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)
Milk Cow Blues
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I looked out the door
I can tell that old milk cow
By the way she lowed
Hold it fellows, that don't move me
Let's get real, real gone for a change
And I looked out the door
I can tell that, that old milk cow
I can tell the way she lowed
Well, if you've seen my milk cow
Please ride her on home
I ain't had no milk or butter
Since that cow's been gone
Well, I tried to treat you right
Day by day
Get out your little prayer book
Get down on your knees and pray
For you're gonna need
You're gonna need
Your loving daddy's help someday
Well, you're gonna be sorry
For treating me this way
Well, believe me, don't that sun
Look good going down?
Well, believe me, don't that sun
Look good going down?
But, don't that old moon look lonesome
When your baby's not around
Well, I tried everything to
Get along with you
I'm gonna tell you what I'm going do
I'm gonna quit my crying
I'm gonna leave you alone
If you don't believe I'm leaving
You can count the days I'm gone
I'm gonna leave
You're gonna need your
Loving daddy's help someday
Well, you're gonna be sorry
You treated me this way
"Milk Cow Blues" is a classic blues song, and it tells the story of a man who has lost his milk cow, and therefore has no milk or butter. He pleads with whoever might have seen his cow to bring it back home. He then goes on to express his frustration with his lover who has mistreated him. He reminds her that there may come a time when she will need his help, and she will be sorry for the way she has treated him. As the song comes to an end, the man decides to quit crying and leave his lover alone.
The song is about a man's hardship and frustration, and how his loss of the milk cow represents his struggle with making a living. The man is in a bad relationship and is being mistreated by his lover. The lyrics of the song communicate the singer's frustrations and difficulties in his various situations. The singer also expresses a sense of loneliness and longing when his lover is not around.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I woke up this morning
The singer woke up from sleep
And I looked out the door
The singer looked outside through the door
I can tell that old milk cow
The singer can recognize his milk cow
By the way she lowed
The cow made a certain sound which the artist recognized
Hold it fellows, that don't move me
The artist is not interested in what he's hearing and asks the others to stop
Let's get real, real gone for a change
The singer suggests that they move on to something else
Well, if you've seen my milk cow
The singer is asking if anyone has seen his milk cow
Please ride her on home
The artist is requesting the person to ride the cow back home
I ain't had no milk or butter
The artist hasn't had any milk or butter since his cow has been missing
Since that cow's been gone
The cow has been away for a while
Well, I tried to treat you right
The singer tried to treat someone well
Day by day
The artist tried every day
Get out your little prayer book
The singer tells someone to get their prayer book
Get down on your knees and pray
The singer tells someone to kneel down and pray
For you're gonna need
The person will need help in the future
Your loving daddy's help someday
The person will need their father's help in the future
Well, you're gonna be sorry
The person will regret their actions
For treating me this way
The person was not treated well by someone else
Well, believe me, don't that sun
The singer asks a question about the sunset
Look good going down?
If the sunset looks good going down
But, don't that old moon look lonesome
The artist asks a question about the moon
When your baby's not around
If the person's loved one is not around
Well, I tried everything to
The singer tried everything to do something
Get along with you
The artist tried to have a good relationship with someone
I'm gonna tell you what I'm going do
The singer tells the other person what they will do
I'm gonna quit my crying
The singer will stop crying
I'm gonna leave you alone
The singer will leave the other person alone
If you don't believe I'm leaving
The artist questions if the other person believes they will leave
You can count the days I'm gone
The other person can keep track of how long the artist will be gone
You're gonna need your
The other person will need help in the future
Loving daddy's help someday
The other person will need their father's help in the future
Well, you're gonna be sorry
The other person will regret their actions
You treated me this way
The artist was not treated well by the other person
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KOKOMO ARNOLD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind