Brooks & Dunn's music covers the full range of modern country music, and their chart-topping hits have included everything from the Ronan Keating-penned ballad "The Long Goodbye," through the Rivers Rutherford-written "Ain't Nothing About You," to the gospel music-influenced "Believe." They are also associated with being pioneers of the line dance craze of the mid-1990s. One of their hits, "Boot Scootin' Boogie" - the video for which was made in Tulsa, Oklahoma - is most emblematic of this style.
Both band members write, sing, and play guitar. One or both artists writes or co-writes a large majority of their material, and self-penned successes include the 2004 smash "Red Dirt Road" which the duo wrote together. Both artists have served as song-writers for other artists too. Ronnie Dunn co-wrote country superstar Toby Keith's song "Don't Leave I Think I Love You" which appeared on his 2003 album Shock'n Y'all. Dunn's vocal performances have tended to be released as radio singles: recent hits "You Can't Take the Honkytonk Out of The Girl," "Red Dirt Road," "It's Getting Better All The Time," "That's What It's All About," "Play Something Country," and "Believe" all feature Ronnie Dunn singing lead vocals.
Brooks & Dunn are renowned for their high-energy stage shows. Recent tours have featured Australian country singer Keith Urban, fellow duo Montgomery Gentry, and successful country newcomer Gretchen Wilson. Their latest Deuces Wild tour of 2005 featured fellow country duo Big and Rich. In 2006, the duo opened for the Rolling Stones at their Omaha, Nebraska show.
The duo's songs have been used by President George W Bush as his official campaign songs in both his election and re-election campaigns. In 2000, the then Texas Governor chose the blue-collar line-dance-friending hit of the mid-1990s, "Hard Workin' Man," and in 2004, the President selected the (pre-9/11) hit patriotic "Only in America." Brooks & Dunn both supported the President's re-election campaign, performing at a Republican rally featuring Laura Bush on the eve of the election.
Their latest album is Hillbilly Deluxe which features the number 1 single "Play Something Country."
On August 10, 2009, the duo issued a statement on their website announcing that they were splitting up after 20 years of making music together. The split was amicable, with a final album in September 2009 and a final tour in 2010.
On December 3, 2014, it was announced that Brooks & Dunn will reunite and perform a series of concerts in Las Vegas, Nevada with Reba McEntire throughout mid-late 2015. In 2016, they were selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track featuring the artists performing a medley of "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "On the Road Again", and "I Will Always Love You", which was released in celebration of 50 years of the CMA Awards.
Long Gone
Brooks & Dunn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain't seen nothin' of you in a month of sundays
Tell me how long gone are you gonna be
All you said was you had to get goin'
Oh but baby I wouldn't mind knowin' just
How long gone are you gonna be
When I still don't even understand
If you're ever gonna come back home to me
How long gone are you gonna be
Maybe I didn't pay enough attention
But I do believe you forgot to mention
Just how long gone are you gonna be
The phone ain't ringin', 'cause you still ain't callin'
I ain't been hearin' your footsteps fallin'
Tell me how long gone are you gonna be
How am I supposed to make any plans
When I still don't even understand
If you're ever gonna come back home to me
Tell me please
How long gone are you gonna be
Tell me how long gone are you gonna be
The lyrics of Brooks & Dunn's song How Long Gone express the confusion and heartache of a person whose partner has left without a clear explanation of when or if they will return. The singer is keeping hopeful, thinking that their lover will be coming home any minute, but they haven't seen or heard from them in a month of Sundays. They plead for answers, asking how long gone they are going to be, but all their partner said was that they had to get going.
The singer is struggling to make plans and move on when they don't even know if their partner is ever going to return. They feel neglected and hurt, thinking that their partner may have forgotten to mention how long they would be gone. The absence is felt in every aspect of the singer's life, from the lack of phone calls to the missing sound of their lover's footsteps.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep thinkin' any minute you'll be comin' home honey
I am constantly thinking and hoping that you will be coming back home to me soon, my dear.
I ain't seen nothin' of you in a month of sundays
It has been an incredibly long time since I last saw you, even longer than a whole month of Sundays.
Tell me how long gone are you gonna be
Please inform me of the length of time you plan on being away from me.
All you said was you had to get goin'
The only explanation you gave me for leaving was that you had to leave.
Oh but baby I wouldn't mind knowin' just
But my dear, I would really appreciate it if you could inform me
How long gone are you gonna be
about the period of time you plan on being away from me.
How am I supposed to make any plans
It is extremely difficult for me to make any plans or decisions
When I still don't even understand
since I still do not comprehend
If you're ever gonna come back home to me
whether or not you plan on returning back home to me.
Maybe I didn't pay enough attention
Perhaps I didn't pay enough attention
But I do believe you forgot to mention
but I truly feel that you forgot to tell me
Just how long gone are you gonna be
the exact interval that you plan on being away from me.
The phone ain't ringin', 'cause you still ain't callin'
My phone has not rung because you apparently have not attempted to contact me yet.
I ain't been hearin' your footsteps fallin'
I have not heard the sound of your footsteps approaching or returning back to me.
Tell me how long gone are you gonna be
Please provide me with the duration of time that you intend on being away from me.
How am I supposed to make any plans
It is immensely challenging for me to make any plans or decisions
When I still don't even understand
since I still don't comprehend
If you're ever gonna come back home to me
whether or not you have any intentions of coming back home to me.
Tell me please
Kindly inform me,
How long gone are you gonna be
of the time frame of your absence from me.
Tell me how long gone are you gonna be
Please let me know about the duration of time that you will be away from me.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN SCOTT SHERRILL, SHAWN CAMP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kayla Roberts
I wish that they would come back and sing together again and make country alive again!!
Jose Diaz
Glad I got to see them before the split!, with Reba, Linda Davis, and Terry Clark
In Toledo Ohio it was The Greatest Country concert of my life!
art burks
One of my favorite Brooks and Dunns songs.
Marci Jo D
My All-Time Favorite B & D song!
ps YeeHaw!π€
Dawn Bernich
Love them. Ronnys voice is amazing!!!
Tom Tom
The best of all times, sure miss this great music, this is real country
Travis Carr
I remember when brooks & dunn came out big and people saying βthatβs not real country music.β Funny how most anyone you talk to nowadays would not even question them being country artist.
THE RedneckPrincessOfTacticoolness
This was a ridiculously under appreciated Brooks & Dunn song. Easily one of their top ten best songs.
Nancy Daku
I agree
Jon
Absolutely