Marion Bandy was born and grew up in Meridian, Mississippi, hometown of the country singer Jimmie Rodgers. He later stated: "My grandfather worked on the railroads with Jimmie Rodgers. He was the boss of the railway yard in Meridian and Jimmie Rodgers worked for him. He said that he played his guitar all the time between work."
He was nicknamed Moe by his father when he was a child. The Bandy family moved to San Antonio, Texas when Moe was six. His mother played piano and sang. Bandy was taught to play the guitar by his father who had a country band called the Mission City Playboys, but made little use of the ability until he was in his teens. His father's wish that Moe also play the fiddle never materialized.
He made some appearances with the Mission City Playboys but generally during his high school years he showed little interest in music and a great deal of interest in rodeos. He tried bronco-busting and bull riding and by the time he was 16, both he and his brother Mike were competing in rodeos all over Texas.
In 1962, tired of the bruises and fractured bones, he began to pursue a career in country music. He assembled a band that he called Moe And The Mavericks and found work playing small beer joints, honky-tonks, and clubs over a wide area around San Antonio. When he was young he tried to sound like Hank Williams and George Jones - "I even had my hair cut short like his."
Although work was plentiful, the pay was poor and during the day he worked for his father as a sheet metal worker, a job that lasted for 12 years, during which time he made a few recordings for various small labels. In 1964, he had his first single, "Lonely Girl", on the San Antonio based Satin label, but it made little impression. He did manage to get his band a residency on a local television program called Country Corner and in this capacity, he provided backing for several touring stars.
In 1973, he went solo when record producer Ray Baker, who had listened to his demos, suggested that he come to Nashville, Tennessee. Moe Bandy obtained a loan and recorded a song called "I Just Started Hatin' Cheatin' Songs Today". Initially released on Footprint Records with a limited pressing of 500 copies, it soon came to the attention of the Atlanta-based GRC label. In March 1974, it entered the US country chart, eventually peaking at number 17. Other minor hits followed, including "It Was Always So Easy To Find An Unhappy Woman (Till I Started Looking For Mine)" and "Don't Anyone Make Love At Home Anymore".
In 1975, a song written by his friend Lefty Frizzell and Whitey Shaffer gave him a number 7 country hit, firmly establishing his reputation. "Bandy The Rodeo Clown" was to become not only one of his own favorites but also one of his most popular recordings. (Shaffer was greatly amused by the way Bandy pronounced woman as "woh-min", and began to send him songs with the "woh-min" in them.)
Bandy sang in a simple style that extracted the utmost from his songs of lost love, sadness, and life. Although by no means a Hank Williams sound-alike, his method of putting across his honky-tonk songs showed the distinct influence of Williams. He met with immediate success at Columbia Records with Paul Craft's "Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life" and quickly added further hits, including "Here I Am Drunk Again".
From 1977 through 1979, he was a country chart regular with singles such as "I'm Sorry For You, My Friend" (the song Williams had written for their mutual friend Lefty Frizzell), "Cowboys Ain't Supposed To Cry", "That's What Makes The Jukebox Play", and a duet with Janie Fricke, "It's A Cheating Situation".
In 1979, he achieved his first solo number 1 with "I Cheated Me Right Out of You".
That same year, in 1979, Bandy joined forces with Joe Stampley and recorded a tongue in cheek novelty single: "Just Good Ol' Boys". The song went on to top the country chart and it led to a continuation of their partnership. The duo, commonly known as "Moe and Joe", had more novelty hits between 1979 and 1985, including "Holding The Bag", "Tell Ole I Ain't Here", and "Hey Joe (Hey Moe)". In 1984, they ran into copyright problems with their parody of the then-current Boy George/Culture Club phenomenon: "Where's The Dress" used the guitar-riff introduction from Culture Club's hit "Karma Chameleon".
During the 1980s, Bandy maintained a steady line of solo successes, including "Yesterday Once More", "Rodeo Romeo", "She's Not Really Cheatin' (She's Just Gettin' Even)", and "Till I'm Too Old To Die Young".
