The band's best-known song was a 1970 cover of Jerry Jeff Walker's folk song "Mr. Bojangles". Their greatest critical acclaim has been for a 1972 album of country and folk standards, recorded in Nashville in collaboration with more traditional country artists, entitled "Will the Circle Be Unbroken".
"Will the Circle be Unbroken" was a collaboration album recorded in 1972 by the Dirt band with traditional artists such as Mother Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Roy Acuff, Merle Watson, Jimmy Martin, Junior Huskey, Norman Blake, and Pete Oswald Kirby (known to Grand Ole Opry fans as Bashful Brother Oswald). Vassar Clements, not widely known then, was tapped for fiddle duties which led to greater notoriety and success for him.
"Will the Circle be Unbroken" featured classic bluegrass and folk standards written by A.P Carter, Doc Watson and others. The title comes from the song of the same name but indicates what the Dirt Band was trying to achieve. The long-haired boys from California were making an effort to reach out to the older veterans of American music and unite them in a divided America. Two other editions were released, one in the 1980s and another after September 11, 2001.
In July 1974 The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was one of the headline acts at The Ozark Music Festival, at the Missouri State Fairgrounds, in Sedalia, Missouri. Some estimates have put the crowd count at 350,000 people, which would make this one of the largest music events in history.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's peak in popularity – at least on the radio — came during the mid- to late-1980s, when they charted a string of successful songs. Among the lot were three No. 1 singles: "Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper's Dream)" (1984); "Modern Day Romance" (1985); and "Fishin' in the Dark" (1987). Other successful songs were "Dance Little Jean" (1983); "I Love Only You" (1984); "High Horse" (1985); "Home Again in My Heart," "Partners, Brothers and Friends" and "Stand a Little Rain" (1986); "Fire in the Sky," "Baby's Got a Hold on Me" and "Oh What a Love" (1987); "Working Man (Nowhere to Go)" and "I've Been Lookin'" (1988); and "Down That Road Tonight" and "When it's Gone" (1989).
The current members are:
* Bob Carpenter - keyboard, accordion, bass, and vocals (1977-present)
* Jimmie Fadden - drums, harmonica,guitar, washtub bass, jug and vocals (1966-present)
* Jeff Hanna - guitar, mandolin, drums, harmonica, bass, washboard, jug and vocals (1966-present)
* John McEuen - banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, accordion washtub bass and vocals (1966-1986 & 2001-present)
Former members:
* Ralph Barr - guitar, clarinet and vocals (1966-1968)
* Merel Bregante - drums and percussion (1977-1979)
* Jackson Browne - guitar and vocals (1966)
* John Cable - guitar, bass and vocals (1976-1977)
* Jackie Clark - guitar, bass and vocals (1976-1977)
* Chris Darrow - fiddle, guitar, mandolin and vocals (1967-1968)
* Michael Gardner - drums (1980-1981)
* Al Garth - saxophone, fiddle, keyboard, percussion and vocals (1977-1981)
* Richard Hathaway - bass and vocals (1977-1981)
* Jimmy Ibbotson - guitar, bass, mandolin, piano, accordion, drums, flute and vocals (1968-1975 & 1982-2004)
* Bruce Kunkel - guitar, kazoo, vocals (1966-1967)
* Bernie Leadon - guitar, banjo, mandolin and vocals (1987-1989)
* Vic Mastrianni - drums (1980-1981)
* Les Thompson - guitar, bass, mandolin and vocals (1966-1973)
Cadillac Ranch
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There to greet a workin' man when his day is done
I'm gonna pack my pa, and I'm gonna pack my aunt
I'm gonna take 'em down to the Cadillac ranch
Eldorado fins, white walls and skirts;
Drives just like a little bit of heaven here on Earth
So when I die buddy throw my body in the back
[Chorus:]
Cadillac, Cadillac
Long and dark
Shiny and black
Open up them engines, let 'em roar
Tearin' up the highway like a big ol' dinosaur
James Dean in a Mercury '49
Junior Johnson's runnin' in the woods of Caroline
Even Burt Reynolds in a black Trans Am
I'm gonna meet 'em down at the Cadillac ranch
[Repeat Chorus]
Hey little girlie in the blue jeans so tight
Driving all alone in a Colorado night
You're my last love, baby you're my last chance
Don't let 'em take me down to the Cadillac ranch
[Repeat Chorus 2x]
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's song "Cadillac Ranch" is a lively and upbeat celebration of a classic American icon: the Cadillac car. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the car itself as a symbol of freedom and escape, particularly for the blue-collar, working-class men who might need that escape after a long day on the job. The opening lines of the song describe the car "just a gleamin' in the sun" and waiting to greet a working man at the end of his day, suggesting that the car is almost a reward for hard work and perseverance.
