Life’s Too Short for Slow Dances: A Rousing Call to Embrace the Hustle
The moment the opening, vibrant notes of Jerry Jeff Walker’s rendition of “Pick Up The Tempo” kick in, a feeling washes over you—a familiar, electric energy that was the heartbeat of the ’70s Outlaw Country movement. This track, a boisterous anthem for the restless spirit, found its home on the 1975 album Ridin’ High on MCA Records, an era when Walker was truly hitting his stride as a major force in the burgeoning Austin, Texas music scene. While it may not have soared to the peak of the Billboard Hot 100 like some pop crossover hits, its chart success was meaningful within the world of country and regional Americana, with its parent album, Ridin’ High, reaching No. 119 on the US Billboard 200 chart and the following album, A Man Must Carry On, charting even higher at No. 60. For those of us who followed the troubadours, these were the songs that mattered, the ones we lived by.
What makes this track a true piece of the Jerry Jeff legacy is the story behind the song itself. Surprisingly, this iconic, foot-stomping call to action wasn’t penned by the “Gonzo” himself. “Pick Up The Tempo” is a Willie Nelson original, and Walker’s choice to cover it—and the sheer force of his performance—tells you everything you need to know about the connection between these two Outlaws and the spirit of their music. Walker took Willie’s introspective lament and injected it with a shot of pure, undiluted Texas swagger. The song essentially serves as a defiant manifesto for the perpetual traveler, the free spirit who refuses to be tied down or slowed by societal expectations.
The meaning of the song is deeply personal and universally resonant for anyone who’s ever been told they’re “living too fast.” The lyrics confront the critics directly: “People are sayin’ that times take care / Of people like me / And that I’m livin’ too fast, and they say I won’t last / Much longer.” Walker, in his unmistakable, warm, whiskey-soaked vocal style, turns the criticism on its head. He’s not headed for ruin; the pace is his salvation. It’s a joyful, rebellious shout against stagnation, a refusal to mellow out just because the calendar pages are turning. The central, recurring refrain—”Pick up the tempo just a little bit / And take it on home”—is not just a musical instruction; it’s a philosophy. It’s an embrace of life’s chaotic beauty, a mandate to keep moving, keep feeling, and keep the volume turned up.
For us, the older readers, this song is more than just a memory; it’s a time machine back to the 1970s Austin scene—a glorious, messy convergence of folk, country, rock, and true individualism. It evokes those smoky dance halls, the worn-out boots, and the unshakable feeling that we were all part of something real, something outside the confines of Nashville’s machine. Jerry Jeff Walker, the original gypsy songman, was the pied piper of that movement. When we hear that rhythm section kick into high gear, we don’t just hear a song; we feel the rush of youth, the defiance of the Outlaw, and the enduring truth that sometimes, the only way to carry on is to “Pick Up The Tempo.”