Thanks Fil for getting around to Jerry Jeff Walker. a great song by a great artist. as you know this year has claim the lives of so many great and legendary artists. Rest in Peace Jerry Jeff Walker and thanks for being a great storyteller.

Best live music moment of my life Jerry Jeff Walker Walker live in a small bar in Ambergris Caye Belize with the Caribbean Sea as the back drop and maybe a hundred fans loving every moment played for 2 plus hours pure magic.

Jerry Jeff Walker was a favorite of my late husband Jerry. Thanks for the memories.

I love Bojangel's... Bringing a tear to my eyes... I had some great dog's .. They always are so hard to say goodbye too. Brotherrrrrrr - 🎸 rock 🎸

Jerry Jeff Walker was a gift. His style was always recognizable always as his own. Tears in my heart. Thank you for featuring this gifted man.

His eponymous studio album is one of my favorites. Every song on it so touching or sweet or funny. He was a great story teller. Sorry to hear he's gone.

I took Jerry Jeff’s songs on the road with me in 1976 and played them for people in clubs in Illinois, Wisconsin, and other places in the northern US who didn’t have a clue who he was. After I came in off the road, I moved back to Austin and caught Jerry Jeff in concert on the UT campus. Just Jerry Jeff and his guitar.

❤Thank you Fil. I spent 7yrs of my childhood in Texas my dad dragged me to Jerry Jeff, and many other county/folk/outlaw performers and I dragged him to Pantera and the like I did not always fully appreciate his taste in music but I do now.

Thank you for this. Been listening to Jerry Jeff for more than fifty years, and hearing of his passing was heartbreaking. I got to work with him a few times, and he was really one of the good ones.

Thank you for your this excellent and respectful review of Jerry Jeff Walker. He brightened the world during his brief time upon it.

Thanks so much for covering this, Fil! Jerry Jeff had so many great songs, and was a huge influence on me. I play a lot of his songs, and his death has devastated me like nobody since John Denver.

I saw Jerry Jeff and the _Lost Gonzo Band_ live at Texas Tech University in 1976. It was a great show. One thing happened that got a big laugh from the audience. Gary P Nunn was singing _London Homesick Blues_ into one of those big chrome microphones they used back then when he got too close and it zapped him in the lips with a jolt of electricity. He moved backwards about 5 feet instantly and shouted several words that were not in the lyrics. Jerry, Gary and the band performed great....without the horrid high volume that concerts have now.

One of my favorite JJW tunes. Such a storyteller. Great choice, Fil. And RIP, Jacky Jack, you will be missed.

Thanks much Fil... you're much appreciated... Jerry Jeff is the reason I got into the business... I met him a few times and unwittingly wound up in the foyer of his house early one morning... I still can't believe he's gone.

JJW was an amazing country songwriter, and he always plays with the timing in his vocal delivery like Willie Nelson does. Always dancing around the beat vocally.

Thanks, I thoroughly enjoyed this piece on Jerry Jeff. Sorry to hear of his passing. 😪✌

RIP Jerry Jeff Walker, Thanks for sharing this and thanks for the guitar lesson!! This is one of my favorite songs and a great classic!!

RIP Jerry Jeff. Fortunate to see him several times in central Texas especially at my favorite place Luckenbach Texas. 🙏✌️

I was just watching Jerry Jeff doing this song many years back and I remembered this video. He's playing here in a much faster tempo than he did on the earlier video. Both of them are excellent.This one seems more spontaneous. Thanks Fil!

Thanks Fil for this...I lived in San Antonio in the 70's, saw Jerry Jeff play live many times in and around San Antonio and Austin. Hearing of his passing brought back many fond memories...it sucks growing old...thanks again!

The song Mr Bojangles is a great example of the beauty of music and how a song can touch us. Jerry Jeff Walker wrote a song that would touch the great Sammy Davis Jr, who himself identified with the song Mr Bojangles - Sammy Davis Jr once said in an interview he feared becoming Mr Bojangles. That’s the beauty of music, it’s universal appeal.

I loved Jerry Jeff. Saw him twice at Red Rocks in the 70's. the concerts were so much fun!

Been waiting on this!!!

RIP Jerry Jeff. You'll be missed. When I was a teenager the Top 40 stations played the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's version...over and over and over and over and over

2 major Outlaw Country men gone within just a few days of each other. RIP Jerry Jeff and Billy Joe!

I'll always remember him for London Homesick Blues (The Armadillo Song) which was the original theme for Austin City Limits.

I have never heard a version of this wonderful song that I didn't love. Prolific country songwriter Harlan Howard described a good country song as, "Three chords and the truth."

Well done again, another sad loss but Jerrys’ songs particularly Mr Bojangles will live on for every thanks to guys like you. Cool x

Not much of a country fan, but love Jerry Jeff Walker. RIP. Thanks for the analysis. Well done.

This song always makes me cry, I don't know why:)

TIME STAMPS - 0:47 Performance 4:28 Analysis Start 5:39 Not Quite Country! 7:12 Guitar Rhythm/Chords 8:45 Rhythm Upstrokes 10:45 Musical Staircase 14:08 Song Background 15:37 History/Career

I saw Jerry Jeff at Camp Belize in 2007. He was awesome and the setting for a series of concerts he performed was unbelievable! He had a house down there and would come to the concert via his boat. Just an fantastic memory for me.

The above show took place in 1983. Marvelous.

First I've heard of him. Part of the reason I like this channel. Opens my eyes to new musicians. Love his voice. Reminds me of Mark Knofler. Dont think I spelled that right. Forgive me.

This might be my favorite song of a time. The lyric/words and a descending melody give it a sad but somehow happy feeling in the song.

The sound coming from his guitar is great!!

Sad to hear about Jerry Jeff passing. I'm out of Austin but never met him. I knew his friend Rusty Wier ("Don't It Make You Wanna Dance?"). Rusty used to say, "Good night. If you liked it, I'm Rusty Wier, if you didn't I'm Jerry Jeff Walker!" Rusty was also an "Outlaw".

I've been listening to JJW since I first saw him on ACL in '74 . Back when he wrote the song he was not a country associated act , he was " folk " singer. The transition took place after The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band made it a top hit . Even then it was a few years more until he was finally recognized for the artist he was. Good stuff indeed, keep on doin'what you do.

" I met him in a cell in New Orleans, I was down and out and he looked to me to be the eyes of age as he spoke right out..." Love how he used words so eloquently. RIP. Jerry Jeff

RIP Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver

Hi Fil! What a voice! He will be missed! Love this song....beautiful!

RIP Jerry Jeff.. I always sing pissing in the wind as a tribute to you

I love that song. And R.I.P. Jerry Jeff Walker Lovely voice..❤❤😎 Brilliant 😢His guitar has been played a lot. Old musicians and old ships make me sad .and nostalgic .May sound stupid, just can't it. I have digressed.💙

Thank you Fil. Very nice tribute to Jerry Jeff Walker.

Great choice. You are batting 1000. Thanks also for the guitar breakdown

Fil--THANKYOU FOR PLAYING THE PERFORMANCE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. His timing is so appropriate for the song and his voice. Nice chords, as well. The timing is, in itself, "dancing" and, after all, is that not what the song speaks?

GREAT song by The man who wrote it. RESPECT.♥️ Still the BEST version by far in my opinion. Love this song. Great performance here. Thanks for reacting to this Fil. Great analysis Fil! 🎼🎶🇨🇦

From the time I first heard JJW in about 1976 I knew he was singing my life. I met him in 1985 after a show in Atlanta. We talked and he found out I had played BB in college and pro. He was a very good high school player and loved the game. We became friends and the next time he came to Atlanta he stayed at the house. For a few years he had trouble getting bookings as he had a habit of showing up too intoxicated to play. I booked him into my favorite bar in Decatur, although the manager made me buy 300 tix up front. Sold 330. He played sol for 31/2 hours. I still got the tape.

