songs about the rambling life
- Thread starter nwhoopfan
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This song was on the first Linda Ronstadt vinyl album I bought,(Heart Like a Wheel??), hadn't heard the Little Feat version before.
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Quite an interesting backstory on the song, it was written by Lowell George of Little Feat:
Willin’ is s song written by Lowell George about a truck driver driving a semi-trailer truck through the American Southwest and Mexico (Tucson, AZ., Tucumcari, NM., Tehachapi, CA., Tonapah, NV.) George uses alliteration heavily in this songs lyrics.
There are 3 versions recorded and released by Little Feat. The first is on there debut album in 1971. A different studio version (and the more popular) is on the album Sailin’ Shoes (1972) and a live version is on Waiting For Columbus (1978).
He was inspired to write it from his experience working at a gas station while studying Art at Los Angeles Valley College.
It’s an anthem about a “trucker’s life”. Living on the road, high on drugs and alcohol, avoiding weigh scales, smuggling, and feeling lonesome, drunk and dirty. And all the time thinking of Dallas Alice. The only thing keeping him going is drugs and alcohol and seeing a sign telling him not to stop from either a passenger or God.
It was often stated by George at Little Feat shows that he was kicked out of The Mother’s of Invention by Frank Zappa after he presented the song to him.
One reason states that Zappa thought the songwriting/singing was too good for George to merely be his band member and wanted him to go form his own band.
Another version says that Zappa didn’t like the drug references ( weed and whites). But many believe the former to be true since Zappa helped Little Feat get a record deal with Warner Bros. Records.
It has been recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and Lucius, Phil Pritchett w/ Cody Canada, and Seatrain and covered live by Chris and Rich Robinson (Black Crowes), and Phish (who covered the entire Waiting For Columbus album on 10/31/2010 in Atlantic City).
That is pretty interesting, and I thought it was an 'odd' choice for Linda, but she could sing whatever she wanted and make it pleasing to the ear.
As long as we're swapping interesting stories.....Phish..... never much got into their music, BUT.
They started out in Burlington, VT playing the bar scene. Back when I lived there it was ripe with live music, I think someone did a count and there were 51 or 52 bars in the immediate area and many of them had live bands for the weekends, some had bands most weekdays as well. Nector's Lounge pretty much had live bands all the time.
If memory serves correctly, there were 5 colleges in the area to support all of those establishments.
Nector's Lounge on Main St was where I stopped after working 2nd shift to refresh and listen to the band.
Phish played Nector's quite a lot, I didn't care for them at the time, it seemed that they were prone to long jam sessions ala the Grateful Dead (just my memory of that time, which may or may not be accurate) and I preferred more rock/dance stuff.
Anyway, I think the first Phish album was titled 'A Picture of Nectar' and the cover art was a picture of a piece of fruit. On that fruit is a shadow of a face and it is the face of Nector Rorris, the owner.
Useless information, I know, but...
Bald Husky
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One of the all-time greatest songs. RIP John Lennon