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).
Money Honey
The Flying Burrito Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I let it ring for a long, long spell.
I went to the window,
I peeped through the blind,
And asked him to tell me what's on his mind.
He said,
Money, honey.
Money, honey.
Well, I screamed and I hollered,
I was so hard-pressed.
I called the woman that I loved the best.
I finally got my baby about half past three,
She said I'd like to know what you want with me.
I said,
Money, honey.
Money, honey.
Money, honey,
If you want to get along with me.
Well, I said tell me baby, what's wrong with you?
Money, honey.
Money, honey.
Money, honey,
If you want to get a long with me.
Well, I've learned my lesson and now I know
The sun may shine and the winds may blow.
The women may come and the women may go,
But before I say I love you so,
I want
Money, honey.
Money, honey.
Money, honey,
If you want to get along with me.
The Flying Burrito Brothers' song Money Honey is a bluesy country-rock tune that tells the tale of a man's struggle with financial instability and how that affects his relationships. The song starts with the singer ignoring his landlord's persistent knocking on his door, unable to pay his rent. The lyrics "Money, honey. Money, honey. Money, honey, if you want to get along with me" suggest that his financial struggles have affected his relationships, even with the people he loves.
As the song progresses, the singer calls his lover to help him with his problems. The lyrics "Well, I screamed and I hollered, I was so hard-pressed. I called the woman that I loved the best. I finally got my baby about half past three" suggest that his desperate situation has caused him to turn to his lover for help. However, even she cannot fully understand his predicament, as she asks him "I'd like to know what you want with me," to which he replies, "Money, honey."
Towards the end of the song, the singer reflects on his difficult circumstances and how they have impacted his worldview. He has learned that despite the ups and downs of life, money plays a crucial role in getting by. The lyrics "But before I say I love you so, I want money, honey" suggest that even in matters of the heart, financial stability cannot be ignored.
Overall, Money Honey is a poignant and relatable song that captures the struggles of dealing with financial difficulties and how they can impact our relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
You know, the landlord rang my front door bell.
The singer's landlord came to his house and rang the doorbell.
I let it ring for a long, long spell.
The singer didn't answer the doorbell for a considerable amount of time.
I went to the window, I peeped through the blind, And asked him to tell me what's on his mind.
The singer approached the window and looked through a blind to see who was at the door, and then asked the landlord what he wanted.
He said, Money, honey. Money, honey. Money, honey, if you want to get along with me.
The landlord wants the artist to pay him money if he wants to maintain a good relationship with him.
Well, I screamed and I hollered, I was so hard-pressed. I called the woman that I loved the best.
The artist was distressed by the landlord's demand for money and called the person he loves the most to seek comfort.
I finally got my baby about half past three, She said I'd like to know what you want with me.
The singer's lover arrived at around 3:30AM and asked him what he wanted.
I said, Money, honey. Money, honey. Money, honey, If you want to get along with me.
The singer informed his lover that money was the issue and that they need to have it to maintain a good relationship.
Well, I said tell me baby, what's wrong with you? Money, honey. Money, honey. Money, honey, If you want to get along with me.
The artist asked his lover if she has a problem with his need for money to maintain a good relationship.
Well, I've learned my lesson and now I know The sun may shine and the winds may blow. The women may come and the women may go, But before I say I love you so, I want Money, honey. Money, honey. Money, honey, If you want to get along with me.
The artist learned that money is crucial to maintain any kind of relationship, even love. He needs monetary security before he can commit to professing his love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JESSE STONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nan D
Love this version of Money Honey. Lost my album decades ago. Thanks for posting!
Stan Tissue
Money Honey just slipped out of the memory bank last night. Covered this tune in 1979 with Only After Dark. Guess I was the Graham Parsons influence in the group, but I ended up sounding like Keith Richards in the end. Al Perkins had some good licks on these tunes. Thought he was just the steel guitar guy but apparently not. Anyway, I grew up listening to Albert Lee and James Burton in the hot band, loved Clarence Whites sound, but somehow never understood it all. I get it now. Too late.
Rebecca' Dale
I wondered if they sang a song the serchers British invasion bands
Mick Marino
Money Honey is 1st?