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).
Juanita
The Flying Burrito Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That stuck on my mind
When she walked out on me
For the very last time
Oh mamma sweet mamma
Can you tell me what to say
I don't know what I've done
To be treated this way
That's where I found myself
With a bottle of wine
And some pills off the shelf
Oh mamma sweet mamma
Can you tell me what to say
I don't know what I've done
And I'm feeling so ashamed
Then an angel appeared
She was just 17
In a dirty old gown
With a conscious so clean
Oh mamma sweet mamma
Can you tell me what to say
She's brought back the life
That I once threw away
She's brought back the life
That I once threw away
The Flying Burrito Brothers' song "Juanita" tells a story of heartbreak, loneliness, and redemption. The song is sung from the point of view of a man who has been left by his lover, and he doesn't understand why. The line "No affection were the words that stuck on my mind," suggests that his lover left him because he wasn't able to provide her with enough love and affection. This has left him confused and lost.
The man finds himself in a "cold dirty room" with a bottle of wine and some pills, clearly in a state of despair. He asks his mother for guidance, but she has no answers for him. However, he is soon visited by an angel, a "dirty old gown" wearing young woman who, despite her circumstances, has a "conscious so clean." She brings the man back to life, and he is able to find something worth living for again.
Overall, the song is a powerful meditation on the human experience of love, loss, and redemption. It suggests that even in our darkest moments, there is always hope for a better tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
No affection were the words
The last words she said to me were that she didn't love me anymore
That stuck on my mind
I can't stop thinking about how she no longer loves me
When she walked out on me
She left me, and it hurt that she did it
For the very last time
I knew she was never coming back
Oh mamma sweet mamma
Dear mother, I need your help
Can you tell me what to say
I don't know what to do or say to make things right
I don't know what I've done
I'm not sure what I did wrong to make her leave
To be treated this way
I feel like I didn't deserve to be treated so poorly
In a cold dirty room
I was alone and in a depressing environment
That's where I found myself
That's where I ended up after she left me
With a bottle of wine
To cope with my sadness, I turned to alcohol
And some pills off the shelf
I even resorted to taking pills to numb the pain
Then an angel appeared
Someone special came into my life
She was just 17
She was young and innocent
In a dirty old gown
She didn't care about appearances or material things
With a conscious so clean
She had a pure and clear conscience
She's brought back the life
She gave me a second chance at life and happiness
That I once threw away
I had given up on love and life, but she showed me that it's worth fighting for
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER HILLMAN, GRAM PARSONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ForeverChanged7
I love Gram's voice and his harmony. Chris Hillman is soo good as well. Love the pics the Nudie Suits. Joshua Tree National park is a gorgeous setting. Loved all these guys!❤❤
@valverdista
I don´t care about the Beatles or the Stones, as long as i have The Flying Burrito Brothers. What a hymn.
@alwinchst
she was 17 when we met in 1972 and we are still together...she is my angel and that life she brought back still rocks
@peggymiller313
Pretty awesome to listen with headphones. Two separate voices in each ear - my brain will never be the same. Beautiful song.
@anthonynavarro6074
Peggy Miller I agree. This album is pretty great.
@theparanormalreporters
That's what I'm doing. The old over the ear kind.
@Gazolba
Gram Parsons has the saddest voice in the world. Chris Hillman did some great stuff with this group and with the Desert Rose Band.
@rea12326
that last chorus never fails to give me chills.
@ilcorvo4633
Same here friend. Brilliant stuff.
@hollycarpenter7902
soulful as usual, old heart ... young soul 💖🙏