The Lost Dogs have been called a country music supergroup, but they conside… Read Full Bio ↴The Lost Dogs have been called a country music supergroup, but they consider themselves to be a roots and alternative music group. They began in 1991 as a one-time collaboration between four very different vocalists and songwriters from four different bands at the behest of their label at that time. Terry Scott Taylor (Daniel Amos, the Swirling Eddies), Gene Eugene (Adam Again), Derri Daugherty (The Choir), and Michael Roe (The 77s) have over the last two decades released nine eclectic albums of traditional American music (country, folk, blues, rock) with a decidedly modern feel. The Lost Dogs' concert performances are filled with between-song jokes and one-liners between the band members (usually poking fun at each other).

Many of the Lost Dogs albums include at least one or two cover songs. Songs covered by the Lost Dogs include Bob Dylan's "Lord, Protect My Child," Leonard Cohen's "If It Be Your Will," The Beatles' "I'm A Loser," and Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More." They have also recorded a number of Traditional or Gospel standards such as "Dust On The Bible," and "Farther Along."

In March, 2000, shortly after the release of their Gift Horse album, Gene Eugene died in his sleep at The Green Room, his recording studio in Huntington Beach, California.

2003 saw the release of the band's first DVD, Via Chicago, a black and white concert film released by Lo-Fidelity Records. A follow-up DVD, Via Chicago (All We Left Unsaid), containing additional songs from the concert, was released in 2006.

Although the loss of Eugene is noticeable, the remaining three Lost Dogs members continue to tour and record new albums. In 2004, the band got together with longtime friend Steve Hindalong to produce a special album for their summer tour. The result was entitled Mutt, and included new acoustic versions of nine songs originally written and recorded for each band member's regular rock bands, with one new song. The following year, the band would release one of their most unusual recordings to date, the almost entirely instrumental Island Dreams.

The band's most recent project, Old Angel, was released May 2010. The band — including the newest official "dog," drummer Steve Hindalong — once again hit the road for a national tour in support of their new album.

I Am A Pilgrim
Lost Dogs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I am a pilgrim and a stranger
Travellin' through this wearisome land
I've got a home in that yonder city, good Lord
And it's not, not made by hand

I've got a mother, sister and brother
Who have gone this way before
I am determined to go and see them, dear Lord

Over on the other shore

I'm going down to the river of Jordan
Just to bathe my wearisome soul
If I can just touch the hem of his garment, dear Lord
Then I know he'd take me home

I am a pilgrim and a stranger
Travellin' through this wearisome land

I've got a home in that yonder city, good Lord
And it's not, not made by hand

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to the song "I Am A Pilgrim" by Lost Dogs speak of a person who is traveling through a difficult and tiresome land, but has hope and faith of reaching their true home in a distant city that was not made by human hands. The song expresses the belief that there is an afterlife where loved ones who have gone before will be reunited. The traveler mentions a mother, sister, and brother who have already made the journey. This person is determined to continue on, even though the road is long and arduous.

The song references the River of Jordan, often associated with the Christian tradition of baptism. The traveler is going to wash their troubled soul in its waters, hoping to be somehow purified and find comfort. The last verse speaks of the pilgrim's desire to touch the hem of Jesus' garment, a biblical reference to the woman with the issue of blood who was healed by Jesus in the New Testament. The pilgrim believes that if they can touch Jesus' garment, he will take them home to that distant city.

Overall, the song speaks of the journey of life, the struggle we face before reaching our ultimate destination, and the hope and faith that sustain us along the way.

Line by Line Meaning

I am a pilgrim and a stranger
I am a traveler in a strange land, not quite at home.

Travellin' through this wearisome land
I am journeying through this tiresome and painful world.

I've got a home in that yonder city, good Lord
I have a dwelling place in that heavenly city beyond this earth.

And it's not, not made by hand
It is not constructed by human hands but created by divine providence.

I've got a mother, sister and brother
I have family members who have gone before me on this same journey.

Who have gone this way before
They have already traveled the path that I am now undertaking.

I am determined to go and see them, dear Lord
I am resolved to reach the place where they now reside and join them there.

Over on the other shore
In that place beyond death and beyond the limits of this world.

I'm going down to the river of Jordan
I am planning to visit the river where John the Baptist baptized people, seeking cleansing for my weary soul.

Just to bathe my wearisome soul
I earnestly desire to refresh and restore my exhausted soul in that holy river water.

If I can just touch the hem of his garment, dear Lord
If I can just make physical contact with the very edge of Jesus' clothing or his presence, I know it will be enough to cleanse me of my sins.

Then I know he'd take me home
I am convinced that he will allow me to come and live with him in that celestial city.

Contributed by Noah A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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