Kleinow and Ethridge instigated a reformation of the band in 1975 which continued through 1984. The band was reformed once again in 1985 and were disbanded for a final time in 2001.
The band best known as the "Flying Burrito Brothers" actually 'borrowed' their name from the original "Flying Burrito Brothers", composed of bassist Ian Dunlop and drummer Mickey Gauvin, bandmates of Parsons from the Boston-based International Submarine Band, plus any of a loose coalition of musicians, including Parsons himself from time to time. In a deliberate choice of focusing on just creating and playing music without the distractions of the music industry, in 1968 the original Brothers moved from Los Angeles to New York City. From this base they continued to tour the Northeast playing their eclectic traditional/rockabilly/blues/R&B-oriented version of rock, using the name "The Flying Burrito Brothers East" after Parsons' group became famous.
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Parsons and guitarist/mandolinist/bassist/vocalist Chris Hillman thought this same moniker would be perfectly suited to the band they had been dreaming of since early 1968, when, as members of Roger McGuinn's band The Byrds, they created one of the first country-oriented rock albums, Sweetheart of the Rodeo. They immersed themselves in their vision in their house in the San Fernando Valley, dubbed "Burrito Manor", even replacing their wardrobe with a set of custom country-Western suits from tailor to the C&W stars, Nudie's Rodeo Tailors (Parsons's had marijuana leaf embroidery) and began a period of intensely fruitful creativity. At this juncture, the band also included pianist/bassist Chris Ethridge and pedal steel guitarist "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow.
Their first album The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) did not sell terribly well, being a radical departure from anything most of the record-buying public (either rock or country) had ever seen, but the group had a cult following which included several famous musicians, such as Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. Parsons soon became friends with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones and left the group after 1970's Burrito Deluxe, which also saw the departure of Ethridge and addition of guitarist/dobro player/vocalist Bernie Leadon and drummer Michael Clarke (of The Byrds). Rick Roberts replaced Parsons and released a self-titled album with the group in 1971. Kleinow then left to become a session musician and Leadon joined The Eagles. Al Perkins and Roger Bush replaced them, and Kenny Wertz and Byron Berline joined as well, releasing The Last of the Red Hot Burritos (1972), a live album. The band fell apart. Hillman and Perkins joined Manassas, while Berline, Bush and Wertz formed Country Gazette. Roberts reassembled a new group for a 1973 European tour, and then began a solo career before forming Firefall with Michael Clarke.
As Gram Parsons's influence and fame grew, so did interest in the Flying Burrito Brothers, leading to the release of Honky Tonks (1974), a double album, and the recreation of the band by Kleinow and Ethridge in 1975. Floyd "Gib" Gilbeau, Joel Scott Hill and Gene Parsons (no relation to Gram) also joined, and the band released Flying Again that year. Ethridge was then replaced by Skip Battin for Airborne (1976), followed by an album of unreleased early material, Sleepless Nights. For the next few decades, the group released albums and toured and had a country hit with "White Line Fever" (1980, a cover by Merle Haggard) and then became the Burrito Brothers. Headed by prolific songwriter and ace guitarist John Beland and Gib Guilbeau, and normally featuring Sneaky Pete, this incarnation scored moderately well on the Country charts in the early 1980s. Through numerous incarnations (including Brian Cadd for a time), the band released albums and toured throughout the 1980s up till 2001 when John Beland "officially" ended FBB. While the bands work during the 1980-1999 period was exceptional, after 1984 none of the many releases had any chart impact. Sneaky created a Burritos spinoff in his new band Burrito Deluxe, which featured Carlton Moody on lead vocals and Garth Hudson from The Band on keyboards. While a good band, there has never been any real continuity with the true Burritos and this group can not be considered anything more than a spinoff. Pete however, left the band due to illness in 2005, leaving no direct lineage to the original masters.
Gram Parsons died on September 19, 1973. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow died on January 6, 2007. Chris Hillman is still a very successful singer-songwriter, having been part of Souther-Hillman-Furay, McGuinn-Clark-Hillman, then going on to form the Desert Rose Band (1986-1993) with Herb Pedersen. He still sings with Pedersen today as Chris and Herb, having released "The Other Side" (2005).
Do You Know How It Feels
The Flying Burrito Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To be lonesome
When there's just no one left who really cares
Did you ever try to smile at some people
And all they ever seem to do is stare
And you remember how it feels
To be cold again
And you never want to go out on the street again
And you only seem to live from day to day
Do you know how it feels
To be lonesome
When there's just no one left who really cares
Did you ever try to smile at some people
Yes and all they ever seem to do is stare
Yes, and all they ever seem to do is stare
The Flying Burrito Brothers's song Do You Know How It Feels is a poignant and introspective examination of loneliness and the ways in which it can erode a person's sense of self-worth. The opening lines of the song pose the question "Do you know how it feels to be lonesome?" This question sets up the central theme of the song: the isolation and despair that can come with a lack of connection to others.
The second stanza of the song adds further depth to this theme, exploring the idea that loneliness can be intensified by efforts to connect with others that are met with rejection. The lines "Did you ever try to smile at some people / And all they ever seem to do is stare" highlight the sense of isolation and alienation that can come from feeling rejected or ignored by others.
The final stanza of the song returns to the central theme of loneliness, repeating the opening stanza's questions and emphasizing the sense of hopelessness that can come from feeling disconnected from others. The repeated line "And all they ever seem to do is stare" underscores the idea that loneliness can be made worse by the indifference or apathy of those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you know how it feels
Do you understand the emotion and sensation that arises
To be lonesome
To feel alone and isolated
When there's just no one left who really cares
When there's nobody around who genuinely loves or supports you
Did you ever try to smile at some people
Have you ever attempted to put on a cheerful expression for others
And all they ever seem to do is stare
Only for them to respond by staring at you without reciprocating your kindness
And you remember how it feels
You recall the sensations and emotions
To be cold again
To feel emotionally detached and barren
When the happiness of love has gone away
When the joy and pleasure from being loved has diminished
And you never want to go out on the street again
To avoid going outside ever again
And you only seem to live from day to day
To exist one day at a time without purpose or joy
Yes, and all they ever seem to do is stare
Affirming the previous line that all others seem to do when you smile is stare
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BARRY GOLDBERG, GRAM PARSONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind