Skaggs's music career began in 1970 when he joined Ralph Stanley's bluegrass band, the Clinch Mountain Boys. He plays mandolin, fiddle, guitar and banjo. For a few years, Skaggs was a member of Emmylou Harris's "Hot Band". He wrote the arrangements for Harris's bluegrass-roots album, Roses in the Snow. In addition to arranging, Skaggs sang harmony, and played mandolin and fiddle. In 2000, he shared the stage with the jam band Phish.
Skaggs moved to Nashville in 1980 and was signed to Sony Records, where he produced his debut album, Waitin' For The Sun To Shine. The album produced four successful singles, including two number one country hits. Many people say he rescued country music from the doldrums it had found itself in the 1970s. He was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry in 1982. He racked up 12 number one hits and 6 top ten singles during the 1980s. Skaggs picked up dozens of industry awards in the ensuing years.
He has made many fans due to his dedication to the traditional bluegrass style of music. "I always want to try to promote the old music, as well as trying to grow (musically), and be a pioneer too," Skaggs once said. Because of this approach to his music, Skaggs has been considered to be the founding father of Neotraditional Country.
From Wikipedia;
Early career:
Ricky Skaggs started playing music after he was given a mandolin by his fater, Hobert. At age 5, he played mandolin on stage with Bill Monroe. At age 6, he appeared on television's Martha White country music variety show, playing with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. he also wanted to audition for the Grand Ole Opry at the time, but was told he was too young.
In his mid-teens, Skaggs met a fellow teen prodigy, guitarist Keith Whitley and the two started playing together with Whitley's banjoist brothr Dwight on radio shows. By 1970, they had earned a spot opening for Ralph Stanley and Skaggs and Keith Whitley were thereafter invited to join Stanley's band, the Clinch Mountain Boys.
Skaggs later joined J.D. Crowe's New South. For a few years, Skaggs was a member of Emmylou Harris's Hot Band. He wrothe the arrangements for Harris's 1980 bluegrass-roots album, Roses in the Snow. In addition to arranging for Harris, Skaggs sang harmony and played mandolin and fiddle.
Neotraditionalism and experimentation:
Into the 1990s and 2000s, Skaggs has embraced his bluegrass roots, as well as experimenting with new sounds. With his band, Kentucky Thunder, he is a perennial winner of Grammy Awards and International Bluegrass Music Association for best bluegrass album.
"I always want to try to promote the old music, as well as trying to grow, and be a pioneer too, "Skaggs once said.
In 2000, he shared the stage with Vermont-based jam band, Phis. On March 20, 2007, Skaggs released an album with rock musician Burce Hornsby.
In 2007, Skaggs is slated to release and album he recorded with The Whites on his Skaggs Family Records label.
In 2008, Skaggs recorded a bluegrass version of "old Enough" by the Raconteurs with Ashley Monroe and the Raconteurs. He Played mandolin on the track as well as shared vocals with jack White, Brendan Benson, and Ashley Monroe.
Grammy awards
* 1983 Best Country Instrumental Performance: New South (J.D. Crowe, Jerry Douglas, Todd Phillips, Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs) for Fireball
* 1984 Best Country Instrumental Performance: Ricky Skaggs for Wheel Hoss
* 1986 Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist): Ricky Skaggs for Raisin' The Dickins
* 1991 Best Country Vocal Collaboration: Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner & Vince Gill for Restless
* 1999 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Bluegrass Rules!
* 1998 Best Country Collaboration with Vocals: Clint Black, Joe Diffie, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt & Dwight Yoakam for Same Old Train
* 2000 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Ancient Tones
* 2000 Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Soldier Of The Cross
* 2003 Best Country Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for A Simple Life
* 2004 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Brand New Strings
* 2006 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Instrumentals
* 2006 Best Musical Album For Children, "Songs From The Neighborhood, The Music Of Mr. Rogers"
* 2008 Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Ricky Skaggs and The Whites for Salt Of The Earth
* 2009 Best Bluegrass Album "Honoring The Fathers Of Bluegrass 1946 & 47"
CMA (Country Music Association) Awards
* 1982 Male Vocalist of the Year: Ricky Skaggs
* 1982 Horizon Award: Ricky Skaggs
* 1983 Instrumental Group of the Year: Ricky Skaggs Band
* 1984 Instrumental Group of the Year: Ricky Skaggs Band
* 1985 Entertainer of the Year: Ricky Skaggs
* 1985 Instrumental Group of the Year: Ricky Skaggs Band
* 1987 Vocal Duo of the Year: Ricky Skaggs & Sharon White
IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Awards
* 1998 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
* 1998 Album Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder for Bluegrass Rules!
* 1999 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
* 2000 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
* 2000 Instrumental Album Of The Year: David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Frank Wakefield, Bobby Osborne, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs & Buck White for Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
* 2000 Recorded Event Of The Year: David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Frank Wakefield, Bobby Osborne, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs & Buck White for Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
* 2002 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
* 2003 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
* 2004 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
* 2005 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
* 2006 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
Other Awards and Accomplishments
* R&R Best New Artist
* Billboard magazine's Artist of the Year
* Musician Magazine- Voted One of the Top 100 Guitarists of the Century
* Artist of the Decade- Listeners' Poll Award BBC Radio 2
* CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music rank #37 in 2003.
* Judge for the 2nd annual Independent Music Awards
Honey
Ricky Skaggs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"This is your sweet daddy, don't you love me no more?
"It's cold outside, let me sleep on the floor,
"Honey won't you open that door."
I honky-tonked around Dallas,
I got in a poker game.
Well, somebody must-a been a-cheatin',
I lost everything but my name.
I finally got back home.
But I'd been better off where I was,
'Cause here's where things went wrong.
"Honey, honey, honey won't you open that door,
"This is your sweet daddy, don't you love me no more?
"It's cold outside, let me sleep on the floor,
"Honey, won't you open that door."
Instrumental break.
I went right down to see old Bob,
I thought he was my friend.
The landlord said that Bob's not here,
The police done hauled him in.
I ran right back to little Honey's house,
I got me a rockin' chair.
"Now, Honey if you don't open that door,
"I'm gonna rock on away from here."
"Honey, honey, honey won't you open that door,
"This is your sweet daddy, don't you love me no more?
"It's cold outside, let me sleep on the floor,
"Honey won't you open that door.
"Honey, honey, honey won't you open that door,
"This is your sweet daddy, don't you love me no more?
"It's cold outside, let me sleep on the floor,
"Honey won't you open that door.
"Honey, honey, honey, honey,
"Now, honey won't you open that door."
The lyrics to Ricky Skaggs's "Honey" describe a man who is pleading with his lover to let him in after being away from home for some time. He uses the endearing term "honey" repeatedly and begs for her to show him the love that he thinks he deserves. The song opens with the man knocking on the door and calling out, "Honey, honey, honey won't you open that door, This is your sweet daddy, don't you love me no more?" Despite the cold weather, he's willing to sleep on the floor, just to be near her.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the man has been up to something. He's been out honky-tonking around Dallas and ended up losing everything he had except for his name in a poker game. He then tries to make his way to Memphis, but things don't go as planned. When he finally returns home, he finds that his situation has gone from bad to worse. He discovers that a friend he thought he could rely on (Bob) has been taken into police custody. The man has nowhere left to turn except to his lover, and he begs her to let him in.
One interpretation of this song is that it is a cautionary tale about the dangers of gambling and being unfaithful. The man's mistakes lead him down a path that ultimately results in him being isolated from those he loves. He comes back to his lover desperate for her acceptance and forgiveness. The lyrics seem to indicate that he is struggling with his conscience, and he needs validation from others to feel better about the choices he's made.
Line by Line Meaning
Honey, honey, honey won't you open that door,
The singer is asking his lover to open the door for him.
This is your sweet daddy, don't you love me no more?
The singer is prompting his lover to remember their shared love and affection.
It's cold outside, let me sleep on the floor,
The singer is asking his lover to allow him to take shelter from the cold for the night.
I honky-tonked around Dallas,
The singer is telling the story of his travels and experiences.
I got in a poker game.
The singer played a game of poker.
Well, somebody must-a been a-cheatin',
The singer suspects that someone may have cheated in the game, causing him to lose.
I lost everything but my name.
The singer lost all his possessions, except for his name, after losing the poker game.
Well, I walked half way to Memphis,
The singer traveled a long distance to get to his destination.
I finally got back home.
The singer returned to his original destination.
But I'd been better off where I was,
The singer regrets returning home, and wishes he had stayed where he was.
'Cause here's where things went wrong.
The singer feels that he made a mistake by returning home.
Instrumental break.
No lyrics are sung during this section of the song, allowing the instrumental music to take center stage.
I went right down to see old Bob,
The singer visited someone named Bob.
I thought he was my friend.
The singer believed that Bob was a friend of his.
The landlord said that Bob's not here,
The landlord informed the singer that Bob was not present at his residence.
The police done hauled him in.
The police had arrested Bob and taken him into custody.
I ran right back to little Honey's house,
The singer returned to the home of his lover, Honey.
I got me a rockin' chair.
The singer obtained a rocking chair for himself.
"Now, Honey if you don't open that door,
The singer is making a final plea to his lover to allow him inside.
I'm gonna rock on away from here."
If his lover does not let him in, the singer will leave and continue on his journey.
"Honey, honey, honey won't you open that door,
The singer repeats his plea to his lover to let him in.
This is your sweet daddy, don't you love me no more?
The singer is again reminding his lover of their past connection and asking for her love.
It's cold outside, let me sleep on the floor,
The singer is still requesting shelter for the night.
Honey won't you open that door.
The singer concludes the song by repeating his initial request to his lover to open the door and let him in.
"Honey, honey, honey, honey,
The singer repeats his lover's name, emphasizing his desire for her to acknowledge him.
Now, honey won't you open that door."
The singer pleads with his lover one final time to open the door and let him in.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ABDULLAH IBRAHIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Subscriber 10
This song remained dormant in my subconscious for 30 years. Today it decided to pop in.
🎼🎵 🍯🎶🎵
Dustin Williams
Strange how that happens
trapper Nash
When my grandpa was drunk my grandma wouldn't let him in the house so he started singing this song
jon siewert
This song makes me want to go on a road trip. Full tank of gas, the highway, and great music. Nothing better.
RedneckIllinois
I remember having this song on cassette and listening to this driving my 96 s10. First time I heard it sticks with you forever
Stephen Soileau
they don't make country song like this no more
Parker Savidge
Ik bro
Betty Creamer
Danced to this song when I was 12 yrs old still love it
Lawrence E
You can't appreciate this song unless you've been in that position, I have, many times.
Larry Davis
My favorite Ricky Skaggs tune. 👍👍👍👍👍