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.
Too Old To Die Young
Moe Bandy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can close your window tight and it still comes flowing in
So I will climb the highest hill and watch the rising sun
And I pray that I don't feel the chill till I'm too old to die young
Let me watch my children grow to see what they become
Oh Lord, don't let that cold wind blow till I'm too old to die young
Now the only thing that's left of them is the teardrops in my eyes
If I could have one wish today and know it would be done
Well, I would say everyone could stay till they're too old to die young
Let me watch my children grow to see what they become
Oh Lord, don't let that cold wind blow till I'm too old to die young
Let me watch my children grow to see what they become
Oh Lord, don't let that cold wind blow till I'm too old to die young
Moe Bandy's song "Till I'm Too Old to Die Young" is a poignant meditation on the inevitability of death and the desire for a full and meaningful life. The opening verse, "If life is like a candle bright, death must be the wind," sets the tone for the song's reflective mood. The singer acknowledges that death is as natural and unstoppable as the wind, but nonetheless hopes to delay its arrival as long as possible. The repeated refrain, "Let me watch my children grow to see what they become / Oh Lord, don't let that cold wind blow till I'm too old to die young," emphasizes the importance of family and the desire to witness and support their growth and development.
The second verse takes a more personal turn, as the singer laments the loss of friends and loved ones. Despite the sadness and grief caused by their passing, the singer acknowledges that their memories and legacies live on. Again, the desire to delay death's arrival is expressed, as the singer wishes that everyone could stay alive "till they're too old to die young."
Overall, "Till I'm Too Old to Die Young" is a deeply moving and relatable song that speaks to the universal desire for a full and meaningful life. It captures the bittersweet reality of our mortality while celebrating the joys and blessings of life and family.
Line by Line Meaning
If life is like a candle bright, death must be the wind
Death is an inevitable force of nature that extinguishes the flame of life, just as the wind puts out a candle.
You can close your window tight and it still comes flowing in
Even if you try to avoid death, it will still find you, just like the wind can still enter a closed window.
So I will climb the highest hill and watch the rising sun
The singer intends to appreciate and savor every moment of life, symbolized by standing on a high place and watching the sun rise.
And I pray that I don't feel the chill till I'm too old to die young
The artist hopes to avoid the cold feeling of death until they have lived a long and fulfilling life.
Now I have had some dear sweet friends I thought would never die
The artist has lost friends who they believed would always be by their side but who succumbed to death.
Now the only thing that's left of them is the teardrops in my eyes
All that remains of the singer's departed friends is the memory of them, which brings them to tears.
If I could have one wish today and know it would be done
The singer desires one wish, which they know will be granted, if possible.
Well, I would say everyone could stay till they're too old to die young
The artist would use their wish to allow everyone to live long and prosper until they reach a ripe old age without premature death.
Let me watch my children grow to see what they become
The artist wants to witness their children's growth and development into adulthood.
Oh Lord, don't let that cold wind blow till I'm too old to die young
The artist is addressing God, asking for protection against death until they have lived a full life.
Let me watch my children grow to see what they become
The singer repeats their desire to witness their children's growth and development into adulthood.
Oh Lord, don't let that cold wind blow till I'm too old to die young
The artist repeats their prayer for divine protection against death until they have lived a long and fruitful life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: JOHN HADLEY, KEVIN WELCH, SCOTT DOOLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Fouse
I wish country music was still like this
Riogi
I agree.
The Fake Farmer
I believe this song is not just about growing old but about living and enjoying life in honour of our loved ones that are gone 😞
Brian Maricle
I love the fiddle solo at the end of this song just beautiful sound especially when played outside late at night way up loud down the country just resonates off the hills like the angels are there playing this themselves
Dorothy Lawson
As parents, we all hope for this. Love this song!
William Anthony
This is without a doubt my favorite Moe Bandy song of all time. It is more than likely the same wish we all possess in your hearts and souls. The more of my friends that leave this world, the more the song hits home, and someday someone, hopefully, will be saying this about me. Rest in Peace to all my dear friends that have preceded me in death. When you stop and think about it. We are all like a candle, and one swift breeze and we are out.
leftlanecharlie
GODs word says we like a mist then we gone....proverbs
Mary Lotempio
Mine too, from many years back
Tom Servo
leftlanecharlie God also knows every ridge of your fingerprint He made that makes you unique to Him.
Jim Cholley
Unfortunately this is not the original studio recording charting single.
It seems Moe rerecorded all his songs, or a whole lot of them.