Though The Dillards were already an established bluegrass band, their biggest claim to fame is performing musically as members of the fictional Darling family on The Andy Griffith Show, introducing bluegrass to many Americans who had never heard it. This was a recurring role and the Dillards were led by veteran character actor Denver Pyle as their father and jug player, Briscoe Darling. Maggie Peterson played Charlene Darling, their sister and the focus for the attentions of character Ernest T. Bass, played by Howard Morris. The appearances of the Dillards as the Darlings ran between 1963 and 1966. In 1986, the Dillards reprised the role in the reunion show Return to Mayberry. As part of their current tour, Rodney Dillard answers questions about the TV series. He says the songs such as "Dooley" are about people the family knew.
On the October 1963 episode "Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee", the Dillards performed the first wide scale airing of the 1955 Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith composition Feudin' Banjos (Dueling Banjos).
According to Jim Clark of The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club, three albums have been produced with songs performed on the show. Clark says Songs That Make Me Cry is the only one currently available with real performances and has the three songs which included Maggie Peterson, who played Charlene. Back Porch Bluegrass: Live Almost includes five songs that were sung on the show, and Rodney Dillard released another album with the real performances of other songs.
The Dillards are notable for being among the first bluegrass groups to have electrified their instruments in the mid-1960s. They are considered to be one of the pioneers of the burgeoning southern California folk rock, country rock and progressive bluegrass genres, and are known to have directly or indirectly influenced artists such as The Eagles, The Byrds, and Elton John. In 1972, The Dillards joined Elton John on his first American tour. John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin has also acknowledged their influence, particularly in his decision to play the mandolin.
Rodney Dillard is a founding member of The Dillards - the group he formed with his brother, Douglas Dillard in the late 1950s. Credited throughout the years as the driving force behind the group's musical direction, success, and phenomenal longevity as a working act. Today, Dillard's musical duties include lead and harmony vocals, guitar, and dobro.
Beverly Cotten-Dillard is a native of Morrisville, North Carolina who performed with Janette Carter, Ola Belle Reed, Tommy Jarrell, and Doc and Merle Watson. She has appeared on Hee Haw and the Disney Channel and at Carnegie Hall. Cotten-Dillard is recognized as an authority on the traditional "clawhammer" banjo technique and is a featured member of The Dillards live shows. Her 1981 album Clog-In 'is considered an American folk classic."
George Giddens is a classically trained musician who is an awarded fiddler and mandolin player for the band.
Gary J. Smith was added to the lineup, having recorded double bass in the 2015 studio sessions for the new Dillards album. Smith is well known in Nashville circles after stints with Tom T. Hall, The Brother Boys, Ed Snodderly, and his long-time collaborator, Jeff Gilkinson.
Former member, Dean Webb, died at the age of 81, on June 30, 2018.
Old Home Place
The Dillards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the hollow where I was born
Where the cool fall nights make the wood smoke rise
And the foxhunter blows his horn
I fell in love with a girl from the town
I thought that she would be true
I ran away to Charlottesville
What have they done to the old home place
Why did they tear it down
And why did I leave the plow in the field
And look for a job in the town
Well my girl she ran off with somebody else
The taverns took all my pay
And here I stand where the old home stood
Before they took it away
Now the geese they fly south and the cold wind blows
As I stand here and hang my head
I've lost my love I've lost my home
And now I wish that I was dead
The Dillards' song "Old Home Place" depicts the longing and regret of a man who left his rural home and lost everything he held dear. The lyrics express the singer's feelings of being out of place and the sense of loss he feels after leaving his hometown ten years ago. The song begins by telling us that it's been a decade since he left his home in the hollow, where he was born, and where he misses the cool fall nights, the sight of wood smoke rising, and the sound of the foxhunter blowing his horn.
The lyrics then describe how he fell in love with a girl from the town who he thought would be true to him, but who eventually ran off with someone else. He left for Charlottesville and worked in sawmills, hoping to forget about the girl and start anew. However, life didn't go as planned as he soon discovered that the taverns took all his pay. The man was lost and alone, trying to make a life that he didn't have, and in the end, he lost everything he had ever known.
