They left for San Francisco in 1959, where they met Mort Lewis, Dave Brubeck's manager. Lewis became their manager and later that year secured them a contract with Columbia Records. Their second single, "Greenfields," released in January 1960, hit #2 on the pop charts, and their first album, Brothers Four, released toward the end of the year, made the top 20. Other highlights of their early career included singing their fourth single, "The Green Leaves of Summer," from the John Wayne movie The Alamo, at the 1961 Academy Awards, and having their second album, BMOC/Best Music On/Off Campus, go top 10. They also recorded the theme song for the ABC television series Hootenanny, "Hootenanny Saturday Night," in 1963.
The British Invasion and the ascendance of such folk musicians as Bob Dylan put an end to the Brothers Four's early period of success, but they kept performing and making records, doing particularly well in Japan and on the American hotel circuit.
The band attempted a comeback by recording a highly commercial version of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." But the band was unable to release it because of licensing issues, and The Byrds eventually stole their thunder by releasing their heralded version.
Mike Kirkland left the group in 1969, and was replaced by Mark Pearson, another University of Washington alumnus. In 1971, Pearson left and was replaced by Bob Haworth, who stayed until 1989 and was replaced by a returning Pearson. Dick Foley left the group in 1990 and was replaced by Terry Lauber. Despite all the changes and having spent 47 years in the business, the group is still active today (2004).
Hard Travelin'
The Brothers Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought you know.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Way down the road.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin',
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
I thought you know
I been leanin'on a pressure drill,
Way down the road.
Hammer flyin', air hose blowin',
Six feet of mud, I sure been a-goin',
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
I thought you know.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Way down the road.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin',
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
I been havin' some hard harvestin',
I thought you know
I been hittin' some rough handlin',
Way down the road;
Cut that wheat and stack that hay,
Tryin' to make about a dollar a day,
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
I thought you know.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Way down the road.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin',
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
I been hittin' that Lincoln Highway,
I thought you know
I been hittin' that sixty-six,
Way down the road;
Heavy load and a worried mind,
Lookin' for a woman that's hard to find,
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
I thought you know.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Way down the road.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin',
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
I been workin' that Fittsburgh steel,
I thought you know
I been workin' that red-hot slag,
Way down the road.
I been blastin', I been firin',
I been duckin' red-hot iron,
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
I thought you know.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Way down the road.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin',
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
I thought you know.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Way down the road.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin',
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
The lyrics of "Hard Travelin'" by The Brothers Four is a song about a man who has been traveling for a long time, encountering different jobs and hardships along the way. He repeats the phrase "I been havin' some hard travelin'," emphasizing the difficulty of his journey. The first verse talks about him working in a hard rock tunnel, using a pressure drill and dealing with six feet of mud. This is followed by him talking about his difficult experiences while harvesting wheat and stacking hay, and trying to make a dollar a day. He then talks about traveling on the Lincoln Highway and Highway 66, carrying a heavy load and worrying about finding a woman. The final verse describes him working in Pittsburgh steel and blasting and firing, which is another physically demanding job.
The song reflects the experiences of those who traveled the country during difficult times and had to resort to hard labor in order to make a living. It also highlights the tough and difficult conditions that people faced, especially during the Great Depression. Overall, the message is that life on the road is difficult, but you have to keep going and working hard despite the challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
I been havin' some hard travelin',
I have been going through a tough phase in my life, facing various challenges and uncertainties.
I thought you know.
I thought you were aware of my difficult circumstances.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
I have been going through a tough phase in my life, facing various challenges and uncertainties.
Way down the road.
This has been going on for a while.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
I have been going through a tough phase in my life, facing various challenges and uncertainties.
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin',
I have been working hard and taking risks to make a living.
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
Through all of this, I have been seeking divine intervention and guidance.
I been workin' in a hard rock tunnel,
I have been working in an arduous and dangerous job.
I been leanin'on a pressure drill,
I have been operating heavy machinery under intense pressure.
Hammer flyin', air hose blowin',
The job involves fast-paced and noisy work environments.
Six feet of mud, I sure been a-goin',
I have been working in challenging and messy conditions, with little respite.
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
Through all of this, I have been seeking divine intervention and guidance.
I been havin' some hard harvestin',
I have been working hard to harvest crops.
I been hittin' some rough handlin',
The job involves physical labor and heavy lifting.
Cut that wheat and stack that hay,
I have been working long hours to get the job done and make money.
Tryin' to make about a dollar a day,
Despite the hard work, I am barely making enough to get by.
I been a-havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
Through all of this, I have been seeking divine intervention and guidance.
I been hittin' that Lincoln Highway,
I have been traveling on a major roadway.
I been hittin' that sixty-six,
I have been traveling on Route 66, a famous highway in the US.
Heavy load and a worried mind,
I am carrying a lot of baggage, both physical and emotional.
Lookin' for a woman that's hard to find,
I am searching for a woman who is elusive and hard to come by.
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
Through all of this, I have been seeking divine intervention and guidance.
I been workin' that Fittsburgh steel,
I have been working in the steel industry in Pittsburgh.
I been workin' that red-hot slag,
The job involves handling molten metal and other hazardous materials.
I been blastin', I been firin',
I have been working with explosives and firing equipment.
I been duckin' red-hot iron,
I have been working in conditions that require me to move quickly to avoid danger.
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
Through all of this, I have been seeking divine intervention and guidance.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
I have been going through a tough phase in my life, facing various challenges and uncertainties.
I been havin' some hard travelin',
I have been going through a tough phase in my life, facing various challenges and uncertainties.
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin',
I have been working hard and taking risks to make a living.
I been havin' some hard travelin', Lord.
Through all of this, I have been seeking divine intervention and guidance.
Contributed by Declan T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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