The Bob Carpenter whose picture and album "Silent Passage" are shown here Read Full Bio ↴The Bob Carpenter whose picture and album "Silent Passage" are shown here
has nothing to do with the player from Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (whose bio is below). The Canadian Bob Carpenter sang and wrote all the songs on the Silent Passage album (recorded for Warner in L.A. and Toronto and eventually released on Stoney Plain records) and the 1979 - "8 Demos" record also listed here. He was born in Thunder Bay Ontario and lived on Canada's west coast till his death in 1995. His songs have also been recorded by Brent Titcomb and Valdy.

The American Bob Carpenter's bio follows -

Multiple Grammy and CMA Award winner Bob Carpenter has almost never met a genre of music he didn't enjoy playing. From his R&B and Rock roots in Philadelphia, through his ten year stay in the Country and Bluegrass music world of Colorado, to his current work in Los Angeles, he has written for, produced, sung and played on over 50 record albums with a wide range of musicians whose styles include everything from Rock to Smooth Jazz to Folk Music.
As a long time member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, he has toured the world and earned 15 Gold and Platinum Records.

His studio credits include vocal and keyboard sessions with Johnny Cash, Bruce Hornsby, Willie Nelson, Roger McGuinn, Allison Krauss, Vince Gill, John Hiatt, Chet Atkins, Earl Scruggs and Steve Vai to name just a few.

Bob's songs have received numerous ASCAP writing awards, been recorded by artists as diverse as John Denver, Three Dog Night and Kenny Rogers and garnered top ten spots on both the Pop and Country Charts.

His new release "The Sun, The Moon and The Stars" is his first CD of totally acoustic piano and vocal compositions. With a guest appearance by executive producer Steve Vai, the album is a departure from any of Bob's previous work. The piano and vocals were recorded spontaneously in their entirety in two, two-hour sessions. This introspective musical odyssey is intended to transport the listener from the living room, next to the Steinway, to far away places of fantasy and reflection.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Bob survived his first accordion lesson at the age of four but didn’t continue his musical education until he joined his high school choir, which won the national championship in his senior year.

He started his first garage band, “The Soular System”, while in college studying Civil Engineering at Drexel University as a way to get into the mixers and frat parties.

A year after college, Bob quit his day job as a highway designer for a firm building I-95 and starting playing the South Jersey summer circuit with his new band “Fat Rabbit” at the infamous “Dunes ‘til Dawn” and “Tony Marts” (early haunt of the Levon and the Hawks-soon to be renamed The Band).

Relocating to Los Angeles in 1970, he joined the band “SIX” and had the unique experience of touring for the next year with the band’s producer Sly, and his Family Stone. Highlights of the touring with Sly included a riot at Cobo Arena in Detroit, run-ins with various police in Texas and a nodding out experience on stage in front of 20,000 people at Madison Square Garden by one of the more “relaxed” band members.

The San Fernando Valley earthquake of ’71, a break in at his house and three band mates and their girlfriends sleeping on his floor was the obvious signal for Bob to leave L.A. for Colorado.

After working on a farm for six months in Paonia Colorado, Bob decided against sewing deerskin clothing and making babies during the long hard winter. Instead he moved over to Aspen to continue playing music. His gigs there included a short stint on the road with The Drifters in Las Vegas, a year playing with local rock heroes “Black Pearl” and finally two studio albums on RCA and Columbia Records with his band “Starwood” in 1975-76. Starwood’s manager was Bill McEuen who also managed The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, new residents of Aspen. They had also relocated from Long Beach California after the ’71 quake. At his urging, Bob started to record and tour occasionally with the Dirts in 1975. After Starwood’s demise in 1977, Bob toured and recorded one album with the L.A. band “Player” then joined the Dirt Band full time in 1980.

His contributions on Dirt recordings include co-writing chart hits “Make A Little Magic”, “Fire In The Sky”, “Baby’s Got A Hold On Me” and singing the number one song “Stand A Little Rain”.

Bob currently lives in Los Angeles where he does session work, writes, plays bad golf, enjoys his family and travels to the airport at five-thirty in the morning to go on tour with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

One More Time
Bob Carpenter Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm going way down south to Louisiana
Well, I'll just close my eyes
And everything's alright
And though I'm really far away
I'll make my get away
And no one need really
Know that I've been gone

One more time for the good times
That far out weigh the bad
One more time for the good times
When love was all we had
I'm going way down south to Baton Rouge
Well, I'll just close the door
And turn out all the lights
And all the images dance by
Of folks and friends who lie
Back home where things are slow
And easy going

One more time for the good times
That far out weigh the bad
One more time for the good times
When love was all
When love was all

When love was all we had
One more time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bob Carpenter's song One More Time depict a longing for the past and a yearning to relive the good times when love was all that mattered. The opening lines reveal the singer's intention to travel down south to Louisiana, suggesting a physical and emotional escape from his present reality. He imagines that by closing his eyes, everything will be alright, and he can make his get away without anyone knowing that he's been gone. This escape is not just geographical but also psychological, as the singer is seeking to relive the memories of the past when life was simpler, and love was the only thing that mattered.

The second verse continues with this theme of nostalgia and reminiscence. The singer is going down south to Baton Rouge, where he plans to close the door and turn out all the lights. The images of folks and friends who lie back home where things are slow and easy going dance by, suggesting an idyllic and carefree lifestyle. The repeated refrain of "one more time for the good times" emphasizes the theme of nostalgia and the desire to relive those moments. The line "when love was all we had" reinforces this longing for a simpler time when love was the only thing that mattered, and nothing else.

Overall, Bob Carpenter's song One More Time captures the essence of nostalgia and the longing to relive past memories. The lyrics suggest a yearning for a simpler time when love was the most important thing, and life was slower and more carefree. The descriptive imagery of the Louisiana landscape and Baton Rouge adds to the sense of a physical and emotional escape from the present reality.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm going way down south to Louisiana
I am traveling to Louisiana located in the southern region of the United States.

Well, I'll just close my eyes
I will relax and let my mind rest.

And everything's alright
I am feeling content and at peace.

And though I'm really far away
Despite being distant from home.

I'll make my get away
I will be escaping my life for a brief amount of time.

And no one need really
I am doing this for myself and no one else.

Know that I've been gone
I do not need anyone to know about my whereabouts.

One more time for the good times
Another opportunity to have a good experience.

That far out weigh the bad
The positive moments are more significant than the negative ones.

When love was all we had
Remembering a time when love was the only significant factor.

I'm going way down south to Baton Rouge
Traveling to Baton Rouge which is a city located in Louisiana.