Wonderful! Thanks for doing this great artist and song.

Just a walk down my teenage years JJW concert 1975 and his piano player helped me on stage and I gave Jerry Jeff a bottle of Sangria and then he kissed me . Was always my favorite since forever

First time I heard this song was by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Lots of people doing it in the seventies. I believe Jim Stafford was the second version I heard--if I remember correctly Sammy Davis, Jr's was afterwards. No dissing any of the versions, they all have merit, it was just to my experience and ear I was most familiar with the NGDB version--didn't know for some time that it was Jerry Jeff Walker song. At the time I wasn't big into his kind of music, so I never delved into his work in general, but it's obvious from this one song he was an astute songwriter.

Great writer- great song. I'm so sad when I hear that we've lost someone who made such a marvelous contribution. "Mr. Bojangles" what a marvelous story. A story I never got tired of. What wonderful insight into the human condition. This song evokes a very strong emotional response. We care about Mr. Bojangles. His character is personified and he becomes our friend. Thanks Jeff. Thank you for introducing us to "Mr. Bojangles."

"LA FREEWAY." I love that song!

Great songwriter, musician, and adopted Texan. You will be missed.

Thanks, Fil for finding this particular performance of Jerry Jeff's. Incidentally I'm a major fan. I thought I had found a perfect live performance from that era. Yours is better. He still sang those pretty bass notes, as he was not able to in recent years. Big hero of mine! Kills me how all my hero's were friends. Thanks, Fil for the guitar tips. Great historical info well researched! For the memory of Jerry Jeff, I'd pull my guitar out! ❤️

Another great artist RIP.

Congrats on 154,000 subs! 200,000 is around the corner.👏👏

What a beautiful synopsis / review of that tune, It's a special song and hits hard slap bang into the human condition. For all the jokes about C&W (american Folk) got re dogs dying etc, " after 20 years he still greives......" is a hellova line that taps into deeper things. I love the man he describes, very cool Of Jerry to document such a honored encounter with Mr Robinson. Reminds me of a Kerouac descriptions of his encounter of a railroad bum/hobo. Pure beauty....longe live jerry Jeff Walker and Jack Kerouac :)

Always enjoyed the Jim Stafford version of Mr. Bojangles, too. It's a classic song that has made the rounds. Thanks for highlighting JJW.

thanks for doing this. after this song jerry jeff kinda flew under the radar for a lot of people but he always rocked and was a masterful storyteller. i cover some of his songs and was just getting around to this. great job breaking it down. appreciate the wide range of music you feature in these analysis videos.

Never heard this version before, never realised who the writer was either. Much faster than most versions I've heard. Nice one.

Can you believe Jerry Jeff was in a band called Circus Maximus?

Fil, thanks again. I am enjoying every genre you analyze, like to see some western swing if possible. Keep up the good work!

Another educational experience! Now I know where “Mr. Bojangles” and its content came from, all of the information being so important to all of the versions of the song that I’ve heard. Many thanks! 😎🎶👍🏻

Like so many, i love JJW and cried when he passed. Great analysis video Fil. From that brief spell with Circus Maximus was a fanrastic song called Wind. I've read that it got a lot of radio play in the Northeast. Definitely worth a listen. Saw him live only once and i am thankful for that evenibg in Augusta, Ga when he played for less than a hundred of us, and stayed and talked. I am fortunate.

✨ Jerry Jeff Walker ✨ Rest in peace This was beautiful. Thanks, Fil! 🖤

Just a guy and a guitar. That's all you need when the melody and lyrical content are so compelling.

I have been a long time fan of Jerry because I love the song. The whole Mr. Bojangles album is pretty solid, especially the song "My old man".

