Flatt was born in Jackson County, Tennessee to Nannie Mae Haney and Isaac Columbus Flatt.[1] A singer and guitarist, he first came to prominence as a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in the 1940s. In 1948 he started a band with fellow Monroe alumnus Earl Scruggs, and for the next twenty years Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys were one of the most successful bands in bluegrass. When they parted ways in 1969, Flatt formed a new group, the Nashville Grass, hiring most of the Foggy Mountain Boys. His role as lead singer and rhythm guitar player in each of these seminal ensembles helped define the sound of traditional bluegrass music. He created a role in the Bluegrass Boys later filled by the likes of Jimmy Martin, Mac Wiseman, Peter Rowan and Del McCoury. His rich lead voice is unmistakable in hundreds of bluegrass standards. He is also always remembered for his library of compositions. The Flatt songbook looms titanic for any student of American acoustic music. He continued to record and perform with that group until his death in 1979. Flatt was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985 with Scruggs. He was posthumously made an inaugural inductee into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1991.
Flatt and Scruggs were ranked #24 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men in Country Music in 2003.
Cabin On The Hill
Lester Flatt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Standing out upon the hill 'neath the shadow of the tree
If I only had my way it would give my heart a thrill
Just to simply wander back to the cabin on the hill.
Oh I want to wander back to the cabin on the hill
'Neath the shadow of the tree I would like to linger still
Just to be with those I love joy my heart would over fill
Just to simply wander back to the cabin on the hill
But the saddest of it all I can never more return
To that happy childhood home matters not how much I yearn
If I only had my way it would give my heart a thrill
Just to simply wander back to the cabin on the hill
The lyrics to Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs's song Cabin On the Hill are a wistful reminiscence of a happy childhood home. The singer longs to go back to the cabin, situated on a hill beneath the shade of a tree. The idea of wandering back fills their heart with joy and they would like to linger there with their loved ones. However, the tone of the song takes a melancholic turn as the singer accepts that they can never go back to the happy childhood home, no matter how much they yearn for it. The song is a poignant reminder that time and life move on, and that one can never return to a place exactly as it was.
The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia, and the longing for a place and time that has passed. They also suggest the importance of family and home in shaping one's identity and values. The Cabin On the Hill represents a physical and emotional space that influenced the singer's growth and development, a place where they were surrounded by love and memories. The song speaks to the universal experience of homesickness and the strong ties people have to their roots, wherever they may be.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a happy childhood home in my memory I can see
In my mind, I can recall my pleasant childhood home
Standing out upon the hill 'neath the shadow of the tree
It was located on a hill with trees' shadows upon it
If I only had my way it would give my heart a thrill
I would be delighted if I could go back to it
Just to simply wander back to the cabin on the hill.
Returning to the beloved cabin would satisfy me
Oh I want to wander back to the cabin on the hill
My heart desires going back to the cabin
'Neath the shadow of the tree I would like to linger still
I would like to stay under the tree's shadow
Just to be with those I love joy my heart would over fill
My heart would be full of happiness being with my loved ones
But the saddest of it all I can never more return
Regrettably, it is impossible for me to go back
To that happy childhood home matters not how much I yearn
No matter how much I long for my lovely childhood home
If I only had my way it would give my heart a thrill
I would be thrilled if I could go back to it
Just to simply wander back to the cabin on the hill
Returning to the beloved cabin would satisfy me
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: LESTER FLATT, EARL SCRUGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fryintyres6267
This was my grandpa's favorite song. I remember many a car ride with him blasting this cd in the car, coming back to this song 2 or 3 times. From when us kids were little, and even more recently when it was just him and I making a run to the store or some errand driving around. Not everyone is lucky enough to say their grandpa is their best friend. Miss you like crazy grandpa
@jennymiller1962
This is a wonderful song, my daddy played banjo & sang bluegrass songs. Everytime I here this song tears flow and the memories fill my heart. My daddy has been gone since 1994, never a day passes that I do not think of him.
@rickeastwood1220
I hear you, sister
@LisaSmith-ie7gq
I love this song. Great singing and instrumental accompaniment! Makes me want to return to my childhood home.
@rickeastwood1220
Thank you, Flatt & Scruggs! Thank you! God Bless you both! This song makes this ol' boy yearn for my boyhood home in Junction City, Kansas
@onlydaughterofRMS
Among my father's favorite songs, I've always loved this. Dad's gone now, and I believe I love it even more. So many memories ♥ thank you for posting!
@Posark
I will wipe away the tears enough to say that I like that unexpected 6-5-1 chord progression at the beginning 😊
@ronniewaddell8416
Gone but not forgotten! Great music
@georgemoore8832
as a child, we would visit my mom's folk in E. Tennessee. I remember those beautiful mtns, valleys and the family gathering with food, music, dancing. I know those days are gone but they are cherished by me.
@ModelPlaneFan
oh man. the mountians sure are beautiful and that’s where i live. it’s a great place up here near The country music birthplace. Also combines rly close to Carter Fold. if you don’t know what that is i suggest you look it up and see about coming one time. it’s worth the drive but kinda hard to get to for first timers