Bandy also registered duet successes with Judy Bailey ("Following The Feeling") and Becky Hobbs ("Let's Get Over Them Together"). Over the years, he maintained a touring schedule estimated at 250 to 300 days a year and appeared on numerous network television shows. In later years, he cut back considerably on his schedule. He was never a regular Grand Ole Opry member, but has made guest appearances from time to time.
Bandy summed up his music when he said, "I really think my songs are about life. There's cheating, drinking and divorcing going on everywhere and that's what hardcore country music is all about." He added: "If I'd done all the things I sing about, I'd be dead."
Critics reviewing some of his later recordings wrote that it was strange that at a time when more artists were actually recording his type of music, some of his recordings were spoiled by string and/or choir arrangements, and advised that an immediate return to his roots was necessary. Bandy opened his popular Americana Theatre in Branson, Missouri in 1991 and performs frequently there.
Moe, along with his brother, Mike Bandy, a six time NFR bull riding qualifier, were inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2007.
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Moe Bandy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jesus, keep me from all wrong,
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to thee.
Just a closer walk to Thee,
Jesus grant my humble plea!
Daily walking close to thee,
Through this world of toils and snares,
If I falter Lord, who cares,
Who with me my burden shares?
None but thee, my dear Lord, none but thee.
Just a closer walk to Thee,
Jesus grant my humble plea!
Daily walking close to thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
When the journey here is o'er,
Time for me will be no more,
Guide me to thy distant shore,
To thy shore, O dear Lord, to thy shore.
Just a closer walk to Thee,
Jesus grant my humble plea!
Daily walking close to thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
The lyrics to Moe Bandy's song "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" are a prayer to Jesus, asking for strength and guidance through life's trials and challenges. The singer acknowledges their own weakness but relies on Jesus' strength to keep them from wrongdoing. The desire to stay close to Jesus is expressed in the repeated refrain of "Just a closer walk to Thee."
The second verse speaks to the struggles of this world and the burden of carrying on. The singer asks who will share their burdens when they falter, and acknowledges that only Jesus is there to help. The refrain brings the focus back to the desire for a closer relationship with Jesus.
The final verse speaks to the singer's eventual death and the hope of reaching heaven with Jesus' guidance. The desire for a closer walk with Jesus remains strong until the end.
Line by Line Meaning
I am weak but thou art strong,
I am not very strong, but you are so powerful, Jesus, please help me stay away from all that is sinful.
Jesus, keep me from all wrong,
Please protect me, Jesus, from all the wrong actions and decisions that may lead me to sin.
I'll be satisfied as long
As long as I walk towards you continuously, I will experience inner peace and contentment.
As I walk, let me walk close to thee.
Please allow me to walk closer to you every passing day, Jesus, as I seek your guidance and comfort throughout my life.
Just a closer walk to Thee,
I am longing for a more intimate relationship with you every day, Jesus, as I strive to live a more faith-filled life.
Jesus grant my humble plea!
Please grant my humble request, O Lord, as I ask for more strength, guidance, and wisdom from you.
Daily walking close to thee,
May I seek to walk with you closely every day, Lord, as I continue my life journey and seek your divine presence.
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
May it be so, dear Lord, may I continue to seek you and your guidance every day of my life.
Through this world of toils and snares,
As I journey through this world filled with hardships, struggles, and temptations, please be my guiding light, Jesus.
If I falter Lord, who cares,
Even if I stumble and fall in this path, I know I have you, Lord, who will always be there to lift me up and support me.
Who with me my burden shares?
When I feel burdened and overwhelmed, Jesus, please remind me that I am not alone, and you are here to share my pain with me.
None but thee, my dear Lord, none but thee.
You are the only one, my dear Lord, who can truly understand my struggles, support me through them, and lift me up when I fall.
When the journey here is o'er,
When my journey on this earth is complete and I must leave this world behind, please guide me closer to you, Lord.
Time for me will be no more,
When I pass away, time will no longer be of importance, and all that will matter is my relationship with you, my Lord.
Guide me to thy distant shore,
Please guide me towards your heavenly shore, Lord, where I may live in eternal peace and happiness with you.
To thy shore, O dear Lord, to thy shore.
I long to reach your divine shore, Lord, where I may live and walk ever so closely with you, God.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILL (USA) BLACK, TRADITIONAL, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind