Both Seals and Crofts were born in Texas. They first met when Crofts was a drummer for a local band. Later, Seals joined a band called Dean Beard and the Crew Cuts where he played guitar; later on Crofts joined the band. With Beard, they moved to Los Angeles to join The Champs. In 1958, Seals and Crofts toured with The Champs. After the success of their number one Latin rock instrumental hit "Tequila", the pair returned to Los Angeles to work as session musicians.
In 1962, Jimmy Seals, Dash Crofts, Glen Campbell, and Jerry Cole left The Champs to form a band named "Glen Campbell and the GCs" which played at The Crossbow in Van Nuys, CA. The band only lasted a couple of years before the members went their separate ways. Crofts returned to Texas and Seals joined a band named "The Dawnbreakers" (a reference to a book by the same name). Crofts eventually returned to California to join The Dawnbreakers. However, The Dawnbreakers turned out to be unsuccessful. Crofts married fellow Dawnbreaker Billie Lee Day in 1969, and both Seals and Crofts were introduced and converted to the Bahá'í Faith.
After the failure with The Dawnbreakers, the two decided to play as a duo, with Seals on guitar, saxophone and violin, and Crofts on guitar and mandolin. They signed a contract with Talent Associates and released two LPs, which were largely ignored. The pair signed a new contract with Warner Bros. Records in 1971. Their first album with their new label was also unsuccessful, but their second album, Summer Breeze charted at #7 in 1972.
After a long and successful run of recordings in the 1970s, the two lost their contract with Warner Brothers and set aside music for a while. They held a short reunion tour in 1991–1992 and appeared at several Bahá'í gatherings. Crofts lived in Mexico, Australia and then Nashville, playing country music and making occasional hit singles. Seals moved to Costa Rica and has lived on a coffee farm since 1980.
In 2003, Seals and Crofts reunited and recorded a new album, "Traces", for the first time since 1998. They toured during 2004–2005.
In the early 2000s up to 2008, Seals embarked on various tours with his brother Dan ("England" Dan Seals, of England Dan & John Ford Coley), billing themselves as Seals & Seals.
In December 2010, the bandmates' daughters Juliet (Seals) Crossley and Amelia (Crofts) Dailey, along with Genevieve (Bogan) Dozier, daughter of Seals and Crofts engineer Joey Bogan, formed a musical trio called The Humming Birds. They released their self titled EP The Humming Birds in September 2012.
In 2018, Brady Seals (Jim's cousin) and Lua Crofts (Dash's daughter) began touring as Seals and Crofts 2, performing the catalog of Seals and Crofts, as well as some new music.
Fiddle In The Sky
Seals & Crofts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He'd grab the fiddle and he'd hold it tight. The angels there would gather 'round him.
And he would all through the night. And he would play all through the night.
And he would play 'til everything seemed alright, and I cried every time that I watched him play.
Lord, he really had something to say. And I watched him steal away.
He built himself a cabin at the foot of a hill. He never knew the city street.
He never had much money never needed a will. All he had was one ol' fiddle.
And now I'll play 'til everything seems alright. Gonna play 'til the angels dance in the sky.
Lord, I'll play this fiddle 'til I die. I'll play this fiidle 'til I die.
I'll play this fiddle 'til I die. I'l play this fiddle in the sky.
The lyrics to Seals & Crofts's song Fiddle In The Sky are about a man who finds solace and comfort in playing his fiddle in times of loneliness and despair. The song starts with the image of a lonely night where he has no one to be his friend, but he finds his fiddle and holds it tightly. With the fiddle, he attracts angels to him, and he plays all through the night until everything seems alright. The singer says that he cries every time he watches the man play because he had something to say through his music. The man's playing is so powerful that it can transport him and the listener to another place.
The song goes on to reveal that the man built himself a cabin at the foot of a hill, away from the city streets, and never had much money. But he found meaning and purpose in his life through playing his fiddle. He passed down the fiddle to the singer, who now plays it until everything seems alright. The song ends with the determination to play the fiddle until the angels dance in the sky, and he will play it until he dies.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes in the middle of the lonely night, no one there to be his friend.
During the lonely nights with no friends around, he would take his fiddle in hand.
He’d grab the fiddle and he’d hold it tight. The angels there would gather 'round him.
With the fiddle in his grasp, angels would appear and surround him.
And he would all through the night. And he would play all through the night.
He would play all night, putting his heart and soul into the music.
And he would play 'til everything seemed alright, and I cried every time that I watched him play.
His playing was so powerful, that it had the ability to make everything seem right and move people to tears.
Lord, he really had something to say. And I watched him steal away.
He had a message to convey with his music, and after playing he would quietly retreat.
He built himself a cabin at the foot of a hill. He never knew the city street.
He chose to live a simple life in a rustic cabin away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
He never had much money never needed a will. All he had was one ol' fiddle.
He wasn't wealthy but didn't need anything materialistic, the only thing he treasured was his fiddle.
And he passed it down to me. And he passed it down to me.
He entrusted his prized possession to the artist, passing down the legacy of his music.
And now I'll play 'til everything seems alright. Gonna play 'til the angels dance in the sky.
