The Flatlanders is an American country band from Lubbock, Texas, founded in… Read Full Bio ↴The Flatlanders is an American country band from Lubbock, Texas, founded in 1972 by Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock.

The fact that all that these Texas music titans, on their first go-round as The Flatlanders in 1972, were completely rejected by the country music establishment is surprising in retrospect but, ultimately, poetic. That each went on to have formidable solo careers is a testament to their talent and determination. Add to this their diverse yet complimentary styles - Joe the street-wise rocker, Jimmie Dale the mystic with the classic country voice and Butch the cerebral folk singer - and you've got a story of one of the most extraordinary kinships in American musical history.

It took these Flatlanders a mere three decades to release the sequel to their legendary debut. So the swift arrival of the group's latest New West album Wheels of Fortune - which comes hard on the heels of 2002's widely acclaimed Now Again - is a delightful and very welcome surprise. The fourteen songs that make up Wheels Of Fortune are absolute wonders of songcraft, sung by three of the most authentic voices in music today.

Joe, Jimmie and Butch initially reunited as The Flatlanders in 1998 to do a one-off recording, at the behest of Robert Redford's people, for the soundtrack of The Horse Whisperer. It was so much fun, the trio regrouped and cut an entire album. The result, Now Again, was unanimously received as a triumph. Mojo magazine dubbed them a "country Beatles." Rolling Stone gave it 3 and 1/2 stars. The Washington Post said, "Given the jaw-dropping quality of the disc, three decades almost seems a reasonable wait." Billboard raved, "An event record that lives up to all expectations." Now Again spent 17 weeks at #1 on the Americana charts and 21 weeks on the Billboard Country charts.

It was only a matter of weeks after the band had completed an 80-date U.S. and European tour when they re-entered the studio. "Once you get somebody on stage, it's kind of hard to get 'em off," Hancock says with a laugh. "Once we got a roll going, it felt good to keep working on something."

"We didn't want to go another 30 years before we made a record," Ely says. "After our last date of the tour, we were talking about it on the bus. We said, 'Well, ought to just get together while the band is hot and fresh and record. Not even think about it.' Basically, that's what we did. We didn't plan it or anything. We just sat down and started recording songs that we'd like to hear on tape. That's what this record is."

In March 2003, the Flatlanders and their band - Robbie Gjersoe (guitars, banjo, vocals), Steve Wesson (musical saw), Tony Pearson (vocals), Gary Herman (bass), and Chris Searles (drums) - convened at Joe Ely's Austin studio, with Ely again producing. Guests included steel guitarist (and noted producer) Lloyd Maines, guitarist Mitch Watkins, and accordionist Joel Guzman. The Flatlanders ended up cutting more than 30 songs, 14 of which appear on Wheels of Fortune. Some of the tunes are brand new while others have been kicking around in the individual repertoires of Ely, Gilmore, and Hancock for some time.

Hancock reflects, "We came together as a bunch of friends who happened to be musicians, too. There's just that crazy Lubbock mystery to it. We've all had our focus on the quality of the songs and the music, instead of any kind of 'me first' thing, or any kind of ego trips. It's almost like the old Marx Brothers thing: Three guys get to the door at the same time, and they all say, 'Oh, no, you go first.' 'No, you go first.' 'No, please, please, you go first.'"

Ely adds, "We've always been close, but now I think that we all realize that this is something that is really special. There are very few people who have remained as close as we have, especially in the music world. There are cases out there where brothers won't even talk to each other because they've been in the music business together. We consider this a real precious thing."

"For it to still be as much fun as it was in the beginning, I feel blessed," says Gilmore. "A lot of musicians don't get that luxury."

Copied and pasted from http://newwestrecords.com/theflatlanders.php

Keeper Of The Mountain
The Flatlanders Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Al Strehli)

I remember you a-tellin' me don't clutch your rose
Don't mourn the sunset and I suppose
If I hear the river moanin' it's just the way I'm feelin'
The river's not complaining, oh no oh no no no

And the very next day we woke before the dawn

We found our way by the ramblin' river
And we had no dream we just lived one
I the keeper of the mountain, you the morning flower, uh huh uh huh huh huh

(Chorus)
There was no reason to go and I never claimed to know
And these (and these), these ain't teardrops (these ain't teardrops)
That ain't the river (ain't the river), just a-moanin' (just a-moanin')
The river's not complainin', oh no oh no no no

When I spoke big words you just let them fly away
Blue paper birds on a summer's day
And I took you by the hand, knew that you would understand
I the keeper of the mountain, you the morning flower, uh huh uh huh huh huh

(Chorus)

Overall Meaning

The song "Keeper of the Mountain" by The Flatlanders is a heartfelt ode to the beauty of nature and the power of living in the present moment. The lyrics begin with the singer recalling the advice of a wise friend who urged him not to hold onto fleeting moments or lament their passing. The friend reminds him that even the moaning of a river shouldn't be seen as a complaint, but simply as a reflection of the emotions within us.

The song then describes a day spent exploring the wilds along a rambling river with a loved one. The simplicity of this moment is emphasized by the lack of any concrete plans or dreams - they are simply living in the present and enjoying the beauty around them. The singer sees himself as the keeper of the mountain, a caretaker of the natural world, while his partner is compared to a delicate flower blooming in the morning light.

The chorus repeats the idea that there is no need for any specific reason to embrace the beauty of life, and any tears shed are not born of sadness, but rather an overwhelming sense of joy and appreciation. The river may moan, but it is not complaining - it is simply expressing the emotions that we all feel within us.

This song is a beautiful reminder of the power of mindfulness and living in the present moment. It reminds us to appreciate the beauty of the natural world around us and to embrace the fleeting moments of joy that we encounter along the way.

Line by Line Meaning

I remember you a-tellin' me don't clutch your rose
You once told me not to hold onto something so tightly, like a rose that will eventually wilt

Don't mourn the sunset and I suppose
Don't be sad about the passing of time, it's just a natural occurrence

If I hear the river moanin' it's just the way I'm feelin'
If I hear the sound of the river, it may reflect my current emotional state

The river's not complaining, oh no oh no no no
However, the river is not actually upset or complaining about anything

And the very next day we woke before the dawn
The very next day, we woke up early, before the sun rose

We found our way by the ramblin' river
We navigated ourselves along the winding river

And we had no dream we just lived one
We didn't have a specific goal in mind, but our journey itself was fulfilling

I the keeper of the mountain, you the morning flower, uh huh uh huh huh huh
I am the caretaker of the mountain, and you are the fresh, blooming flower of the morning

There was no reason to go and I never claimed to know
There was no particular reason or purpose for our journey, and I didn't pretend to have all the answers

And these (and these), these ain't teardrops (these ain't teardrops)
These emotions I'm feeling are not tears, despite how they may appear

That ain't the river (ain't the river), just a-moanin' (just a-moanin')
The sound I hear is not the river being upset, it's just making a noise

When I spoke big words you just let them fly away
I may have said some grandiose things, but you didn't take them too seriously

Blue paper birds on a summer's day
Like delicate paper birds floating in the breeze, my words were fleeting and insubstantial

And I took you by the hand, knew that you would understand
I led you forward, knowing that you would appreciate the journey and what it represents

I the keeper of the mountain, you the morning flower, uh huh uh huh huh huh
Once again, I am the steward of this mountain, and you are the vibrant, youthful blossom of the morning

(Chorus)
The chorus repeats previous sentiments about the river, tears, and not knowing everything

Contributed by Harper N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS