I’m gonna live forever
I’m gonna cross that river
I’m gonna catch tomorrow now
You’re gonna wanna hold me
Just like I’ve always told you
You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone
This is one of my favourite Americana/alt.country/roots albums, and among many great songs here.. there is real diamond:
Live Forever:
Continue reading (Billy Joe) Shaver – Tramp On Your Street – released 21 years ago today
‘Cause movin’s in my soul, i guess a gypsy boy got a hold
Of somebody in my family long ago
If some night while half asleep you hear the back door softly squeak
You’ll touch my empty pillow, then you’ll know
That restless wind, is calling me again
– Billy Joe Shaver (from “Restless Wind” (one of his best songs))–
“He may be the best songwriter alive today”
– Willie Nelson«He’s a real writer like Hemingway. He’s timeless»
– Kris Kristofferson«Billy Joe is unique. One of a kind. They threw away the mold. The best.»
– Robert DuvallI’m listening to Billy Joe Shaver And i’m reading James Joyce
-Bob Dylan (I Feel a Change Comin’ On)
Restless Wind:
Billy Joe Shaver is one of my greatest “Honky Tonk Heroes”.
«Throughout my career as a songwriter, I’ve just written songs about me – the good and the bad, the funny and the sad….. The songs are my story»
– Billy Joe shaver«..I’ve lost part of three fingers, broke my back, suffered a heart attack and a quadruple bypass, had a steel plate put in my neck and 136 stitches in my head, fought drugs and booze, spent the money I had, and buried my wife, son & mother in the span of one year… I’m not proud of my misfortune – I’m proud of my survival»
– Billy Joe Shaver
From Wikipedia:
| Birth name | Billy Joe Shaver |
|---|---|
| Born | August 16, 1939 (age 74) |
| Origin | Corsicana, Texas, United States |
| Genres | Country Music Outlaw Country |
| Occupations | Singer and Songwriter |
| Instruments | Acoustic Guitar |
| Associated acts | Lee Clayton Jessi Colter Waylon Jennings Kris Kristofferson Willie Nelson Mickey Newbury Steve Young Johnny Cash |
| Website | www.billyjoeshaver.com |
–
| From amazon.com: Willie Nelson says “Billy Joe Shaver may be the best songwriter alive today,” and legions of fans agree that Billy Joe is the real deal. Many describe his songs as pure poetry. Shaver sings about a life that’s been full of hard times, wild living, and a forty-year-long passion for his late wife Brenda. His songs are raw, honest, and so true that people hear the story of their own lives in his music. No wonder, then, that his songs have also been recorded by artists such as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, George Jones, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Patty Loveless, John Anderson, Tom T. Hall, the Allman Brothers, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Tex Ritter. |
Here is my list of his 15 best songs:
Some videos from youtube:
Live Forever (best version):
I’m gonna live forever
I’m gonna cross that river
I’m gonna catch tomorrow now
You’re gonna wanna hold me
Just like I’ve always told you
You’re gonna miss me when I’m goneNobody here will ever find me
But I will always be around
Just like the songs I leave behind me
I’m gonna live forever nowYou fathers and you mothers
Be good to one another
Please try to raise your children right
Don’t let the darkness take ’em
Don’t make ’em feel forsaken
Just lead ’em safely to the lightWhen this old world is blown us under
And all the stars fall from the sky
Remember someone really loves you
We’ll live forever you and II’m gonna live forever
I’m gonna cross that river
I’m gonna catch tomorrow now
Georgia on a Fast Train:
When the Fallen Angels Fly:
Black Rose – GREAT live version (Austin City Limits):
A lot of his best songs.. and best versions of his best songs missing on spotify.. but here are some:
Recommended reading:
“Honky Tonk Hero” (Billy Joe Shaver)
Continue reading Today: Billy Joe Shaver is 74 – Happy Birthday
A stone thrown from Heaven, skippin’ ‘cross the water
Would disappear in ripples left behind
A book with no cover, a rhyme with no reason
Guess i’ll always be one of the rovin’ kind‘Cause movin’s in my soul, i guess a gypsy boy got a hold
Of somebody in my family long ago
If some night while half asleep you hear the back door softly squeak
You’ll touch my empty pillow,then you’ll knowThat restless wind,is calling me again
Her warmin’ hand is tuggin’ at my soul
Summer’s gone,and winter’s comin’ on
And i can’t let it catch me standin’ in the cold– From “Restless Wind” (one of his best songs)
–
“He may be the best songwriter alive
today” – Willie Nelson«He’s a real writer like Hemmingway.
He’s timeless» – Kris Kristofferson«Billy Joe is unique. One of a kind.
They threw away the mold. The best.»
– Robert DuvallI’m listening to Billy Joe Shaver
And i’m reading James Joyce
-Bob Dylan (I Feel a Change Comin’ On)
Billy Joe Shaver turned 73 yesterday.
He is one of my greatest “Honky Tonk Heroes”, but due to Elvis’s death the same day in 1977.. I could not put him first in yesterdays calendar post.
I need to honor him someway.. this is it…
«Throughout my career as a songwriter, I’ve just written songs about me – the good and the bad, the funny and the sad….. – Billy Joe Shaver
«The songs are my story…» – Billy Joe shaver
«..I’ve lost part of three fingers, broke my back, suffered a heart attack and a quadruple bypass, had a steel plate put in my neck and 136 stiches in my head, fought drugs and booze, spent the money I had, and burried my wife, son & mother in the span of one year…»… .. «I’m not proud of my misfortune – I’m proud of my survival» – Billy Joe Shaver
is music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense, and he was a symbol to people the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness, and good humor of his country.
President Jimmy Carter
August 17, 1977
From Wikipedia:
| Birth name | Elvis Aaron Presley |
|---|---|
| Born | January 8, 1935 Tupelo, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | August 16, 1977 (aged 42) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock and roll, pop, rockabilly, country, blues, gospel, R&B |
| Occupations | Musician, actor |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, piano |
| Years active | 1953–77 |
| Labels | Sun, RCA Victor |
| Associated acts | The Blue Moon Boys, The Jordanaires, The Imperials |
| Website | elvis.com |
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is commonly known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the “King of Rock and Roll” or simply “the King“.
From Allmusic (Richie Unterberger):
Elvis Presley may be the single most important figure in American 20th century popular music. Not necessarily the best, and certainly not the most consistent. But no one could argue with the fact that he was the musician most responsible for popularizing rock & roll on an international level. Viewed in cold sales figures, his impact was phenomenal. Dozens upon dozens of international smashes from the mid-’50s to the mid-’70s, as well as the steady sales of his catalog and reissues since his death in 1977, may make him the single highest-selling performer in history.
More important from a music lover’s perspective, however, are his remarkable artistic achievements.Presley was not the very first white man to sing rhythm & blues; Bill Haley predated him in that regard, and there may have been others as well. Elvis was certainly the first, however, to assertively fuse country and blues music into the style known as rockabilly. While rockabilly arrangements were the foundations of his first (and possibly best) recordings, Presley could not have become a mainstream superstar without a much more varied palette that also incorporated pop, gospel, and even some bits of bluegrass and operatic schmaltz here and there. His ’50s recordings established the basic language of rock & roll; his explosive and sexual stage presence set standards for the music’s visual image; his vocals were incredibly powerful and versatile.
Read more @ allmusic.com
Suspicious Mind:
Mystery Train:
If I Can Dream:
Album of the day:
Other August-16:
Continue reading Today: Elvis Presley passed away in 1977 – 35 years ago