Kleinow and Ethridge instigated a reformation of the band in 1975 which continued through 1984. The band was reformed once again in 1985 and were disbanded for a final time in 2001.
The band best known as the "Flying Burrito Brothers" actually 'borrowed' their name from the original "Flying Burrito Brothers", composed of bassist Ian Dunlop and drummer Mickey Gauvin, bandmates of Parsons from the Boston-based International Submarine Band, plus any of a loose coalition of musicians, including Parsons himself from time to time. In a deliberate choice of focusing on just creating and playing music without the distractions of the music industry, in 1968 the original Brothers moved from Los Angeles to New York City. From this base they continued to tour the Northeast playing their eclectic traditional/rockabilly/blues/R&B-oriented version of rock, using the name "The Flying Burrito Brothers East" after Parsons' group became famous.
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Parsons and guitarist/mandolinist/bassist/vocalist Chris Hillman thought this same moniker would be perfectly suited to the band they had been dreaming of since early 1968, when, as members of Roger McGuinn's band The Byrds, they created one of the first country-oriented rock albums, Sweetheart of the Rodeo. They immersed themselves in their vision in their house in the San Fernando Valley, dubbed "Burrito Manor", even replacing their wardrobe with a set of custom country-Western suits from tailor to the C&W stars, Nudie's Rodeo Tailors (Parsons's had marijuana leaf embroidery) and began a period of intensely fruitful creativity. At this juncture, the band also included pianist/bassist Chris Ethridge and pedal steel guitarist "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow.
Their first album The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) did not sell terribly well, being a radical departure from anything most of the record-buying public (either rock or country) had ever seen, but the group had a cult following which included several famous musicians, such as Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. Parsons soon became friends with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones and left the group after 1970's Burrito Deluxe, which also saw the departure of Ethridge and addition of guitarist/dobro player/vocalist Bernie Leadon and drummer Michael Clarke (of The Byrds). Rick Roberts replaced Parsons and released a self-titled album with the group in 1971. Kleinow then left to become a session musician and Leadon joined The Eagles. Al Perkins and Roger Bush replaced them, and Kenny Wertz and Byron Berline joined as well, releasing The Last of the Red Hot Burritos (1972), a live album. The band fell apart. Hillman and Perkins joined Manassas, while Berline, Bush and Wertz formed Country Gazette. Roberts reassembled a new group for a 1973 European tour, and then began a solo career before forming Firefall with Michael Clarke.
As Gram Parsons's influence and fame grew, so did interest in the Flying Burrito Brothers, leading to the release of Honky Tonks (1974), a double album, and the recreation of the band by Kleinow and Ethridge in 1975. Floyd "Gib" Gilbeau, Joel Scott Hill and Gene Parsons (no relation to Gram) also joined, and the band released Flying Again that year. Ethridge was then replaced by Skip Battin for Airborne (1976), followed by an album of unreleased early material, Sleepless Nights. For the next few decades, the group released albums and toured and had a country hit with "White Line Fever" (1980, a cover by Merle Haggard) and then became the Burrito Brothers. Headed by prolific songwriter and ace guitarist John Beland and Gib Guilbeau, and normally featuring Sneaky Pete, this incarnation scored moderately well on the Country charts in the early 1980s. Through numerous incarnations (including Brian Cadd for a time), the band released albums and toured throughout the 1980s up till 2001 when John Beland "officially" ended FBB. While the bands work during the 1980-1999 period was exceptional, after 1984 none of the many releases had any chart impact. Sneaky created a Burritos spinoff in his new band Burrito Deluxe, which featured Carlton Moody on lead vocals and Garth Hudson from The Band on keyboards. While a good band, there has never been any real continuity with the true Burritos and this group can not be considered anything more than a spinoff. Pete however, left the band due to illness in 2005, leaving no direct lineage to the original masters.
Gram Parsons died on September 19, 1973. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow died on January 6, 2007. Chris Hillman is still a very successful singer-songwriter, having been part of Souther-Hillman-Furay, McGuinn-Clark-Hillman, then going on to form the Desert Rose Band (1986-1993) with Herb Pedersen. He still sings with Pedersen today as Chris and Herb, having released "The Other Side" (2005).
Sin City
The Flying Burrito Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It'll swallow you in
If you've got some money to burn
Take it home right away
You've got three years to pay
But Satan is waiting his turn
This old earthquake's gonna leave me in the poor house
It seems like this whole town's insane
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain
The scientists say
It will all wash away
But we don't believe any more
'Cause we've got our recruits
And our green mohair suits
So please show your I.D. at the door
This old earthquake's gonna leave me in the poor house
It seems like this whole town's insane
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain
A friend came around
Tried to clean up this town
His ideas made some people mad
But he trusted his crowd
So he spoke right out loud
And they lost the best friend they had
This old earthquake's gonna leave me in the poor house
It seems like this whole town's insane
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain
The Flying Burrito Brothers' song "Sin City" is a commentary on the vices and corruption of a city. The song describes how the lure of money and temptation can lead people into sin, and how even the most luxurious and expensive things, like a gold plated door on the thirty-first floor, cannot protect someone from the consequences of their actions. The lyrics suggest that people are becoming disillusioned with the world, and that the idea of the world being "washed away" is no longer believed, as people have lost their faith in the notion of redemption.
The song also references a friend who tried to clean up the town and make positive changes, but ended up being betrayed by his own supporters. This highlights the idea that even those who try to do good may face opposition from others who do not want change. Ultimately, the lyrics warn that no matter how much money or power one may have, they cannot escape the judgment of God, represented metaphorically by the Lord's burning rain.
"Sin City" was written by Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman and released on The Flying Burrito Brothers' 1969 album "The Gilded Palace of Sin". The song has been covered by various artists, including Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam, and Beck.
Line by Line Meaning
This old town is filled with sin
This town is full of vices and immoral activities.
It'll swallow you in
You will be consumed by the town's sinful nature.
If you've got some money to burn
If you have disposable income.
Take it home right away
Leave the town and use your money elsewhere.
You've got three years to pay
A warning that credit may not be a wise option for escaping the town's sin.
But Satan is waiting his turn
The devil is always present and waiting for opportunities to lead people into sin.
This old earthquake's gonna leave me in the poor house
A natural disaster will leave the singer financially devastated.
It seems like this whole town's insane
The town's corruption is pervasive and damaging.
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
A luxury item symbolizing wealth and status.
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain
No amount of wealth or power can protect against divine punishment.
The scientists say
An appeal to science and facts.
It will all wash away
The belief that the town's corruption will eventually disappear.
But we don't believe any more
The singer has lost faith in the possibility of the town's redemption.
Cause we've got our recruits
The town's sin has attracted followers.
And our green mohair suits
A symbol of the singer's materialism and status in the town.
So please show your I.D. at the door
An exclusive invitation to join the town's corruption.
A friend came around
An outsider with noble intentions entered the town.
Tried to clean up this town
The friend attempted to rid the town of its corruption.
His ideas made some people mad
The friend's righteous ideas were not well received in the sinful town.
But he trusted his crowd
The friend believed in the support of his followers.
So he spoke right out loud
The friend was outspoken and uncompromising in his beliefs.
And they lost the best friend they had
The town rejected the friend's attempts to reform and improve it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHE SMITH, CYDEL CHARLES YOUNG, JOSEPH YOUNG III, MALIK YUSEF EL SHABBAZ JONES, TEYANA MESHAY TAYLOR, TRAVIS SCOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind