today, an uncanny knack for finding wonderful songs, and writing his own - many of which have become classics re-interpreted by new generations. (It is testimony to the universality of his appeal that his songs have been folk hits, country hits, heavy metal and rap hits.) Signed by Elektra in 1965, Rush made three albums for them, culminating in The Circle Game, which, according to Rolling Stone, ushered in the singer/songwriter era.
In the early '70s, folk turned to folk-rock, and Rush, ever adaptable, saw more room to stretch out. Recording now for Columbia, he toured tirelessly with a five man band, playing concerts across the country. Endless promotional tours, interviews, television appearances, and recording sessions added up to five very successful but exhausting years, after which Tom decided to take a break and "recharge" his creative side at his New Hampshire farm.
Rush returned with a splash in 1981, selling out Boston's prestigious Symphony Hall in advance. Time off had not only rekindled Rush's love of music, it had re-ignited music audiences' love of Rush's music.
He instinctively knew that his listeners were interested in both the old and the new, and set out to create a musical forum - like the Club 47 of the early '60s - to allow established artists and newcomers to share the same stage. In 1982, he tried it out at Symphony Hall. The show was such a hit it became an annual event, growing to fill two, then three nights, and the Club 47 series was born. Crafting concerts that combined well known artists such as Bonnie Raitt or Emmylou Harris with (then) unknowns like Alison Krauss or Mark O' Connor, Rush took the show on the road. From the '80s to the present day, Club 47 events have filled the nation's finest halls to rave reviews, and have been broadcast as national specials on PBS and NPR.
In 1999, Columbia/Legacy released a Tom Rush retrospective album that covered his recorded musical history from 1962 to the present, including tracks recorded for Columbia, Elektra, Prestige and his independent years. Entitled "The Very Best of Tom Rush: No Regrets", the 17-track compilation includes as a bonus a brand new Tom Rush composition, "River Song," which features vocal contributions from Grammy winners Shawn Colvin and Marc Cohn.
A live CD, "Trolling for Owls" released in 2003 and published by Tom's NIGHTLIGHT RECORDINGS, captures a complete performance and includes, for the first time, some of the spoken stories that have endeared him to audiences.
In 2018, at age 79, he released the album "Voices".
Ladies Love Outlaws
Tom Rush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leroy was an outlaw wild as a mink
One day she saw him starin' and it chilled her to the bone
And she knew she had to see that look on a child of her own.
'Cause ladies love outlaws like babies love stray dogs
Ladies touch babies like a banker touches gold
And outlaws touch the ladies
Linda was a lady blonde and built to last
Benny was a no good guitar picker runnin' from his past
She heard all of his songs tellin' nothin' but bad news
But she made her mind up to try to get him win or lose.
Ladies love outlaws like babies love stray dogs
Ladies touch babies like a banker touches gold
And outlaws touch the ladies
Somewhere deep down in their soul.
Jessi like the Cadillacs and diamonds on her hands
Waymore had a reputation as a ladie's man
Late one night a light of love finally gave a sign
Jessi parked her Cadillac and took her place in line.
'Cause ladies love outlaws like babies love stray dogs
Ladies touch babies like a banker touches gold
And outlaws touch the ladies
Somewhere deep down in their soul.
Ladies love outlaws like babies love stray dogs
Ladies touch babies like a banker touches gold
And outlaws touch the ladies
Somewhere deep down in their soul...
The song "Ladies Love Outlaws" by Tom Rush is a ballad about women who fall for wild and dangerous men. The song describes three different women who are attracted to three different men, each of whom is an outlaw. Bessie is the first woman, and she falls in love with Leroy, an outlaw from west Tennessee. Although seeing the wild look in Leroy's eyes scares her, she realizes she wants to have children with him.
The second woman is Linda, a blonde lady who falls for Benny, a guitar picker who is running from his past. Despite his bad reputation, Linda is determined to help him, regardless of whether he wins or loses. Lastly, Jessi is a wealthy woman who is attracted to Waymore, a known ladies' man. Jessi finally decides to approach Waymore one night, and they finally connect.
The chorus of this song is "Ladies love outlaws, like babies love stray dogs. Ladies touch babies like a banker touches gold. And outlaws touch the ladies somewhere deep down in their soul." The lyrics refer to how women are drawn to men who are dangerous or different from them, much like how babies are drawn to stray dogs. The line "Ladies touch babies like a banker touches gold" is a reference to how women are naturally nurturing and loving towards children.
In conclusion, "Ladies Love Outlaws" is a classic country song that explores the complex relationship between women and men who are wild and somewhat dangerous. The song is both romantic and realistic, showing how women can fall in love with men who are not always good for them, but still long for the passion and excitement that such relationships can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
Bessie was a lovely child from west Tennessee
Bessie was a beautiful girl from west Tennessee
Leroy was an outlaw wild as a mink
Leroy was a wild outlaw
One day she saw him starin' and it chilled her to the bone
One day she saw him staring at her and she felt scared
And she knew she had to see that look on a child of her own.
And she wanted a child that would have that same scary look like Leroy
'Cause ladies love outlaws like babies love stray dogs
Women are attracted to outlaws like how babies are attracted to stray dogs
Ladies touch babies like a banker touches gold
Women love babies deeply like how bankers love gold
And outlaws touch the ladies
Outlaws have a deep impact on women
Somewhere deep down in their soul.
In a way that's hard to explain
Linda was a lady blonde and built to last
Linda was a beautiful, strong woman
Benny was a no good guitar picker runnin' from his past
Benny was a bad man who played the guitar and ran away from his past
She heard all of his songs tellin' nothin' but bad news
She heard all of his songs that were depressing
But she made her mind up to try to get him win or lose.
But she decided to try to be with him no matter what happens
Jessi like the Cadillacs and diamonds on her hands
Jessi liked expensive cars and jewelry
Waymore had a reputation as a ladie's man
Waymore was known for being popular with women
Late one night a light of love finally gave a sign
Late one night, they both felt a spark of love
Jessi parked her Cadillac and took her place in line.
Jessi parked her car and waited for Waymore
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lee Clayton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind