Music by J.J. Johnson
Lyrics by Jon Hendricks
He's got that funny name
An' ramblin' that's his game, that's it
He's Rambo, talkin' bout
Me!
We'll see (Piano)
They call him Rambo 'cause he's travellin'
He don't stay one place
His life's a string he keeps unravellin'
He don't leave no trace
He's got a yen for changin' places
He digs changin' scenes
That way he stays in everybody's good graces
He's happy on the move
He's mobile and free
He wants no strings attached
That's how it's gotta be, see!
He'll keep on ramblin' till the coda
He don't stay one place
Because he's just a ramblin' man
His favorite hobby's hittin' the road
He was a fella livin' solely by the ramblers only code
Some people're born to roam
Fate gave 'em roamin' natures
An' so they wander aroun'
Leavin' people wondrin' when they'll touch the groun'
Hither 'n yon, here 'n beyon'
Wherever they never been before
As soon as you're used t'their face
They're off 'n runnin' again
Gone to another new place
Peripatetic is the only word
that I have ever heard that people could use
that really describes him
There's no other word could do that
Only other word I know that comes
The closest to it is "Gypsy"
An' that don't really fit him at all
"Cause he ain't tellin' fortunes
'N hates bein' dipsy
Everywhere I go they call him Rambo
'Cause he won't stay long
In my ramblin'
I've met a lotta people here 'n there
An' I find they're 'bout the same everywhere
Each with his own little thing
That he uses while he's tryin' to swing
Maybe the look ain't the same
But they play the same game
An' there's quite a bit o' difference
In their outlook, I know
Still 'n yet, their story, lem'me tell you
Is a story that you won't forget
When I was young 'n very green
I felt so stuck with m'present situation
Later, when I got a little older
that was when I discovered I could split
'N find myself another groove
That was all I need
I was on the move
I packed my little sack 'n started ramblin'
To this day I'm a rover who'll always be ramblin'
You git drug stayin' in one place
Depressed an' feelin' low down
Get new kicks movin' roun'
Roamin' the country's educational for you
'N widens your point of view
Tests y' mettle 'n cools y' mind out
'N that's true without a doubt
Y know? I mean y'dig - -
That's Rambo's gig
Rambo is ready to ramble 'n itchin' t'split
Oh yeah, he'll start packin' 'n quit it
Forget it! 'Cause he's done with it
That's Rambo! Travellin' light
Stay too long he'll git uptight
So his motto is "Keep movin'"
You got it! That's his bit!
Nex' time he might leave an address
'Cause the little girl that he met
Las' night
Paid him so much attention
That it got him a bit uptight
We might not have t'call him Rambo
'Cause he jes' might be settlin' down
He's gone the way of all men
Fat, skinny or tall men
It happened to this Rover we know - Rambo