🏆🏆🏆🤗🙏 Thank you for sharing

Great review and demo Fil. Many thanks. He had that "star quality" that could hold an audience with his talent. I saw him in Oklahoma in the early 80s and he was fantastic. When he sang Redneck Mother the audience went mad.

Jerry Jeff was one of the best. When I heard the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band perform this (give their version a listen -- it's their signature song) live the first time, I cried. My dad loved this song and I do too. Thanks for your analysis, as always!

Saw Jerry Jeff in 1979 in Reno. No seats, so the 1st wife & I ended up with our elbows on the stage. Jerry was in great form, the band were excellent musicians. Jerry looked at the band & said "Bojangles." The guitarist & bassist looked at each other & rolled their eyes! I said (& I know they heard me because they both gave me a "f*ck you" look.)"Hey, we didn't pay to see you, we paid to see Jerry Jeff. What's up with your attitude?" Then my 1st wife (who was always mouthing off) said "My husband's a better guitar player than you!"(I was not.) But this song is a classic. Dylan recorded it, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had a huge hit with it, a great version btw). One thing I've come to realise, a great song, is a great song, you can arrange them, change tempo, etc, & they're still GREAT songs. (Many of Bill Withers tunes come to mind) they're hits regardless of the time they're released. Simply great songs.(I figured the song out in high school, did it in C. Regular "cowboy chords" no capo.) Jerry Jeff has another song I dearly love called "Derby Day", great song, the chorus is a real killer for me. He also wrote a regular Country Bar & Beer joint staple "Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother"(He's 34 & drinking in a honky tonk. He's kickin' hippies asses & raising hell" absolutely love Jerry Jeff. I was NEVER a real C&W fan, but Jerry Jeff was such a great song writer. So sad, he's gone, John Prine is gone, etc. My heroes are dropping like flies. Of course we all know Keith Richards will probably live forever (perhaps he got the 300 year extension on his life, when/if he sold his soul. Joking of course.)

Thank you for leading us through a beautiful song and dance. You take this piece of music and present it in a way that not only makes sense, but paints a picture that enhances the beauty of the guitar and it's story.

its a Texas waltz lol his folk song back ground. i can actually see this guy dancing in the cell and telling his story.Saw him often even one time openig up for SoulHat a local rock band lol not his crowd but he owned that place that night.

So sad to hear about the passing of Jerry Jeff, he was a great innovator of songwriting. This song seems to have followed me throughout my life. I grew up with the Nitty Gritty version. We played it over and over on the jukebox, sixpence a play. I later became a fan of Nina Simone and then discovered she had recorded a beautiful cover. Loved Sammy Davis, and Robin Williams’ covers and Jim Stafford does a fantastic monologue version. One night many years ago I was aimlessly wandering around the streets of Sydney when I stumbled into a pub. There was this Yank with a cowboy hat playing a guitar. I was just in time to hear him play his final song

(Mr. Bojangles) Bill Robinson 1877- 1949 performed shoe tapping with Shirley Temple

While more country music is in 4/4 there is a lot that is in 3/4 - my father taught me a basic 2 step (4/4) and a basic waltz (3/4) and told me that as long as I could dance those, I could dance anything 😉

I love David Bromberg's version which includes talking about Jerry Jeff.

My favorite version of Bo Jangles was done by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

I didn't know he wrote it, or much else about him, save save for one song. Nor, alas, did I know he had died, but, I wasn't sure he was still alive. Now I wish I knew more.

Thank you for identifying key elements in the melody and in Walker's style, helping us better understand and appreciate his composition and his performance. I like the way you get to the heart of each performance you analyze, and provide demonstrations on your guitar. All of this information gives me an even greater appreciation of these artists, their songs, and their performances. I had always enjoyed this song by Walker (although my first exposure to it was through the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), and last week reconnected with the song after watching your analysis of Sammy Davis Jr.'s performance. In general, in the past few weeks since I've been following your channel, I feel more enriched by my musical experience thanks to you sharing your knowledge of what you learned and uncovered through your analyses.

