Rest in peace, Kelly, I will never forget how you were kind enough to come out of your changing room in the Jazz Cafe, Camden Town to sign my CD sleeves. I will also never forget when I said, “Thank you for making my life that bit better.” - you grabbed me and hugged me so sincerely. Thank you for telling me the story behind this song. Well, you are with Jimmy now, truly shine-eyed.
Correction on a line Nick That old rocky road you've got to travel all depends on how you pay your dues. You can turn the rocks into just gravel and all your dreams become just things that you can do. No mention of rock and roll
From the movie Man and Boy, staring Bill Cosby, who despite present situation, did a lot of good. Score by Quincy Jones & J.J Johnson. Today men aren't paying high enough prices to make a world where boys can grow. That old rocky road you've got to travel. All depends on how you pay your dues. You can turn those rocks into just gravel and all your dreams become just things that you can do! If you love this song by Bill Withers you should check out Richie Havens son "Younger men grow older",it's written from the same loving thought of the heart and mind.
This lifts your spirits and breaks your heart at the same time. No one like Bill Withers. This was written by someone named Jameson, but Withers was the man to give it to the world.
Lyrics if you want them... Tomorrows must be better days and rocky fields must turn to meadows but there are prices men must pay to make a world where boys can grow idle thoughts of horses running in their dreams questions you cant answer like what does "studden" mean Oh life is just a road you've got to travel Time is all you really got to lose If you get some luck as things unravel You might have a dream or two come true That old rocky road you got to travel All depends on how you pay your dues You can turn them rocks into gravel And all your dreams become...
+Nathan Pickering Oh my godness dude, I have been trying so hard to understand those lyrics for years and never managed to achieve it, thanks a bunch man.
Wonderful tunes but they are off the album, "Local Ground" not, "Harvest Storm". A person might get confused if they liked the tunes and ordered the wrong CD thinking that they were on there. Just sayin'. Thanks for posting.
Another brilliant song from a true musical genius. Bill Withers would have to be one of the very best of today's singer / songwriters. Amazing sounds & so,so good.
Hello Marco, stumbled across a truly beautifully played LIVE performance of River Rat Jimmy by Kelly himself at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville on You Tube. So, so soulful. This compelled me to search for more RRJ when I came across your just posted studio version, I mean you had just posted it 3 hours ago. Couldn't ask for better timing. Thanks for that and for the music that connects us in those ways that are too hard to articulate.
Thank you for pointing this performance out. Happily, I did get to see Kelly play three times at The Jazz Cafe, London, each time only about a metre away from him. I would have killed to see him at The Bluebird, but luckily got to see Malcolm McDonald there in late 1999.
