In 1969, Ray Benson and Lucky Oceans (Reuben Gosfield) co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and soon after they found themselves opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, DC.[1] A year later, they moved to East Oakland, California at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. After being mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Van Morrison, they landed a record deal with United Artists. In 1973, their debut album, Comin' Right At Ya was released by United Artists. At the request of Willie Nelson, they left Oakland for Austin in 1974.
Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been presented numerous awards throughout their career. Most recently, the 16th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Award for the making of "A Ride With Bob", recognition by Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas, and the Darrel K. Royal Music Patron Award by The Texas Heritage Songwriters' Association. In 2007, The Austin Chronicle recognized Asleep at the Wheel for Band of the Year, Best Country Band, and into their Hall of Fame. Benson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2002, was given The Texas Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and recognized as an Outstanding Producer by the National Academy of Recording Arts in 1988. He has also been given numerous Citations of Achievement by Broadcast Music, Inc. for his work in the country music field. Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been one of the strongest names in Country Music for the last forty years.
Gone But Not Forgotten
Asleep at the Wheel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To bring that all down from Prudhoe Bay
Made so much money, I could′ve bought Nebraska
Instead, I've whiskey, the other half on women
The other half well, I just blew away
Well, it′s gone but not forgotten
I've shed some tears but I've no regrets
Lord, it might be gone but not forgotten yet
Had a shrimple by the name of Poliana
Spent more time on the sea than on the shore
′Til the storm blew me up on the coast of Louisiana
When it rained and thunder, capsized and went under
There is no Poliana anymore
Well, it′s gone but not forgotten
I've shed some tears but I′ve no regrets
I think about ol' Poliana often
Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet
Lord, the lovely señorita from El Casso
Had to lasso her and she was quite a catch
Well, I showered her with hugs and kisses, still she ran away
So I bring her from her walking and all that women talking
Was never to count my chicken before they hatch
Well, she′s gone but not forgotten
I've shed some tears but I′ve no regrets
Well, I think about that woman often
Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet
Well, she's gone but not forgotten
I've shed some tears but I′ve no regrets
Well, I think about that woman often
Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet
Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet
The song "Gone But Not Forgotten" by Asleep at the Wheel is a reflection on the singer's past experiences and relationships that have ended. The first verse talks about the singer's time in Alaska where he made a significant amount of money but spent half of it on women and the other half on whiskey. He acknowledges that the money is gone but that he does not have any regrets. The second verse then goes on to describe three other relationships that have ended: one with a shipmate named Poliana who died at sea, one with a woman from El Casso in Mexico, and one with a woman who ran away.
The repeated refrain "Gone but not forgotten" expresses a bittersweet sentiment about these past experiences. The singer has moved on from these relationships, but they still hold a significant place in his memories. The verse about Poliana is particularly poignant, as her death highlights the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of loss. The verses about the women suggest that the singer may have a history of being idealistic in his romantic relationships, showering them with attention only to be left disappointed in the end.
Overall, "Gone But Not Forgotten" is a nostalgic and wistful song that reflects on the complexity of human relationships and the memories they leave behind.
Line by Line Meaning
As a younger man, I moved up to Alaska
When I was younger, I went to Alaska
To bring that all down from Prudhoe Bay
To earn good money from working at Prudhoe Bay
Made so much money, I could′ve bought Nebraska
I made lots of money
Instead, I've whiskey, the other half on women
I spent a lot of money on whiskey and women
The other half well, I just blew away
I spent the other half of my money carelessly
Well, it′s gone but not forgotten
Although it's gone, it's still in my memory
I've shed some tears but I've no regrets
I cried but I don't regret anything
Well, I think about that money often
I still think about all the money I made
Lord, it might be gone but not forgotten yet
Even though it's gone, it's still remembered
Had a shrimple by the name of Poliana
I had a friend named Poliana
Spent more time on the sea than on the shore
Poliana spent most of her time at sea
′Til the storm blew me up on the coast of Louisiana
Until a storm stranded me in Louisiana
When it rained and thunder, capsized and went under
When it rained heavily with thunder, she capsized and disappeared
There is no Poliana anymore
Poliana is gone forever
Well, I think about ol' Poliana often
I still think about Poliana
Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet
Even though she's gone, she's remembered
Lord, the lovely señorita from El Casso
The attractive lady from El Casso
Had to lasso her and she was quite a catch
I had to work hard to get her attention
Well, I showered her with hugs and kisses, still she ran away
I showed her affection, but she left anyway
So I bring her from her walking and all that women talking
I stopped her from talking and walking around
Was never to count my chicken before they hatch
I shouldn't have assumed things too early
Well, she′s gone but not forgotten
Although she's gone, she's still remembered
Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet
Even though she's gone, she's still remembered
Writer(s): Knobloch James Frederick, Miller Daniel Scott
Contributed by Connor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ben - Moderator
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Ben - Moderator
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Eddie
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