London Homesick Blues

The Zoo Crew is spinning the classic "London Homesick Blues" by Jerry Jeff Walker from his iconic 1973 album Viva Terlingua, and the Zoo Freaks are surely singing along to this outlaw country anthem. One fascinating story about the song comes from its spontaneous recording. Gary P. Nunn, who wrote and sang lead on the track, shared in a 2020 interview that Walker called on him to perform it live during the Viva Terlingua sessions in Luckenbach, Texas, without prior rehearsal. Nunn had been playing it under a tree that afternoon, and Walker, loving its raw energy, insisted it be recorded that night. This last-minute decision, captured in front of a lively crowd, gave the song its natural, heartfelt vibe that became the theme for Austin City Limits for nearly 30 years. Another tidbit from a 2023 Wittliff Collections exhibit reveals Nunn wrote the song while stranded in a cold London flat during a tour with Michael Martin Murphey, channeling his homesickness for Texas into lyrics like “I wanna go home with the armadillo.” The song’s recording was so impromptu that it was a composite of two takes, as Walker broke a string during the first, with the encore from the first version spliced onto the second for the final cut.

Another layer of trivia ties to the song’s cultural impact. Posts on X from fans, like one from @ktumulty in 2020, highlight how "London Homesick Blues" was a soundtrack for a generation of Texans, evoking memories of rowdy concerts and college days. The song’s recording session, as recounted by band member Bob Livingston in a 2021 podcast, was fueled by the free-spirited chaos of the Lost Gonzo Band, with some members allegedly tripping on mushrooms during the album’s final track, “Wheel,” though Nunn’s performance remained sharp. The Wittliff Collections exhibit also showcased unreleased recordings, including Nunn introducing the song to the band during a jam, underscoring the camaraderie that made Viva Terlingua a Texas music cornerstone. This raw, unpolished approach, as noted in a 2023 Creek FM article, is why the song feels like it was “recorded in your living room,” capturing the essence of 1970s Austin.

Jerry Jeff Walker, born Ronald Clyde Crosby on March 16, 1942, in Oneonta, New York, began his musical journey far from the Texas honky-tonks he’d later call home. Growing up in a musical family, with grandparents who played piano and fiddle for square dances, Walker picked up guitar early. By his teens, he was in a local band, The Tones, but his adventurous spirit led him to go AWOL from the National Guard to busk across the country. A pivotal moment came in 1965 in New Orleans, where, while in a drunk tank, he met a street performer named Bojangles. This encounter inspired his most famous song, “Mr. Bojangles,” written in 1968, which became a hit for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and was covered by artists like Bob Dylan and Sammy Davis Jr. Walker’s wanderings took him through Florida, where he drove Jimmy Buffett to Key West, and eventually to Austin in 1971, where he found his place in the burgeoning outlaw country scene alongside Willie Nelson and Ray Wylie Hubbard.

Walker’s career was defined by his rejection of Nashville’s polish, embracing a raw, live sound that Viva Terlingua, recorded in a sweltering Luckenbach dancehall, epitomized. His official website, jerryjeff.com, offers a glimpse into his legacy, including the Tried & True Foundation supporting musicians’ education and healthcare. Fans can connect on his Facebook page, though his Instagram and X accounts are less active since his passing in 2020. For fan communities, the Jerry Jeff Walker Fan Club on Facebook is a vibrant space where Zoo Freaks can share memories and discuss tracks like "London Homesick Blues." Another fan-driven site, Bob Livingston’s website, offers stories from the Lost Gonzo Band bassist, keeping Walker’s spirit alive. These platforms keep the Gypsy Songman’s music spinning, just like the Zoo Crew’s records.