‘Ramblin Man’ is a song by American rock band The Allman Brothers Band, released in August 1973 as the lead single from the group's fourth studio album, Brothers and Sisters (1973). Written and sung by the band's guitarist, Dickey Betts, it was inspired by a 1951 song of the same name by Hank Williams. It is much more grounded in country music than other Allman Brothers Band compositions, which made the group reluctant to record it. Guitarist Les Dudek provides guitar harmonies, and it was one of bassist Berry Oakley's last contributions to the band.
The song became the Allman Brothers Band's first and only top 10 single, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 12 on the Easy Listening chart. This was the first Allman Brothers Band single recorded without their leader, Duane Allman, who was killed in a 1971 motorcycle accident. Duane's work is on their 1972 album Eat a Peach, but for their next album, Brothers and Sisters, they had to fill the creative and sonic void left by his passing. Dickey Betts stepped up in a big way with ‘Ramblin' Man’, which became the group's biggest hit and proved they could survive the loss.
Allmans guitarist Dickey Betts wrote this song, taking the title from the 1951 Hank Williams song ‘Ramblin' Man.’ Betts also sang lead on the track, which he described as mostly autobiographical, telling the story of a guy whose travels take him to many places, and who takes life as it comes. "When I was a kid, my dad was in construction and used to move the family band and forth between central Florida's east and west coasts," he said in the book Anatomy of a Song. "I'd go to one school for a year and then the other the next. I had two sets of friends and spent a lot of time in the back seat of a Greyhound bus. Ramblin' was in my blood."
‘Ramblin Man’ was first created during songwriting sessions for Eat a Peach. An embryonic version, referring to a "ramblin' country man," can be heard on the bootleg The Gatlinburg Tapes, featuring the band jamming on an off-day in April 1971 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Betts continued to work on the song for a year, but the lyrics came together in as little as twenty minutes. "I wrote "Ramblin' Man" in Berry Oakley's kitchen [at the Big House] at about four in the morning. Everyone had gone to bed but I was sitting up," said Betts in 2014. Drummer Butch Trucks noted that the band acknowledged it was a good song but were reluctant to record it, as it sounded too country for them. New member and keyboardist Chuck Leavell enjoyed the song, noting, "It's definitely in the direction of country but that didn't bother me in the least … I think our attitude was, 'Let's take this thing and make it as great as we can.'" The song was inspired by a 1951 song of the same name by Hank Williams.
Label – Capricorn
Songwriter – Dickey Betts
Producers – Johnny Sandlin, The Allman Brothers
SONG LYRICS
[Chorus]Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can
And when it's time for leavin', I hope you'll understand
That I was born a ramblin' man
[Verse 1]
Well, my father was a gambler down in Georgia
And he wound up on the wrong end of a gun
And I was born in the backseat of a Greyhound bus
Rollin' down Highway 41
[Chorus]
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can
And when it's time for leavin', I hope you'll understand
That I was born a ramblin' man
[Interlude]
All right
[Verse 2]
I'm on my way to New Orleans this mornin'
Leaving out of Nashville, Tennessee
They're always having a good time down on the bayou, Lord
And Delta women think the world of me
[Chorus]
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can
And when it's time for leavin', I hope you'll understand
That I was born a ramblin' man
[Outro]
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
Lord, I was born a ramblin' man