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).
Hot Burrito #2
The Flying Burrito Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love you, but that's the way that it goes
So it goes
Guesss you know how I feel
So it goes
It just couldn't be real
And we know it's wrong
When I come home carrying my shoes
I've been waiting to tell you some news
And you want me home all night
And you don't want another fight
But you better love
Find some love
You better love me
Jesus Christ
Yes, you loved me and you sold all my clothes
I love you, baby, but that's the way that it goes
So it goes
I guess you know how I feel
So it goes
Yes, it couldn't be real
And you want me home all night
You just don't want another fight
But you better love
Find some love
And love me baby
Jesus Christ
The Flying Burrito Brothers' song Hot Burrito No.2 is a heartbreaking ballad about the end of a relationship. The lyrics reveal the singer's mixed emotions about their partner, whom they both love and blame for selling their clothes. The chorus of "So it goes" emphasizes the inevitability of the relationship's demise. The singer acknowledges that their love couldn't last, and that it was never completely genuine to begin with. The line "I guess you know how I feel" implies that some sort of unspoken tension or distance has already formed between the couple, perhaps due to infidelity or simply growing apart.
In the second verse, the singer comes home with news, implying that they've been away for some time. Their partner wants them to stay home and avoid another fight, suggesting that disagreements have been a recurring issue in the relationship. However, the singer insists that their partner better "find some love" and love them in return, invoking the name of Jesus Christ as a plea for resolution and redemption.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of resignation and finality, with the repeated lines and stripped-down instrumentation adding to the melancholy mood. The simplicity of the lyrics allows the emotion behind them to shine through, making for a powerful lament on lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes, you loved me and you sold my clothes
You used to love me, but now you've resorted to selling my things
I love you, but that's the way that it goes
Despite what's happened, my love for you hasn't changed
So it goes
That's just the way life is
Guess you know how I feel
I think you understand how hurt I am by what you've done
It just couldn't be real
It's hard to believe that someone could treat someone they love this way
And we know it's wrong
We both know that what's happened is not right
And I don't think it's gonna go on
I don't think our relationship can continue like this
When I come home carrying my shoes
This is a sign that I've had enough and I'm ready to leave
I've been waiting to tell you some news
I have something important I need to say to you
And you want me home all night
You want me to stay with you and not leave
And you don't want another fight
You're trying to avoid another argument
But you better love
You better start showing me that you love me
Find some love
Figure out how to love me properly
You better love me
Or else our relationship won't work
Jesus Christ
An exclamation of frustration or shock
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRIS ETHRIDGE, GRAM PARSONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind