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.
Foggy Mountain Top
Lester Flatt Lyrics
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I'd sail away to the West
I'd sail all around this old wide world
To the one I love the best
If I had listened t'what mama said
I would not have been here today
Wishing for things I'll never have
You caused me to weep, you caused me to mourn
You caused me to leave my home
Oh, that lonesome pine and those good old times
I'm on my way back home
If I was on some foggy mountain top
I'd sail away to the West
I'd sail all around this old wide world
To the one I love the best
Oh, when you see that two-faced blonde
There's somethin' you can tell 'er
She need not to fool her time away
A-tryin' to steal a feller
She caused me to weep, she caused me to mourn
She caused me to leave my home
Oh, that lonesome pine and those good old times
I'm on my way back home
If I was on some foggy mountain top
I'd sail away to the West
I'd sail all around this old wide world
To the one I love the best
Oh, when you come to courtin' now
Put on you navy blue
That long tail "roust-a-bout" you wear
Don't do a thing for you
The song Foggy Mountain Top by Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs talks about a person who is filled with regret and sadness. The song begins with the singer wishing to be on a foggy mountain top from where he can sail to the west and travel around the world to find the one he loves. He is filled with despair, thinking about how he ignored his mother's advice and is now left with wishing for things he will never have and crying over his lost love. The singer talks about being forced to leave his home and the memories of the good times he had there. He is now on his way back home, reminiscing about the past when everything was simpler and happier. The song continues with the singer warning about a two-faced blonde who tries to steal a feller, causing him to weep, mourn, and leave his home. He offers advice on how to dress while courting, asking to wear navy blue instead of long-tail "roust-a-bout" as it does not do a thing for you.
The song talks about the pain of losing someone you love deeply and the regret of not listening to your mother's advice. The longing and sorrowful tone of the song evoke strong emotions and resonate with those who have faced similar situations in their lives. The use of a foggy mountain top and sailing away to the west symbolizes the desire to escape from reality and find solace in the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
If I was on some foggy mountain top
If I were in a difficult situation, estranged from my loved one
I'd sail away to the West
I would try my best to leave that place and search for a way to be with my loved one
I'd sail all around this old wide world
I would go through great trials and tribulations to be with my loved one
To the one I love the best
This person is the one who means the most to me in the world
If I had listened t'what mama said
If only I had followed my mother's advice
I would not have been here today
I may not have been in this painful situation
Wishing for things I'll never have
Regretting the things that may never happen
And weeping my sweet life away
Crying and feeling despair and helplessness while my life passes me by
You caused me to weep, you caused me to mourn
You are responsible for my sadness and grieving
You caused me to leave my home
You were the reason I had to leave my safe space
Oh, that lonesome pine and those good old times
I miss the place where I felt comfortable and safe
I'm on my way back home
I am going back to the place where I feel safe and comfortable
Oh, when you see that two-faced blonde
When you come across the deceitful blonde
There's somethin' you can tell 'er
There is something you can inform her about
She need not to fool her time away
She should not waste her time on trying to deceive others
A-tryin' to steal a feller
Attempting to take away someone who already belongs to someone else
Oh, when you come to courtin' now
When you start to woo someone
Put on you navy blue
Dress smartly and elegantly in navy blue attire to impress the person you are courting
That long tail "roust-a-bout" you wear
That long and old fashioned garment that you wear is not helping your cause
Don't do a thing for you
It is not beneficial for your courtship if you dress in a way that makes you look less than optimal
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J BAIRD, TRADITIONAL, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind