David Grisman started his musical career in 1963 as a member of The Even Dozen Jug Band. His nickname, "Dawg" was affectionately assigned by his close friend Jerry Garcia (the two met at a Van Hoy Campground (NC) back when they used to host the old time fiddlers convention). "Dawg Music" is what he calls his mixture of bluegrass and Django Reinhardt-Stéphane Grappelli-influenced jazz, as highlighted on his 1977 album "Hot Dawg". Stephane Grappelli played on a couple of tracks on the Hot Dawg album and then the 1981 recording "Stephane Grappelli and David Grisman Live". It was his early fusions with Reinhardt-era Jazz that led to the formation of the genre known as newgrass. Grisman, along with New Grass Revival are generally considered the modern day Bill Monroes to this new bluegrass-influenced sound.
Denny Zeitlin, Tony Rice, Mark O'Connor, Béla Fleck, Bob Brozman, Mike Auldridge, Mike Seeger, David Bromberg, Martin Taylor, Del McCoury, Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, John Hartford, Darol Anger (Turtle Island String Quartet), Sam Bush, and the Kronos Quartet are just some of the musicians that have played with David Grisman or been part of the DGQ (David Grisman Quintet).
The documentary "Grateful Dawg" chronicles the deep friendship between Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. David Grisman appeared on the Grateful Dead's American Beauty album. To this day, Grisman complains of how Jerry Garcia vetoed the length of the mandolin solo featured on the studio version of Ripple. The two recorded a number of duet albums, including the children's album "Not for Kids Only". They also played together as the band "Old and in the Way" with Vassar Clements, Peter Rowan, and John Kahn, which recorded three different albums.
Sophronie
David Grisman Lyrics
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That used to be my motto so high
Till my Sophronie left me so lonely
Now there's teardrops in my eyes
My Sophronie's from Kentucky, she's found another man
Can't even kiss her, can't even hold her hand
Oh when we used to love beneath the stars up in the sky
Love em and leave em, kiss em and grieve em
That used to be my motto so high
Till my Sophronie left me so lonely
Now there's teardrops in my eyes
Till Gabriel blows his bugle, I'll be lovin that sweet girl
She means more to me than the whole wide world
I used to be a killer with the women me oh, my
But now I'm just a hot shot with a teardrop in my eye
Love em and leave em, kiss em and grieve em
That used to be my motto so high
Till my Sophronie left me so lonely
Now there's teardrops in my eyes
I used to slay the pretty girls from Maine to Alabam
Until I met Sophronie and then she let me down
I seen so many pretty eyes and filled with bitter tears
Find em, forget em, but now I have my fears
Love em and leave em, kiss em and grieve em
That used to be my motto so high
Till my Sophronie left me so lonely
Now there's teardrops in my eyes
The lyrics of David Grisman's song, Sophronie, is a lamentation of a man who used to have a carefree attitude towards relationships. The singer used to love them and leave them, kiss them and grieve them, but all that changed when he met Sophronie. Sophronie, who is from Kentucky, stole the singer's heart and made him realize that he wanted more than just fleeting relationships. However, Sophronie eventually left him for another man, leaving him heartbroken and with teardrops in his eyes. The singer appears to have deep feelings for Sophronie as he states that she means more to him than the whole wide world. He expresses his love for her and states that he will keep loving her until Gabriel blows his bugle. The singer seems to be sorrowful, and his carefree attitude has diminished since losing Sophronie.
Through the lyrics of Sophronie, David Grisman tells a story of love and heartbreak. It is a song that touches on the feelings experienced when a relationship ends, and one is left with the bitter taste of lost love. The singer realizes the error of his ways and acknowledges the love he had for Sophronie, and despite her leaving him, he cannot stop loving her. The lyrics are simple yet poignant, truly painting a picture of the pain experienced after losing someone they loved.
Line by Line Meaning
Love em and leave em, kiss em and grieve em
I used to use women for my own pleasure without any commitment, causing them to be hurt in the process.
That used to be my motto so high
This was my way of life and thinking for a long time.
Till my Sophronie left me so lonely
Until the woman I loved, Sophronie, left me feeling alone and heartbroken.
Now there's teardrops in my eyes
Now I cry because of the pain and sadness I feel.
My Sophronie's from Kentucky, she's found another man
Sophronie, who is from Kentucky, has moved on and is now with someone else.
Can't even kiss her, can't even hold her hand
I can't even touch the woman I love anymore, let alone be close to her.
Oh when we used to love beneath the stars up in the sky
We used to be in love and intimate with each other, enjoying each other's company.
But now I'm just a hotshot with a teardrop in my eye
Now I'm just a confident, arrogant man who is actually just crying inside.
Till Gabriel blows his bugle, I'll be lovin that sweet girl
I will continue to love Sophronie until the end of time, until Armageddon.
She means more to me than the whole wide world
Sophronie is more important to me than anything else in the world.
I used to be a killer with the women me oh, my
I used to be very successful with women and have many romantic encounters.
But now I'm just a hot shot with a teardrop in my eye
But now I am no longer successful and am actually crying inside.
I used to slay the pretty girls from Maine to Alabam
I used to win over many beautiful women from Maine to Alabama.
Until I met Sophronie and then she let me down
Until I met Sophronie and she broke my heart by leaving me for another man.
I seen so many pretty eyes and filled with bitter tears
I have seen many beautiful women cry because of the way I treated them in the past.
Find em, forget em, but now I have my fears
I used to move on from women quickly, but now I am afraid of being hurt again.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALTON DELMORE, D.C. MULLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind