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)
Take Me Back
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh, baby, won't you take me back tonight
You gotta face the fact I still love you
Take me back, let's get it right
I need a lesson in the ways of love
Sometimes I lose my head, what am I thinkin' of
I was crazy to have doubted you
Take me back
Ooh, baby, won't you take me back tonight
You got to face the fact I still want you
Take me back, let's get it right
Last night I saw you with another guy
I couldn't help myself you know I had to cry
I can't take it, just won't make it
If you don't give me one more try
Take me back
Ooh, baby, won't you take me back tonight
You gotta take me back
Ooh, baby, won't you take me, take me
I need a lesson in the ways of love
Sometimes I lose my head, what am I thinkin' of
I can't take it, just won't make it
Oh, baby, give me one more chance, woo
You gotta take me back
Ooh, baby, won't you take me back tonight
You know I face the fact that I was wrong
Take me back, let's make it right
T-T-T-Take me back
Baby, baby, baby, won't you take me back tonight
T-T-T-Take me back
I love you, I need you
T-T-T-Take me back
Baby, baby, baby, won't you take me back tonight
You gotta take me back
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's song "Take Me Back" is a heartfelt plea to an ex-lover to reconcile and give the relationship another chance. The song is a mix of regret, apology, and love, and it is expressed through the lead vocalist's desperate appeal to his former partner to "take me back tonight." The singer admits that he needs a lesson in the ways of love and that he sometimes loses his head. He acknowledges that he was wrong and that he was a fool to have doubted her in the first place. The lyrics are poignant and resonate with anyone who has lost a love and desperately wants it back.
The song's emotional appeal is heightened by the use of repetition, with the phrase "take me back" repeated throughout the song. The lyrics are simple but effective, conveying the singer's need for reconciliation and his desire to make things right. The chorus is catchy and easy to sing along to, making the song a favorite of fans of country and rock music.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me back
The singer is pleading to their lover to take them back.
Ooh, baby, won't you take me back tonight
The singer is expressing a sense of urgency and desire to be taken back as soon as possible.
You gotta face the fact I still love you
The singer wants their lover to understand that their love for them has not faded and that they still hold strong feelings for them.
Take me back, let's get it right
The singer wants to express their willingness to work on the relationship to make things right between them.
I need a lesson in the ways of love
The singer realizes their faults in the relationship and is willing to learn more about love to become a better partner.
Sometimes I lose my head, what am I thinkin' of
The singer admits that they can be overwhelmed and confused by their emotions, leading to irrational thoughts and actions.
I was crazy to have doubted you
The singer recognizes that their doubts about their lover were unreasonable and unfounded.
And like a fool I left you, I can't believe we're through
The singer regrets their decision to leave their lover and is in disbelief that their relationship has ended as a result.
Last night I saw you with another guy
The singer is admitting to seeing their lover with someone else, which has caused them emotional pain.
I couldn't help myself you know I had to cry
The singer expresses the intensity of their emotions and how heartbroken they were by the sight of their lover with someone else.
I can't take it, just won't make it
The singer is conveying a sense of desperation and hopelessness, expressing that they cannot handle the relationship ending.
If you don't give me one more try
The singer is making a plea for their lover to give them another chance to make things work between them.
You got to take me back
The singer reiterates their plea for their lover to take them back and not let their relationship end.
You know I face the fact that I was wrong
The singer acknowledges their mistakes in the relationship and accepts that they were in the wrong.
Baby, baby, baby, won't you take me back tonight
The singer is repeating their plea for their lover to take them back with a sense of desperation.
I love you, I need you
The singer is expressing their love and need for their lover to take them back.
Contributed by Hannah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.