When Naomi Judd found herself pregnant, she quickly got married but not to the father of her first child, daughter Christina Ciminella. Christina, born May 30, 1964, became known as Wynonna Judd when the mother-daughter duo stormed the country charts in the 1980s.
After Naomi Judd divorced, she moved from Hollywood, back to Morrill, Ky., with Wynonna and another daughter Ashley. There, she worked as a nurse in a local infirmary. Outside working and school hours, she and the children would sing anything from bluegrass to showbiz standards for their own amusement. However, when Wynonna nurtured aspirations to be a professional entertainer, her mother lent her encouragement, to the extent of moving the family to Nashville in 1979. Naomi's contralto subtly underlined Wynonna's tuneful drawl.
In addition to many performances on Ralph Emery's morning television show, Naomi elicited an audition for RCA Records while tending a hospitalized relation of label producer Brent Maher. With a past that read like a Judith Krantz novel, the Judds -- so the executives considered -- would have more than an even chance in the country market. An exploratory mini-album, which contained proved the executives correct. The single "Had a Dream (From the Heart)" peaked at No. 17 in 1984. Later that year, the Judds scored their first of 14 No. 1 hits with "Mama He's Crazy."
Self-composed songs included Naomi's 1989 composition "Change of Heart," dedicated to her future second husband (and former Elvis Presley backing vocalist) Larry Strickland. Meanwhile, Maher co-wrote hits such as 1985's Grammy-winning "Why Not Me," "Turn It Loose," "Girls Night Out," "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Ol' Days)" and "Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Rain."
Most Judds records exhibited an acoustic bias and a penchant for star guests that included the Jordanaires on "Don't Be Cruel," Emmylou Harris on "The Sweetest Gift," Mark Knopfler on his "Water of Love" and Bonnie Raitt playing slide guitar on the album Love Can Build a Bridge. In 1988, the pair became the first female country act to found their own booking agency (Pro-Tours), but a chronic hepatitis infection forced Naomi to retire from the concert stage two years later.
The Judds toured America in a series of farewell concerts before Wynonna began her solo career. Wynonna got off to a strong start, as her first two singles both went to #1. Her 1994 single "Girls With Guitars" featured Naomi (as well as Lyle Lovett) on backup vocals.
In 1998, The Judds appeared in a commercial for the retail chain Kmart, singing Wynonna's single "Woman To Woman".
In 1999, Wynonna reunited with her mother for a New Year's Eve concert in Phoenix. The following year, the duo recorded four new tracks for a bonus disc issued with Wynonna's album New Day Dawning, and undertook a multi-city tour. The results were issued as the album Reunion Live. A 2004 single, "Flies On The Butter (You Can't Go Home Again)" was recorded with Naomi; however, the single was credited as "Wynonna with Naomi Judd" instead of "The Judds".
Grandpa
The Judds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes it feels like this world's gone crazy
Grandpa, take me back to yesterday
When the line between right and wrong
Didn't seem so hazy
Did lovers really fall in love to stay
And stand beside each other, come what may?
Not just something they would say
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
Did daddies really never go away?
Whoa, whoa, grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days
Grandpa, everything is changing fast
We call it progress, but I just don't know
And grandpa, let's wander back into the past
Then paint me the picture of long ago
Did lovers really fall in love to stay
And stand beside each other, come what may?
Was a promise really something people kept
Not just something they would say and then forget
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
Did daddies really never go away?
Whoa, whoa, grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days
Whoa, whoa, grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days
Mm
Mm
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
Did daddies really never go away?
The Judds' song "Grandpa" is a heartfelt tribute to the values and traditions of the past, as seen through the eyes of a young person seeking guidance and wisdom from their elder. The song opens with the plea: "Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days / Sometimes it feels like this world's gone crazy." The singer is looking for reassurance and comfort in the face of the challenges and uncertainties of the present. They long for a time when the line between right and wrong was clearer, when people kept their promises and families prayed together.
The chorus repeats the refrain: "Did lovers really fall in love to stay / And stand beside each other, come what may? / Was a promise really something people kept / Not just something they would say / Did families really bow their heads to pray? / Did daddies really never go away? / Whoa, whoa, grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days." These questions capture the nostalgia and idealism that often accompanies a collective longing for a simpler, more wholesome past. The singer wonders if the world they imagine ever really existed or if it is just a romanticized memory.
The song's final verse shifts the focus to the present: "Grandpa, everything is changing fast / We call it progress, but I just don't know / And grandpa, let's wander back into the past / Then paint me the picture of long ago." The singer acknowledges the inevitability of change and the complexity of modern life, but still seeks solace and grounding in the stories and traditions of their ancestors.
Line by Line Meaning
Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days
The singer yearns for a time when things seemed simpler and when life seemed less complicated.
Sometimes it feels like this world's gone crazy
The world and its current state of affairs feel overwhelming and confusing.
Grandpa, take me back to yesterday
The singer desires to revisit a time in the past when things felt certain and secure.
When the line between right and wrong / Didn't seem so hazy
The singer longs for a time when it was easier to differentiate between what was right and wrong.
Did lovers really fall in love to stay / And stand beside each other, come what may?
The singer questions whether old-fashioned, traditional values surrounding love and commitment still hold true today.
Was a promise really something people kept / Not just something they would say
The singer doubts whether people still take promises and commitments as seriously as they did in the past.
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
The singer wonders if the act of prayer and religious devotion within families has diminished over time.
Did daddies really never go away?
The singer questions whether fathers were more involved and present in the upbringing of their children in the past.
Grandpa, everything is changing fast / We call it progress, but I just don't know
The singer acknowledges that change is happening quickly, but is unsure whether it is for the better or worse.
And grandpa, let's wander back into the past / Then paint me the picture of long ago
The singer wants to be transported to a simpler time and asks the grandfather figure to paint a nostalgic picture of that time.
Did lovers really fall in love to stay / And stand beside each other, come what may?
The singer reiterates the earlier question about the validity of traditional love and commitment.
Was a promise really something people kept / Not just something they would say and then forget
The singer further underscores the importance of keeping promises and commitments.
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
Once again, the singer wonders if religious devotion within families has decreased over time.
Did daddies really never go away?
The singer repeats the question about the role of fathers in the past, suggesting that it is a source of nostalgia.
Whoa, whoa, grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days
The repeated refrain conveys a sense of yearning for a simpler time.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jamie O'hara
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind