To The Artist
Jerry Jeff Walker

Jerry Jeff Walker


This song is a letter sung to a special friend of mine

One who stopped his singing somewhere back along the line

I wondered if he'd had enough of the rip-offs and the jive

Or did he sing his song one night and lose the will to write


It never was a business deal, this thing with your guitar

It always seemed more a dance done deep inside your heart

Tonight I wonder if it's true, like we felt it at the start

That an artist truly does it best when he does it from the heart


It seems to be much more than an art when the art you sell is you

Be careful how you play the game or else the game plays you


In the old days we'd stay up nights and laugh until we cried

You said songs don't belong to us we just bring some thoughts to light


The rule of thumb is never give the truth away to rhyme

And a man can't lie when he tries to sing it betrays him every time

We really write to understand more about ourselves

And if we're lucky maybe then we touch someone else


Well, I just got back from Europe friend where they hung on every word

It made me feel a little better about my chosen line of work

They asked me if I knew you wrote a lot these days

I told 'em all I know is that you rarely ever play


We start out singing what we like and just give it all away

And wind up hating what we play and sit begging to be paid

So let me say in closing friend, I want you to know

I understand how hard it was to let your music go


An artist must decide which parts to leave in and take out

And if he no longer plays the game that's what the game's about


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Lyrics by Jerry Jeff Walker

  'Til I Gain Control Again   (Lookin' For) The Heart Of Saturday Night   (Lookin' For) The Heart Of Saturday Night   'til I Gain Control Again   A Letter Sung To Friends   About Her Eyes   Alright Guy   Backsliders Wine   Backsliders Wine   Bad Girl   Bad News   Banks of The Ol' Bandera   Barefootin'   Barefootin'   Bittersweet   Blue Mood   Blue Mood   Blues In Your Mind   Boats To Build   Boogie Mama   Boogie Mama   Born To Sing A Dancin' Song   Broken Toys   Broken Toys   But Not for Me   Candles and Cut Flowers   Candles And Cut Flowers   Carry Me Away   Carry Me Away   Champagne Don't Hurt Me Baby   Champagne Don't Hurt Me Baby   Charlie Dunn   Come Away To Belize With Me   Comfort And Crazy   Contrary To Ordinary   Cottage for Sale   Couldn't Do Nothin' Right   Couldn't Do Nothin' Right   Courage Of Love   Cowboy Boots And Bathing Suits   Cross The Borderline   Curly and Lil'   Curly And Lil'   Dang Me   Dang Me   David and Me   David And Me   Dead Men Got No Dreams   Dealing With The Devil   Dear John Letter Lounge   Deeper Than Love   Desperadoes Waitin' For A Train   Desperadoes Waitin' For A Train   Desperados Waiting For A Train   Detour   Don't It Make You Wanna Dance?   Don't It Make You Wanna Dance? (Live)   Don't Think Twice, It's Alright   Don't It Make You Wanna Dance?   Don't Think Twice, It's Alright   Down In Texas   Down That Road   Eastern Avenue River Railway Blues   Every Drop Of Water   Flowers In The Snow   Follow   Follow   For Little Jessie   Fred Neil Medley   Get It Out   Gettin' By   Gettin' By   Gonzo Compadres   Good Lovin' Grace   Good Lovin' Grace   Goodbye Easy Street   Got Lucky Last Night   Got Lucky Last Night   Green Back Dollar   Gringo In Belize   Gypsy Songman   Hairy Ass Hillbillies   Hands On The Wheel   Happiness Is A Good Place To Visit But It Was So S...   He Was A Friend Of Mine   Headful Of Nothin'   Headful Of Nothin'   Help Me Now   Higher Ground   Hill Country Rain   How Long Has This Been Going On?   I Ain't Living Long Like This   I Ain't Living Long Like This   I Fall in Love Too Easily   I Feel Like Hank Williams Tonight   I Feel Like Hank Williams Tonight.   I Keep Changin'   I Keep Changin'   I Love You   I Makes Money (Money Don't Make Me)   I Makes Money (Money Don't Make Me)   I Promise To Love You   I Spent All My Money Lovin' You   I Spent All My Money Lovin' You   I'll Be Here In The Morning   I'll Be Your San Antone Rose   I'm All Through Throwing Good Love After Bad   I'm Not Strange   I'll Be Here In The Morning   I'll Be Your San Antone Rose   I'm All Through Throwing Good Love After Bad   I'm Not Strange   If I'd Loved You Then   If I'd Loved You Then   It Don't Matter   It Don't Matter   It Make You Want To Dance   It's A Good Night For Singing   It's A Good Night For Singing   Jaded Lover   Janet Says   Jingle Bells   Just To Celebrate   Keep Texas Beautiful   L. A. Freeway   L.A. Freeway   Last Night I Fell In Love Again   Last Song   Layin' My Life on the Line   Layin' My Life On The Line   Leavin' Texas   Leavin' Texas   Leroy   Let 'er Go   Let 'er Go   Let The Ponies Run   Life On The Road   Life's Too Short   Life's Too Short   Like A Coat From The Cold   Little Bird   Little Man   Little Town Of New Orleans   London Homesick Blues   Lone Wolf   Long Ol' Dusty Road   Long Ol' Dusty Road   Long, Long Time   Love Changes Everything   Lovin' Makes Livin' Worthwhile   Lovin' Of The Game   Lovin' Makes Livin' Worthwhile   Lovin' Of The Game   Lucky Man   Man With The Big Hat   Manny's Hat Song   Manny's Hat Song   May Music Be Your Wings   May Music Be Your Wings   Maybe Mexico   Maybe Mexico   Me And Bobbie Mcgee   Me and Bobby McGee   Mississippi You're On My Mind   Mississippi You're On My Mind   More Often Than Not   Morning Song To Sally   Mountains Of Mexico   Movin' On   Movin' On   Mr. Bojangles   Mr. Bojangles [*]   Mr. Bojangles [#]   Mr. Bojangles [Live]   My Old Man   Navajo Rug   Night Rider's Lament   Night Rider's Lament   Nolan Ryan   Nolan Ryan(He's A Hero To Us All)   Nolan Ryan(He's A Hero To Us All)   Northeast Texas Women   O.D. Corral   Ol' 55   Ol' 55   Old Five And Dimers   Old Five And Dimers Like Me   Old Nashville Cowboy   Old Road   Pick Up The Tempo   Pickup Truck Song   Pissin' In The Wind   Pissin' In The Wind   Pot Can't Call The Kettle Black   Pot Can't Call The Kettle Black   Promise   Public Domain   Quiet Faith Of Man   Railroad Lady   Ramblin', Scramblin'   Ramblin', Scramblin'   Rhythm Of The Rain   Rhythm Of The Rain (Bonus Out Take)   Rock & Roll My Baby   Rock & Roll My Baby   Rock and Roll My Baby   Rockin' Chair   Rockin' On The River   Rockin' On The River   Rodeo Cowboy   Rodeo Wind   Round And Round   Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer   Sailing   Sangria Wine   Santa Claus Is Coming to Town   Saturday Night Special   Seasons Change   Seasons Change   She Knows Her Daddy Sings   She Left Me Holdin'   She Left Me Holdin'   She Made Herself A Promise   Singin' The Dinosaur Blues   Singin' The Dinosaur Blues   Sloop John B.   So Bad Last Night   Some Day I'll Get Out   Some Day I'll Get Out   Some Go Home   Some Phone Numbers   Standin' At The Big Hotel   Standin' At The Big Hotel   Still Around   Stoney   Suckin' A Big Bottle Of Gin   Suckin' A Big Bottle Of Gin   Takin' It As It Comes   Takin' It As It Comes   Tangee   Texas On My Mind   That Old Beat Up Guitar   That Old Beat-Up Guitar   That Old Time Feeling   The Ballad Of The Hulk   The Cape   The Christmas Song   The Continuing Saga of the Classic Bummer...   The Continuing Saga Of The Classic Bummer...   The Dutchman   The Dutchman   The First Showboat   The Gift   The Man He Used To Be   The Moon is Still Over Her Shoulder   The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder   The Other Jerry Jeff   The Road You Choose   The Road You Choose   The Wheel   Then Came The Children   Those Were The Days   Time To Stay Home   Too Old To Change   Tracks Run Through The City   Trashy Women   Tryin' To Hold The Wind Up With a Sail   Tryin' To Hold The Wind Up With A Sail   Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother   Up Against The Wall, Red Neck   Up Against The Wall, Red Neck (Live 1973, Luckenba...   Very Short Time   Viva Luckenbach   Wanted For Love   We Were Kind Of Crazy Then   We Were Kinda Crazy Then   We Wish You a Merry Christmas   What Are We Doing?   What I Like About Texas   When I Had You   Where Was I   White Christmas   Will There Be Any   Wind   Wingin' It Home To Texas   Wingin' It Home To Texas   Woman In Texas   Won't You Give Me One More Chance   Won't You Give Me One More Chance

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