Even though you don't make it an instructional video, it's very helpful to get the info and be able to sort it out for myself. Thanks Fil. Really cool stuff.

Check out his live album from ‘73 called Viva Terlingua recorded in the dance hall at Luckenbach, Texas. A marvel of the time that I think is still a quite good record today.

After seeing your analysis here Fil, I checked out your analysis of Sammy Davis Jr. You are still new to me.. Didn't know Jerry wrote Mr. Bo Jangles.Of course I saw Sammy's performance before (classic). I can't add anything to what you said about Jerry, except what a great songwriter and guitarist can give to humanity: a story about life☮️

Very good!

Very nice. Very informative. A JJW compilation album by various artists would be most welcome. I'm a JJW fan going on 40 years; my first 2 albums were It's A Good NightFor Singin' and Cow Jazz. I bought them on cassette, for $1 each, at Tower Records (true.) For $2 I was introduced to the artist whose work would transform my whole outlook... just 2 bucks, but he was worth millions to my psyche. Thanks.

RIP JJW World will never be the same

Love his version.. I don’t think I’m very familiar with this guy, but I enjoy the song.. thank you , Fil.. you did another analysis of someone singing this song, if I remember right. All unique... oh yeah, Sammy Davis, Jr.

My first recollection of this song is seeing Sammy Davis Jr singing-and dancing to it-on television. Although The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had the big hit with it, my favourite version is Neil Diamond's. Still, all those, and this by Jerry Jeff himself are very enjoyable.

Best live version is when David Bromberg accompanied him with a lovely acoustic solo thrown in.

Great analysis. What a song and sad story but I love when it comes on the radio. Get some rest Fil you look tired. ❤

Beautiful!

Fil, I'm really glad you respond to people you are real and take your time to thank and reply and also I think it's nice you do an occasional run down of a song and explain it. Kind of a mini lesson for some. I just wanted to let you know I thank you and appreciate what you do!

I loved this vid Fil, I love the song and the performer. I came across this tune in the 70's like so many other people through the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's version and then on a Neil Diamond album and then as he toured Aus, Sammy Davis' cover of it. Waylon Jennings name checked this guy called Jerry Jeff in one of his songs and then later reading Jimmy Buffett's autobiography where he speaks at length of Jerry Jeff Walker and their travels through Key West in Florida and writing songs and learning his craft (Buffett at this point in time was a relative no one in the music industry) . So I checked out this Jerry Jeff Walker guy and got the live album A Man Must Carry On (where he briefly tells the story of writing this song). It's a slower version than this one and he really tells the story as he sings. Thank you for doing this tribute to Jerry Jeff. It is just unfortunate the circumstance ♥

The way Bromberg told it, " Bojangles " was a New Orleans street performer who would dance and pantomime to songs on the jukebox. JJW ended up in jail for public intoxication with Bojangles who told the story about how his dog died. Another guy in jail complained about having to listen depressing stories while in jail. So Bojangles started dancing.

Great performance. Thanks. Always loved that guitar design when I was a kid. I think I first saw one being used by John Denver.

Thank you, Fil, for this phenomenal explanation. I saw Jerry Jeff Walker in 1976 and have loved his music since then. I played the albums so much they wore out. You are right about the storytelling. Do you know his cover of "My Buddy"? He just draws you into anything he sings. There's a memorial concert streaming coming up soon - early June! I love that you embrace such a wide spectrum of music. Respect.

Between Jerry Jeff train songs and Huge Berry rain songs Blue eyes crying in the rain 🌧️.

Thanks Much. Very Detailed Video. You're the Best!!

Hey Bruh!! Id love to see you do " YOUR LOVE" by the Outfield In Honor of Tony Lewis RIP TONY