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".
Milk Cow Blues
Tom Rush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I looked out the door
I can tell that old milk cow
By the way she lowed
Hold it fellows, that don't move me
Let's get real, real gone for a change
And I looked out the door
I can tell that, that old milk cow
I can tell the way she lowed
Well, if you've seen my milk cow
Please ride her on home
I ain't had no milk or butter
Since that cow's been gone
Well, I tried to treat you right
Day by day
Get out your little prayer book
Get down on your knees and pray
For you're gonna need
You're gonna need
Your loving daddy's help someday
Well, you're gonna be sorry
For treating me this way
Well, believe me, don't that sun
Look good going down?
Well, believe me, don't that sun
Look good going down?
But, don't that old moon look lonesome
When your baby's not around
Well, I tried everything to
Get along with you
I'm gonna tell you what I'm going do
I'm gonna quit my crying
I'm gonna leave you alone
If you don't believe I'm leaving
You can count the days I'm gone
I'm gonna leave
You're gonna need your
Loving daddy's help someday
Well, you're gonna be sorry
You treated me this way
The song "Milk Cow Blues" by Tom Rush is a classic blues tune that is easy to relate to for anyone who has ever experienced a broken heart. The lyrics describe the singer waking up in the morning and realizing that his milk cow is gone, leaving him without any milk or butter. Despite his attempts to make things right with his lover, she refuses to treat him kindly and ultimately decides to leave him. The melancholic tone of the music perfectly complements the lyrics and captures the sense of heartbreak and loss that the singer is feeling.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more resigned to his fate and admits that he is going to leave his lover alone. This is a classic theme in the blues, as many songs in the genre deal with failed relationships and the pain that inevitably comes with them. Through his powerful lyrics and heartfelt vocal performance, Tom Rush captures the essence of the blues and gives listeners a glimpse into his own personal struggles with love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I woke up this morning
The singer woke up in the morning
And I looked out the door
The singer looked out the door
I can tell that old milk cow
The singer recognizes a particular cow
By the way she lowed
The artist knows the cow based on the sound it makes
Hold it fellows, that don't move me
The artist interrupts the listener, indicating disinterest in what they're hearing
Let's get real, real gone for a change
The singer suggests doing something different and exciting instead
Well, if you've seen my milk cow
The singer is asking for help in locating the cow
Please ride her on home
The artist wants someone to bring the cow back
I ain't had no milk or butter
The artist is complaining about their lack of dairy products
Since that cow's been gone
The artist hasn't had any milk or butter since the cow left
Well, I tried to treat you right
The singer attempted to treat someone well
Day by day
This treatment persisted over time
Get out your little prayer book
The singer tells someone to take out their prayer book
Get down on your knees and pray
The singer suggests that the listener pray on their knees
For you're gonna need
The singer predicts that the listener will need assistance
Your loving daddy's help someday
The assistance needed will be from someone like a father
Well, you're gonna be sorry
The artist predicts that the listener will regret their actions
For treating me this way
The listener has mistreated the singer
Well, believe me, don't that sun
The singer makes an observation about the sun
Look good going down?
The artist asks if the sunset looks beautiful
But, don't that old moon look lonesome
The artist makes an observation about the moon
When your baby's not around
The moon seems lonely when the artist's loved one is not with them
Well, I tried everything to
The singer made an effort to
Get along with you
The artist tried to have a good relationship with someone
I'm gonna tell you what I'm going do
The singer reveals their intentions
I'm gonna quit my crying
The singer won't cry anymore
I'm gonna leave you alone
The singer will stop bothering someone
If you don't believe I'm leaving
The artist challenges someone's belief about their departure
You can count the days I'm gone
The artist tells the listener they can track how long they're gone for
You're gonna need your
The singer predicts that the listener will need support
Loving daddy's help someday
The support needed will be from someone like a father
Well, you're gonna be sorry
The artist predicts that the listener will regret their actions
You treated me this way
The listener mistreated the artist
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KOKOMO ARNOLD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind