Growing up, there were few promising opportunities for young man of Legg’s stripe in Cajun country and things eventually got difficult and strange: chronic bouts of depression, habitual drug use, small town drama, and arrests soon became routine. During one gloomy episode - deflated, broke, and strung out - Legg climbed the Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge, determined to dive into the next life, but after a last minute change of heart, humbly climbed back down and vowed to find a better way to exist. He immediately drove himself to rehab in a stolen Camaro and rededicated himself to his creative pursuits, namely songwriting. He formed the southern tribal rock band, Santeria who had a 10-year run of chaos and bedeviled kookiness (1994-2004). After four albums, they disbanded in an anarchic heap of bad luck, poverty, exhaustion, and voodoo curses they suspected were cast on the band to hasten their demise.
Legg spent the next year living in low-rent motels and trailer parks, writing new songs that tapped into the haunting style of the Delta Blues greats. With an odd ease, the songs poured out, spitting new life into the genre, not by hackneyed imitation, but by infusing original Delta-slide songs with his own experience of growing up in the Deep South—young, white, alienated, and lost. Legg’s Robert Johnson-on-Thorazine-style slide work paired with his droning-rural psychedelia brought the backwoods sounds of Louisiana (hurricanes, cows, cicadas) to life while remaining firmly rooted in the troubled and death-obsessed masters. This batch of songs became the first Brother Dege release, the now critically-acclaimed Folk Songs of the American Longhair (2010) - a record that Quentin Tarantino later referred to as “almost like a greatest hits album” of new Delta blues.
Home-recorded in Alan Lomax-like austerity, the album delivered postmodern tales of desperate southerners, apocalyptic prophecies, midnight angels, hippie drifters, burning barns, and the endless ghosts that haunt the history the Deep South. Quietly self-released with no distribution, no representation, and absolutely no hype, Folk Song of the American Longhair quickly earned 4-star reviews (UNCUT) and gained the attention of numerous tastemakers in film and TV, scoring sync placements on Discovery Channel’s After the Catch, Nat Geo’s Hard Riders, women’s cycling documentary Half the Road, Netflix’s The Afflicted, and most notably hand-picked by Quentin Tarantino for inclusion in the movie and soundtrack to Django Unchained.
Brother Dege quickly expanded his cinematic vision of the South with two follow-up albums: How to Kill a Horse (2013) and Scorched Earth Policy (2015). Teaming with otherworldly slide guitars, country psych, barn burning anthems, the tradition continues with his latest release Farmer’s Almanac (2018), a sprawling, southern concept album that further explores the unique mysteries of small towns.
Brother Dege’s latest album is the critically acclaimed Farmer’s Almanac, an 11-track, southern gothic journey that explores escapism, class structure, and the opiated dark side of America’s small town rural communities. Brother Dege’s fourth album swarms with otherworldly slide guitars, rustic psychedelia, possessed barn burners, and swamp-drenched cinematic songcraft.
Too Old To Die Young
Brother Dege Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Round we go
Where it stops?
Nobody knows it yeah
Side to side, baby
Back and forth
God above and the devil below him
You've got your reasons
And I've got my wants
Still get that feeling, but I'm too old to die young now
Too old to die young now
Above or below the ground
Yes, too old to die young now
Still the good lord might lay me down
Round and round
Round we go
What it stops?
Nobody knows it
Side to side, baby
Down and crawl
God above and the devil below him
You've got your reasons
And I've got my wants
Still got that feeling, but I'm too old to die young now
Too old to die young now
Above or below the ground
Yes, too old to die young now
Still the good lord might lay me down
To lay me down
To die young now
Too old to die young now
Above or below the ground
Still the good lord might lay me down
The opening verse of Brother Dege's song "Too Old to Die Young" speaks to the cyclical nature of life and the unknowns that come with it. The imagery of "round and round" and "where it stops, nobody knows it" suggests the unpredictability and mystery of existence. The following lines reference the duality of good and evil, with "God above and the devil below him" indicating the ongoing battle between the two forces. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which explores the singer's own desires and mortality.
The chorus of the song reveals the main theme: the singer is too old to die young. This line is repeated twice for emphasis, highlighting the paradox of wanting to experience life to the fullest while recognizing the inevitability of death. The line "above or below the ground" suggests that the singer is at peace with the idea of dying, whether it be a physical death or a spiritual one. The last line of the chorus, "still the good lord might lay me down," acknowledges that no one is truly in control of their fate.
The second verse of the song adds to the theme set forth in the first verse. The repeating lines of "round we go" and "what it stops, nobody knows it" reinforce the idea of the unknown nature of life's journey. The line "down and crawl" paints a picture of struggle and hardship, which may be a metaphor for the difficult times that the singer has experienced. The final lines of the verse reiterate that the singer has his own desires and needs, but ultimately recognizes that he is "too old to die young now."
Line by Line Meaning
Round and round
Life keeps going in circles and cycles
Round we go
We keep going around and around, never knowing what's next
Where it stops?
We never know what will happen in the future, where it all ends
Nobody knows it yeah
It's impossible to predict, sometimes nobody knows what's going to happen
Side to side, baby
Moving from one thing to another, back and forth between two points
Back and forth
Moving between two things, or being undecided
God above and the devil below him
The very good and very evil things exist, often at the same time
You've got your reasons
Everyone has their motivations, they're own agenda
And I've got my wants
The singer has his own desires and dreams
Still get that feeling, but I'm too old to die young now
The singer still feels like he did when he was young, but now he knows he's not invincible
Too old to die young now
The singer is no longer young and cannot take reckless risks without consideration
Above or below the ground
Whether dead or alive, in heaven or hell, the reality remains the same
Still the good lord might lay me down
Death is still a possibility, despite being too old to act rashly
Down and crawl
Reduced to a lower level, struggling to progress
To lay me down
To die, to end one's existence
To die young now
The idea of dying while still young is no longer realistic
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: JOHN HADLEY, KEVIN WELCH, SCOTT DOOLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@your_butterfly
Round and round
Round we go
Where it stops?
Nobody knows it
Side to side baby
Back and forth
God above
And the devil below him
You got your reasons
And I got my wants
Still get that feeling
But I'm too old to die young now
Too old to die young now
Above or below the ground
Yes, too old to die young now
Still the good lord might lay me down
Round and round
Round we go
Where it stops?
Nobody knows it
Side to side baby
Down in the...
God above
And the devil below him
You got your reasons
And I got my wants
Still get that feeling
But I'm too old to die young now
Too old to die young now
Above or below the ground
Yes, Too old to die young now
Still the good lord might lay me down
To lay me down
To die young now
Too old to die young now
Above or below the ground
Still the good lord might lay me down
@dannythomas6865
Round and round
Round we go
Where it stops?
Nobody knows it yeah
Side to side, baby
Back and forth
God above and the devil below him
You've got your reasons
And I've got my wants
Still get that feeling, but I'm too old to die young now
Too old to die young now
Above or below the ground
Yes, too old to die young now
Still the good lord might lay me down
Round and round
Round we go
What it stops?
Nobody knows it
Side to side, baby
Down and crawl
God above and the devil below him
You've got your reasons
And I've got my wants
Still got that feeling, but I'm too old to die young now
Too old to die young now
Above or below the ground
Yes, too old to die young now
Still the good lord might lay me down
To lay me down
To die young now
Too old to die young now
Above or below the ground
Still the good lord might lay me down.
Снова и снова Мы идем Где это останавливается? Никто этого не знает, да Из стороны в сторону, детка Взад и вперед Бог выше и дьявол ниже него У тебя есть причины И у меня есть свои желания Все еще чувствую это чувство, но я слишком стар, чтобы умереть молодым сейчас Слишком стар, чтобы умереть молодым сейчас Над или под землей Да, слишком стар, чтобы сейчас умереть молодым Тем не менее, добрый господин мог бы меня уложить Снова и снова Мы идем Что это останавливает? Никто этого не знает Из стороны в сторону, детка Вниз и ползти Бог выше и дьявол ниже него У тебя есть причины И у меня есть свои желания Все еще есть это чувство, но я слишком стар, чтобы сейчас умереть молодым Слишком стар, чтобы умереть молодым сейчас Над или под землей Да, слишком стар, чтобы сейчас умереть молодым Тем не менее, добрый господин мог бы меня уложить Уложить меня Умереть молодым сейчас Слишком стар, чтобы умереть молодым сейчас Над или под землей Тем не менее, добрый господин мог бы меня уложить
@MakaMeLaugh22
Rest in peace 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Incredible musician you were! ❤
@dansharpe8908
Turned 77 today,play the guitar for 50 yrs.But I listen to this song makes me feel younger.Thanks pal I really do listen to it every day.
@qarslyfe6290
Grateful that Tarantino put your music in the limelight, Brother Dege. Rock on in Heaven. Lafayette is richer because of your music and life 🙏🎼💙
@garywayne57
I'm fixing to turn 63 and I've been shot, hit by a train and whipped end stage liver disease and this is my fav new song. Magoo-theme song. Never give in never give up
@hughjarse3808
Keep your head up and plough on ,good luck.
@DroneBum
Never say die brother!!! Keep on rockin...I sure hope I do LOL
@ronvalley1973
i quit drinking beer over 3 years ago to avoid liver disease, hope you do well and quit if you drink....it is never too late......!
@morgeno12
Thanks Gary .. exactly what I needed to read today.....25 years sober in a month .. yeah never give up
@mashh.6859
I listen to this song a lot, and every time I do I always scroll down to read your comment. Very inspirational. Beers to you good sir, may you continue to live fast and die old.
@dickjones6159
The love of my life past away at just 43 years young. A year ago. She was my world and she would have loved this song. I would like to dedicate this to her if you guys dont mind. Its got soul.. Candace you rest for now sweet heart. I love you and miss you very much..