Gibson was born in Shelby, North Carolina into a poor working-class family, he dropped out of school in the second grade.
Gibson's first band was called Sons of the Soil, with whom he made his first recording in 1948. Among his greatest hits were "Oh Lonesome Me" (later recorded by both Ray Charles and Neil Young) and "Blue Blue Day" (both No. 1 hits in 1958); "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" (1959); "Sea of Heartbreak" (1961); "Lonesome No. 1" and "I Can Mend Your Broken Heart" (1962); and "Woman (Sensuous Woman)" (a No. 1 hit in 1972).
Gibson recorded a series of successful duets with Dottie West in the late 1960s, the most successful of which were the No. 2 country hit "Rings of Gold" (1969) and the top 10 hit "There's a Story Goin' Round" (1970). In 1957, Gibson travelled back to Nashville to record "Oh Lonesome Me" for RCA. He and producer Chet Atkins decided to abandon the traditional steel guitar and fiddle and use a new sound featuring only guitars, a piano, a drummer, upright bass, and background singers. It became one of the first examples of what would be called the Nashville Sound and won Gibson a #1 hit; it also set the pattern for a long series of other RCA hits, including “Blue Blue Day” (1958).
A talented songwriter, Gibson was nicknamed "the sad poet" because he frequently wrote songs that told of loneliness and lost love. He wrote and sang "I Can't Stop Loving You", a song that would be recorded by more than 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles with a pop version in 1962. He also wrote and recorded "Sweet Dreams" that would become a major 1963 crossover hit for Patsy Cline. A great fan, in 1967 Roy Orbison recorded an album of his songs simply titled: Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson.
Don Gibson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and in 2001 into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
On his passing in 2003, he was interred in the Sunset Cemetery, in his hometown of Shelby, North Carolina.
My Elusive Dreams
Don Gibson Lyrics
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I followed you to Utah
We didn't find it there, so we mo-oved on
I followed you to Alabam'
Things looked good in Birmingham
We didn't find it there, so we moved on
I know you're tired of followin'
For they're only fleeting things
My elusive dreams
I had your child in Memphis
You heard of work in Nashville
We didn't find it there, so we moved on
To a small farm in Nebraska
To a gold mine in Alaska
We didn't find it there, so we moved on
And now we've left Alaska
Because there was no gold mine
But this time, only two of us move on
Now all we have is each other
And a little memory to cling to
And still you won't let me go on alone
I know you're tired of followin'
My elusive dreams and schemes
For they're only fleeting things
My elusive dreams
(Ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh)
For they're only fleeting things
My elusive dreams
Don Gibson's "My Elusive Dreams" is a bittersweet tale of chasing the American Dream and coming up empty-handed time and time again. The singer is speaking to their partner, whom they have dragged across the country chasing after improbable goals. First, they try their luck in Texas, then Utah, then finally Alabama, but each time they move on to a new location because they haven't found what they're looking for. The singer lists their various ventures, including having a child in Memphis, trying to find work in Nashville, and looking for gold in Alaska. Though these endeavors have all fallen through, the singer's partner continues to stick with them, and the two are left with only each other as they move forward.
The song's message is about the fleeting nature of the American Dream and how it can lead people on a wild goose chase. The lyrics give the impression that the singer is constantly dreaming up new plans but has yet to get lucky. Despite the futility of their endeavors, their partner stands by them, unwilling to let go even if it means chasing elusive dreams. The melody adds to the melancholic tone of the piece, with a slow tempo and a wistful feel.
Line by Line Meaning
I followed you to Texas
I went with you to Texas
I followed you to Utah
I went with you to Utah
We didn't find it there, so we mo-oved on
We did not find what we were looking for so we moved on
I followed you to Alabam'
I went with you to Alabama
Things looked good in Birmingham
We had high hopes in Birmingham
We didn't find it there, so we moved on
We did not find what we were looking for so we moved on
I know you're tired of followin'
I know you are tired of following me
My elusive dreams and schemes
My dreams and plans that are hard to achieve
For they're only fleeting things
Because they are only temporary
My elusive dreams
My dreams that are hard to achieve
I had your child in Memphis
Our child was born in Memphis
You heard of work in Nashville
You heard about job opportunities in Nashville
To a small farm in Nebraska
We moved to a small farm in Nebraska
To a gold mine in Alaska
We moved to a gold mine in Alaska
And now we've left Alaska
And now we have left Alaska
Because there was no gold mine
Because we did not find a gold mine
But this time, only two of us move on
This time, only the two of us move on
Now all we have is each other
Now we only have each other
And a little memory to cling to
And memories to hold on to
And still you won't let me go on alone
But you still do not want me to go on by myself
I know you're tired of followin'
I know you are tired of following me
My elusive dreams and schemes
My dreams and plans that are hard to achieve
For they're only fleeting things
Because they are only temporary
My elusive dreams
My dreams that are hard to achieve
(Ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh)
Vocalization
For they're only fleeting things
Because they are only temporary
My elusive dreams
My dreams that are hard to achieve
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Sherrill, Claude Putman Jr., Curly Putman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind