Flatt and Scruggs met as members of Bill Monroe's band, the Blue Grass Boys in 1946. They both left that band early in 1948, and within a few months had formed their own group, the Foggy Mountain Boys. Scruggs' banjo style and Flatt's vocals gave them a distinctive sound that won them many fans. In 1955 they became members of the Grand Ole Opry. Many of the songs on their albums are credited to "Certain and Stacey". These were in fact written by Flatt and Scruggs and various other members of the Foggy Mountain Boys. Certain and Stacey are the maiden names of the wives of Flatt and Scruggs. Louise Certain, wife of Earl Scruggs and Gladys Stacey, wife of Lester Flatt.
Scruggs, who had always shown progressive tendencies, experimented on duets with saxophonist King Curtis and added songs by the likes of Bob Dylan to the group's repertoire. Flatt, a traditionalist, did not like these changes, and the group broke up in 1969. Following the breakup, Lester Flatt founded the Nashville Grass and Scruggs lead the Earl Scruggs Revue. Flatt died in 1979, while Scruggs continued to perform until his death in March 2012. Flatt and Scruggs were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985
Flatt & Scruggs may be best known however as the performers of "The Ballad of Jed Clampit" the theme song from the sixties television show "The Beverly Hillbillies". Flatt & Scruggs made cameo appearances on the "The Beverly Hillbillies" as well.
Don't Think Twice It's All Right
Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It ain't no use to sit and wonder why babe if you don't know by now
When the roosters crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm travelin' on don't think twice it's all right
It ain't no use in turnin' on your light babe at last I'll never know
It ain't no use in turnin' on your light babe I'm on the dark side of the road
Still I wish there was something I would do or say
We never do too much talking anyway don't think twice it's all right
( banjo - harmonica )
I'm walkin' down that long lonesome road babe where I'm bound for I can't tell
But goodbye is too good a word gal so I'll just say fare thee well
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind you could have done better but I don't mind
You just sorta wasted my precious time don't think twice it's all right
It ain't no use in callin' out my name gal like you never done before
It ain't no use in callin' out my name gal I can't hear you anymore
I'm thinkin' and a wonderin' all the way down the road
I've once loved a woman a child I'm told
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul don't think twice it's all right
In Don't Think Twice, It's All Right, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs sing about a man who has decided to leave his lover behind and continue his journey alone. The lyrics suggest that the man has tried to make the relationship work, but ultimately could not continue on that path. The song talks about how the woman did not appreciate his efforts and if she couldn't understand him then, she would not now, and that he is better off leaving.
The lyrics of the song showcase a man who has made a decision to move forward in his life unencumbered by the past. He recognizes that he has wasted his time on this woman, and while he does feel some sadness about this decision, he is ultimately okay with the outcome. He acknowledges her shortcomings and that he deserved better. Through his pain, he has come to understand that he has to let go of the past and move on, even if it means being alone.
Line by Line Meaning
It ain't no use to sit and wonder why babe it don't matter anyhow
There's no point in pondering why things went wrong because it won't change anything.
It ain't no use to sit and wonder why babe if you don't know by now
If you can't figure out what went wrong, there's no use in dwelling on it.
When the roosters crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm travelin' on don't think twice it's all right
I'm leaving in the morning, and you won't be able to stop me. You're the reason I'm leaving, so don't try to convince me to stay.
It ain't no use in turnin' on your light babe at last I'll never know
There's no point in leaving your light on for me, as I'm already too far gone to see it.
It ain't no use in turnin' on your light babe I'm on the dark side of the road
I'm in a dark place emotionally, so your light won't be able to help me find my way back.
Still I wish there was something I would do or say
To try and make it change my mind and stay
We never do too much talking anyway don't think twice it's all right
Although I know it's useless, I still wish I could do or say something to make you change my mind and stay. But in reality, we never communicated much, so it's probably better this way.
I'm walkin' down that long lonesome road babe where I'm bound for I can't tell
But goodbye is too good a word gal so I'll just say fare thee well
I'm heading down a path that's uncertain, and I don't know where I'm headed. But saying 'goodbye' seems too final, so I'll just say 'farewell.'
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind you could have done better but I don't mind
You just sorta wasted my precious time don't think twice it's all right
I'm not saying you mistreated me, but you definitely could have done better. However, it's not worth dwelling on because it's in the past now.
It ain't no use in callin' out my name gal like you never done before
There's no point in calling my name like you used to, as I won't be there to hear it.
It ain't no use in callin' out my name gal I can't hear you anymore
Even if you call out my name, I won't be able to hear it because I'm too far away now.
I'm thinkin' and a wonderin' all the way down the road
I've once loved a woman a child I'm told
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul don't think twice it's all right
As I'm walking down this road, I'm reflecting on a past relationship where I loved a woman deeply. However, she wanted more from me than just my affection- she wanted dominance over me. Despite this, I know it's best to leave it all behind and not look back.
Contributed by Evan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.