The first known public appearance of the Osborne Brothers was in 1951. They joined the cast at WCYB Bristol, Virginia, to perform on a program called "Farm and Fun Time", along with other Bluegrass bands, such as, The Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin, Carl Story and his Rambling Mountainers. Other members of "Farm and Fun Time" included, Jim & Jesse, Little Robert Van Winkle, Curly King and the Tennessee Hilltoppers, and country recording artist Red Kirk. The live program aired five days a week, Monday through Friday from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm on WCYB Radio, and covered five states.
Upon their breakout into the bluegrass scene, the Osborne Brothers quickly became noted for their virtuosic instrumentation and tight, melodic vocal harmonies. Their first country chart appearance was "Once More", a 1958 trio with Red Allen, with a then-novel inverted stacked harmony: Bobby singing the lead line highest, then Sonny singing baritone, and finally the third singer (in this case Red Allen) singing the tenor as the lowest part. This placed Bobby's distinctive voice as the lead, and made the third voice a somewhat interchangeable part. As a result, the brothers could hire a series of guitarist/singers without changing their overall sound. This "high lead" vocal trio became their signature sound, used to great effect in the country market, with songs like "Blame Me", "Sweethearts Again", and a remake of the Carter Family's "Fair and Tender Ladies".
During their breakout period of the mid 1950s, Sonny's banjo and Bobby's mandolin styles became distinctive and easily-identifiable with their overall sound. The band was inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry on August 8, 1964.
The Osborne Brothers have the distinction of having recorded two songs that would go on to be officially voted as "state songs." The first, "Rocky Top," was named a Tennessee state song in 1982. The other, "Kentucky," was named a state song for the brothers' home state of Kentucky.
In 1994, The Osborne Brothers were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association's Hall of Honor. The induction is considered bluegrass music's highest honor.
May You Never Be Alone
The Osborne Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a bird that's lost his mate in flight
I'm alone and oh, so blue tonight
Like a piece of driftwood on the sea
May you never be alone like me.
I gave up my friends I left my home
Now you're gone our love could never be
May you never be alone like me.
--- Instrumental ---
I believed the lies you told to me
When you whispered dear, I worship thee
Now here am I alone and blue
All because I loved no one but you.
In the Bible God's own words to say
For every wrong someday you'll pay
I pray the Lord to set me free
May you never be alone like me...
The Osborne Brothers’s rendition of May You Never Be Alone is a poignant and solemn portrayal of a heartbroken individual’s solitude. The song, originally penned by the country legend Hank Williams, captures the essence of an individual left behind by a lover who never reciprocated the feelings. The opening verse refers to a bird that has lost its mate in flight, symbolizing the feeling of loneliness and abandonment that the singer experiences. The metaphor continues in the reference to a piece of driftwood lost at sea, suggesting a life adrift and alone. The chorus is a heart-wrenching wish that no one ever experiences the pain and isolation that the singer is feeling.
The verses in the song describe the singer’s journey of heartbreak following their love's departure. The individual had left their home and friends behind to be with their love, only to be left alone with their broken heart. The lyrics emphasize that the singer was deceived by their partner, who had pledged their love and devotion, only to break their heart. The final verse invokes religious imagery and suggests that the singer is waiting for divine retribution to be delivered to their former love. The singer prays for deliverance from their pain, hoping that their ex-love never experiences the same loneliness that they are enduring.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a bird that's lost his mate in flight
Just like a bird lost without its mate, I'm lonely tonight, thinking about you.
I'm alone and oh, so blue tonight
I'm feeling extremely lonely, which is making me sad and depressed.
Like a piece of driftwood on the sea
Just like a drifting piece of wood with no direction, I feel lost and aimless without you.
May you never be alone like me.
I hope that you never experience the loneliness and despair that I'm currently feeling.
I gave up my friends I left my home
I abandoned my friends and home after you promised to be with me forever, and now I regret my decision.
When you promised to be mine alone
You gave me a false sense of security by promising to be mine and only mine forever.
Now you're gone our love could never be
Since you left me, I realize that our love was never meant to be.
May you never be alone like me.
I hope that you never have to experience the loneliness that I currently feel.
--- Instrumental ---
The song takes a break for instrumental music.
I believed the lies you told to me
I trusted the lies that you told me, foolishly believing that they were true.
When you whispered dear, I worship thee
You whispered sweet nothings in my ear, making me feel like I was the only one that mattered to you.
Now here am I alone and blue
Now I find myself alone and sad, feeling the consequences of my poor decisions.
All because I loved no one but you.
I fell in love with you, and because of that love, I gave up everything, only to be left alone and heartbroken.
In the Bible God's own words to say
In the Bible, God warns us about the consequences of our actions.
For every wrong someday you'll pay
For every wrong that we do, we will eventually have to face the consequences.
I pray the Lord to set me free
I am asking God to help me move on from the pain and loneliness that I am feeling.
May you never be alone like me.
I hope that you never have to experience the same pain and suffering that I am currently going through.
Contributed by Alexander M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.