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.
When You And I Were Young Maggie
David Grisman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To watch the scene below
The creek and the rusty old mill, Maggie
Where we sat in the long, long ago.
The green grove is gone from the hill, Maggie
Where first the daisies sprung
The old rusty mill is still, Maggie
Since you and I were young.
A city so silent and lone, Maggie
Where the young and the gay and the best
In polished white mansion of stone, Maggie
Have each found a place of rest
Is built where the birds used to play, Maggie
And join in the songs that were sung
For we sang just as gay as they, Maggie
When you and I were young.
They say I am feeble with age, Maggie
My steps are less sprightly than then
My face is a well written page, Maggie
But time alone was the pen.
They say we are aged and grey, Maggie
As spray by the white breakers flung
But to me you're as fair as you were, Maggie
When you and I were young.
And now we are aged and grey, Maggie
The trials of life nearly done
Let us sing of the days that are gone, Maggie
When you and I were young.
David Grisman's "When You and I Were Young Maggie" is an ode to lost youth and love. The song begins with the singer wandering up the hill to look down at the scene below, which includes a creek and an old mill where the singer and Maggie used to sit together long ago. The green grove mentioned in the lyrics has disappeared, and only the rusty old mill remains - a reminder of their past.
The singer then describes a city that has replaced the old world, where the young and gay now reside in mansions of white stone. The birds that once sang have disappeared, and only memories of the past remain. The singer notes that even though they are now feeble and aged, their love has remained the same. The trials of life have nearly ended, and the singer wants to fondly remember the days when they were young.
Line by Line Meaning
I wandered today to the hill, Maggie
I took a stroll to a hill today, Maggie
To watch the scene below
To observe the surroundings below
The creek and the rusty old mill, Maggie
I saw a creek and a rusty old mill, Maggie
Where we sat in the long, long ago.
We sat together there a long time ago
The green grove is gone from the hill, Maggie
The green trees on the hill are no longer there, Maggie
Where first the daisies sprung
Where the first daisies appeared
The old rusty mill is still, Maggie
However, the old rusty mill is still standing, Maggie
Since you and I were young.
Since we were both young
A city so silent and lone, Maggie
There is a city that is quiet and empty, Maggie
Where the young and the gay and the best
Once a place of lively young people and the best
In polished white mansion of stone, Maggie
There are now white mansions made of polished stone, Maggie
Have each found a place of rest
Where they all have found a place to rest
Is built where the birds used to play, Maggie
Now there's a building where the birds once played, Maggie
And join in the songs that were sung
And joined in singing songs
For we sang just as gay as they, Maggie
We sang just as joyfully as the birds did, Maggie
When you and I were young.
When we were both young
They say I am feeble with age, Maggie
People say I'm weak now because of my age, Maggie
My steps are less sprightly than then
I can't walk as briskly as I used to
My face is a well written page, Maggie
My face tells a story of my life, Maggie
But time alone was the pen.
Only time could write this story of my life
They say we are aged and grey, Maggie
Others see us as old and gray now, Maggie
As spray by the white breakers flung
Like the white foam thrown by the waves
But to me you're as fair as you were, Maggie
But to me, Maggie, you're still as beautiful as ever
When you and I were young.
When we were both young
And now we are aged and grey, Maggie
And now we're both old and gray, Maggie
The trials of life nearly done
The difficulties of life are almost over
Let us sing of the days that are gone, Maggie
Let's remember and sing about the days that have passed, Maggie
When you and I were young.
When we were both young
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: J. BUTTERFIELD, GEORGE JOHNSON, MALCOM MILLS, DAN RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind