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)
Dance The Night Away
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Babe, you know I hate to see you cryin'
The last thing on my mind is to make you blue
And goodness knows I'm just not into lyin'
So dry your eyes, sit down by the fire
And let the flames and music get you high
Let me say, I'm sorry, babe, for bein' so unkind
Talkin 'bout you, let me weave my trance
We might as well
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Whoa, the night away
So dry your eyes, sit down by the fire
Let the flames and music get you high
Let me say, I'm sorry, babe, for bein' so unkind
Talkin 'bout you, let me weave my trance
You know that I love you
Any fool could tell at a glance
We hear the music
We got a chance
We might as well
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Dance the Night Away" is a song about a man trying to apologize to his significant other and make things right after a disagreement. The lyrics imply that the woman is upset with the man, causing her to cry. He tells her that he hates to see her upset and that he is not the type to lie to her. He tries to make amends by sitting with her by the fire and letting the music and flames surround them. He is sorry for not treating her kindly and wants to make it up to her. The main purpose of the song is to convince the woman to dance with him and forget their troubles momentarily. By the end of the song, the two dance the night away and are happy once again.
Line by Line Meaning
Dance the night away
The singer wants to dance all night long.
Babe, you know I hate to see you cryin'
The singer does not want to see their partner upset.
The last thing on my mind is to make you blue
The singer does not want to cause their partner any sadness or pain.
And goodness knows I'm just not into lyin'
The artist values honesty and does not want to deceive their partner.
Babe, you can't believe I'm into you
The artist is reassuring their partner of their true feelings.
So dry your eyes, sit down by the fire
The singer wants their partner to relax and be comforted.
And let the flames and music get you high
The fire and music will create a festive and enjoyable atmosphere.
Let me say, I'm sorry, babe, for bein' so unkind
The artist is apologizing for any past behavior that may have hurt their partner.
Talkin' 'bout you, let me weave my trance
The artist is trying to seduce their partner with their words.
We might as well
There is no reason not to dance and have a good time.
Whoa, the night away
The singer emphasizes their desire to dance all night.
You know that I love you
The artist wants to remind their partner of their love for them.
Any fool could tell at a glance
It is obvious to anyone that the singer is in love with their partner.
We hear the music
The singer and their partner are both listening to the same music.
We got a chance
The singer and their partner have an opportunity to enjoy themselves and dance.
Contributed by Sophia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.