Throughout the song, the Cadillac is held up as a symbol of luxury, with "Eldorado fins, white walls and skirts" that make it "drive just like a little bit of heaven here on Earth." The chorus emphasizes this sense of power and freedom, urging listeners to "Open up them engines, let 'em roar / Tearin' up the highway like a big ol' dinosaur." The car is even compared to famous Hollywood icons like James Dean and Burt Reynolds, suggesting that it has a kind of cultural cachet that transcends its material reality.
The final verse of the song adds a touch of romantic tension, with the singer addressing a "little girlie in the blue jeans so tight" and declaring her his "last love" and his "last chance" to avoid being taken "down to the Cadillac ranch." Whether this is a literal reference to a location or a more abstract metaphor for some kind of undesirable fate is left up to interpretation. Overall, though, the song is a celebration of the Cadillac as a cultural touchstone and an emblem of the American dream.
Line by Line Meaning
There she sits buddy just a gleamin' in the sun
The Cadillac Ranch is shining bright in the sun, patiently waiting for a hard-working man to come see it.
There to greet a workin' man when his day is done
The Cadillac Ranch is a place for a working man to go after a hard day of work to relax and enjoy the beauty of classic cars.
I'm gonna pack my pa, and I'm gonna pack my aunt
I plan to bring my dad and aunt along with me to the Cadillac Ranch.
I'm gonna take 'em down to the Cadillac ranch
I'm taking my family to see the classic cars at the Cadillac Ranch.
Eldorado fins, white walls and skirts;
The Cadillac cars have unique fins, white walls on their tires, and skirts that make them stand out.
Drives just like a little bit of heaven here on Earth
The way the Cadillac drives is like heaven on earth.
So when I die buddy throw my body in the back
When I pass away, I want to be buried in the back of a Cadillac.
Take me to the junkyard, in my Cadillac
Even in death, I want to be taken to the junkyard in my beloved Cadillac.
Cadillac, Cadillac
The song is all about Cadillacs, the classic car brand.
Long and dark
Cadillacs were known for their size and dark color.
Shiny and black
The Cadillacs' black color made them shiny and standout on the road.
Open up them engines, let 'em roar
The engines of the Cadillacs should be let loose to make as much noise as they can on the road.
Tearin' up the highway like a big ol' dinosaur
The Cadillacs are so powerful and large that they can take over the highway like a gigantic dinosaur.
James Dean in a Mercury '49
James Dean was known for his love of cool cars, and he drove a Mercury '49.
Junior Johnson's runnin' in the woods of Caroline
Junior Johnson was a famous race car driver who used to run through the woods in his car in his home state of North Carolina.
Even Burt Reynolds in a black Trans Am
Even Burt Reynolds loved cool cars, and he drove a black Trans Am.
I'm gonna meet 'em down at the Cadillac ranch
I plan to meet all these famous car lovers at the Cadillac Ranch.
Hey little girlie in the blue jeans so tight
The song addresses a woman in tight blue jeans who is driving alone in Colorado at night.
Driving all alone in a Colorado night
The woman is driving on her own in the middle of the night in Colorado.
You're my last love, baby you're my last chance
The artist sees this woman as his last chance for love.
Don't let 'em take me down to the Cadillac ranch
The artist does not want to be taken to the Cadillac ranch against his will.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bdevereaux
only way to play this is real loud. Cheers from Alberta
@kkdaog1339
CanadianCarGuy lmao cheers from Alberta ! Whooo
@katsukibakugo9897
Calgary Alberta here hey!
@Tylerboyd2001
Cheers from Okotoks Alberta!
@nopcshere6097
Cheers from Sherwood Park, Alberta!
@TexasCODGamer
"even Burt Reynolds in a black trans am" best line... EVER
@minnahvincent9874
Anybody from Alberta remember being taught this in gym class
@Moriar372
So much fun
@elephantjuice2002
Minnah Vincent learning it
@kodu712
Yep pretty much 😂