The song's powerful lyrics allow listeners to draw a connection to something they can relate to, as most people have experienced the loss of something they once held dear. The man in the song realizes the error of his ways after losing everything, and the musician offers an insightful message to listeners, leaving them with a sense of reflection and empathy.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been ten long years since I left my home
It has been a decade since I bid farewell to my birthplace
In the hollow where I was born
The place of my origin was nestled within a valley
Where the cool fall nights make the wood smoke rise
Amidst autumn's chilly evenings, wood smoke ascends
And the foxhunter blows his horn
The fox hunter sounds his horn in the vicinity
I fell in love with a girl from the town
I developed affection for a young woman in the locality
I thought that she would be true
I believed that she would be faithful to me
I ran away to Charlottesville
I departed for Charlottesville in haste
And worked in a sawmill or two
I toiled in one or two sawmills over there
What have they done to the old home place
What happened to my former abode?
Why did they tear it down
Why did they demolish it?
And why did I leave the plow in the field
Why did I abandon my farming equipment in the field?
And look for a job in the town
And seek a vocation in the urban area?
Well my girl she ran off with somebody else
My love absconded with someone else
The taverns took all my pay
Taverns drained my earnings completely
And here I stand where the old home stood
Presently, I am positioned where my former residence was erected
Before they took it away
Prior to its removal by someone else
Now the geese they fly south and the cold wind blows
Currently, the geese are migrating south amidst a frigid breeze
As I stand here and hang my head
As I perch here and bow down my head
I've lost my love, I've lost my home
I have missed my beloved, I have missed my residence
And now I wish that I was dead
Presently, I desire death's embrace
Lyrics © LYNNE GREEN-MELINCOFF D/B/A HOFFMAN HOUSE MUSIC
Written by: DEAN WEBB, MITCHELL JAYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tim a
It's been ten long years since I left my home
In the hollow where I was born
Where the cool fall nights make the wood smoke rise
And the foxhunter blows his horn
I fell in love with a girl from the town
I thought that she would be true
I ran away to Charlottesville
And worked in a sawmill or two
What have they done to the old home place
Why did they tear it down
And why did I leave the plow in the field
And look for a job in the town
Well my girl she ran off with somebody else
The taverns took all my pay
And here I stand where the old home stood
Before they took it away
Now the geese they fly south and the cold wind blows
As I stand here and hang my head
I've lost my love I've lost my home
And now I wish that I was dead
Ali Whitwell
This is still a step up from those who try to cover this great song. Superb harmonies and instrumental work. :-)
Ali Whitwell
@gratefuldean69 I did give it a listen. Without wishing to be unkind they should listen to this version and learn how it should be done. Good though that they tried. :-)
Captain Leadbottom
You stink! I cover this one.
Yes Yhe Dillards are great. But it is so much fun to play .
gratefuldean69
Please check out Phish’s version of it if you haven’t yet. They do an incredible job of this song.
GIB
ABSOLUTELY. Fantastic harmonies make their albums not just good, but great
Michael Shunkaha
Just love them and their music. We have a GREAT radio station here that plays nothing but CLASSIC COUNTRY MUSIC.......WVSB 104.5 out of Romney West Virginia it is one great station!
Peggy Sjostrom
Thanks for the tip about WVSB!
centerice
Man! The sound of THAT banjo on the lead in...
Sooo many banjo players back in the 60s and 70s, upon first hearing the sound of Douglas' banjo, went immediately to their own, and committed every possible extreme act of Luthier surgery, just to try and recreate THAT sound, but always to no avail. I was no exception. Then one day, I had Douglas play my medium quality banjo intended for intermediate players, and...it sounded just like his! I was crestfallen, for alas, it wasn't a different tone ring that I had needed or a different tension on the head, or anything like that at all. It was a double "hand transplant."
ozzykitten666
I thank my grandparents for getting me into bluegrass. I've met a ton of nice people (band members and fans alike) and I've discovered so many new songs and sounds that I enjoy. I found out about this song while listening to a bluegrass station on iTunes and I'm downloading it along with others so as to burn a CD for my grandparents so that they can enjoy it. ^_^ Thanks for sharing it.
brian shannon
ive listened to alot of bluegrass but the dillards kick all ass