gram parsons, “rolling stone,”
from: the early years vol. 1 & 2., 1979
“Well I guess I am a rolling stone
I never will be free
And I’ve always lived my life alone, that’s how it has to be lord That’s how it has to be
Well the tumbleweeds and prairie grass are what I love the best And from open plains to mountain pass, I travel without rest lord I travel without rest
Well I had a girl in Oregon
Another one in Maine
But I just kept on rambling on, it’s too hard to explain lord It’s too hard to explain
Well I guess someday I’ll settle down
With a pretty girl like you
But until that time comes rolling around, I’ll be just passing through lord
I’ll be just
passing through
Well because
I never will
And I’ve always lived my life alone, That’s how it has to be lord That’s how it has to be
That’s how it has to be lord
That’s how it has to be”
There is a lot to be said about Gram Parsons and his legacy in country music throughout the 60s and 70s, but,in a lot of ways most of what you need is this song. Often overlooked, this LP was recorded in 1965 before a young Parsons joined the International Submarine Band. GP delivers a pained ballad over a rolling, haunted guitar where he comes to the realization that,
“I guess I am a rolling stone, I never will be free...”
Perhaps a harsh painting of Parsons own love life, the ballad captures a unique take on finding love, as Parsons ponders:
“I guess some day I’ll settle down, with a pretty girl like you”
The term “settle down” may strike most with comforting ideas of family, home, and happiness, but in the context of the rest of the song it takes on a different meaning as Parsons considers the possibility of never feeling satisfied. While certainly dramatic and even a little self pitying, this track is a great example of the thematic and sonic essence of cosmic American music. Four cords and the truth, a song for us to enjoy (and maybe even relate to) as we ramble along through the tumbleweeds and prairie grass .
-James Kreuger-