The artist aims to carry on the tradition, playing until things seem better and the angels dance to the tune.
Lord, I'll play this fiddle 'til I die. I'll play this fiidle 'til I die.
'Til his dying breath, the artist will play the fiddle with the same passion and love as his mentor.
I'll play this fiddle 'til I die. I'll play this fiddle in the sky.
The singer's music will resonate forever, even above in the afterlife.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DARRELL G. CROFTS, JIMMY SEALS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Perplexia X
@Richard Michael I joined in '79! I was there for a moment
(for processing) before we got bused down to FT. Gordon, GA
for Basic and OSUT, so I know the area, the weather, and the mosquitoes!
Good thing you are a great talker... who knows what would have
happened otherwise!
Yeah, Google keeps changing this and that about Youtube,
and so sometimes things that are supposed to happen
(like getting notifications) seem to not happen, and come in to my mail! It's really bad right now, though... both Google and Youtube glitch like
crazy now, what with the overload of everyone doing everything online!
There are other songs here and there on their other albums,
but this is definitely my fave! Nice talking with you! Have a nice day! :-)
komic kid
Sometimes in the middle of the lonely night, no one there to be his friend
He'd grab the fiddle and he'd hold it tight. The angels there would gather 'round him
And he would all through the night. And he would play all through the night
And he would play 'til everything seemed alright, and I cried everytime that I watched him play
Lord, he really had something to say. And I watched him steal away
He built himself a cabin at the foot of a hill. He never knew the city street
He never had much money never needed a will. All he had was one ol' fiddle
And he passed it down to me. And he passed it down to me
And now I'll play 'til everythin seems alright. Gonna play 'til the angels dance in the sky
Lord, I'll play this fiddle 'til I die. I'll play this fiidle 'til I die
I'll play this fiddle 'til I die. I'l play this fiddle in the sky
Edsel Dugais
This song is too awesome for words! I can only say that it had to be inspired by the angles!
Perplexia X
I'm pretty sure I heard all their albums at least once.. why do people say "Diamond Girl" is their best album?
Is it just me, or does "Summer Breeze" actually kick every other ones A$$?
Perplexia X
@Richard Michael I joined in '79! I was there for a moment
(for processing) before we got bused down to FT. Gordon, GA
for Basic and OSUT, so I know the area, the weather, and the mosquitoes!
Good thing you are a great talker... who knows what would have
happened otherwise!
Yeah, Google keeps changing this and that about Youtube,
and so sometimes things that are supposed to happen
(like getting notifications) seem to not happen, and come in to my mail! It's really bad right now, though... both Google and Youtube glitch like
crazy now, what with the overload of everyone doing everything online!
There are other songs here and there on their other albums,
but this is definitely my fave! Nice talking with you! Have a nice day! :-)
Richard Michael
@Perplexia X You had six other replies not sure why you wouldn't have been contacted. You might be right, Summer Breeze probably has a bit variety of tunes. I bought this album in basic training in the summer of 1972 at Fort Jackson, SC, a hot hell hole. I was the album when playing pool in the game room and there were about 8 African Americans besides me. One guy took the album off and put on Superfly which was also a big album all the time. The guy who did it was obnoxious, and I argued with him, but I am not a fighter, especially being outnumbered. One of the guys told him off, then there were threats and for one of the only times I wasn't afraid to at least argue my point with a guy who was definitely a thug. Luckily there wasn't a fight, I wouldn't have had a chance.
Perplexia X
@Richard Michael Wow!!! This is the first time I've been notified of comments on this post... Thanks, Youtube! Sorry, everyone! I've totally forgotten about this comment! Yeah, two monsters, but the whole album just has a flow that I just immediately loved! ...plus it wasn't what was the norm for that time of Folk-ish Psychedelic Counterculture... really stood out to me! I mean, how many bands at that time harbored a mandolin? lol Kudos for all their works, but I humbly disagree with you, Richard! :-) Hope you're staying safe, and having a great 2020! (That goes out to all replyers!)
Richard Michael
I think it is Down Home, maybe because that is the first one that I heard, although this is a great album too. 2 monster hits.
Debra Williams
Perplexia X. I so totally agree.! The year this was released it quickly became my Summer Party Anthem. Man those days were so great
komic kid
Sometimes in the middle of the lonely night, no one there to be his friend
He'd grab the fiddle and he'd hold it tight. The angels there would gather 'round him
And he would all through the night. And he would play all through the night
And he would play 'til everything seemed alright, and I cried everytime that I watched him play
Lord, he really had something to say. And I watched him steal away
He built himself a cabin at the foot of a hill. He never knew the city street
He never had much money never needed a will. All he had was one ol' fiddle
And he passed it down to me. And he passed it down to me
And now I'll play 'til everythin seems alright. Gonna play 'til the angels dance in the sky
Lord, I'll play this fiddle 'til I die. I'll play this fiidle 'til I die
I'll play this fiddle 'til I die. I'l play this fiddle in the sky
Mark Martin
Gonna play this fiddle till I’m in the sky!, hallelujah!!
Andre R. Newcomb
"Sky" liquor on my lantana and then a dying dove thrown over the fence. You're all very amusing. Died in my hands. A bride's made?