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.
My Old Kentucky Home
The Osborne Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've turned the corner an' I'm doin' fine
Shootin' at the birds on the telephone line
Pickin' 'em off with this gun o' mine
Got a fire in my belly and a fire in my head
Going higher and higher till I'm dead
Sister Sue is short and stout, she didn't grow up, she grew out
Papa thinks she's pretty but he's almost blind
Don't let her out much except at night
But I don't care 'cause I'm all right
Oh, the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home
Young folks roll on the floor
Oh, the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home
Keep them hard times away from my door
Brother Gene is big and mean and he don't have much to say
He had a little woman who he whooped each day
But now she's gone away got drunk last night
Kicked momma down the stairs but I'm all right
So I don't care
Oh, the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home
And the young folks are rollin' on the floor
Oh, the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home
Keep them hard times away from my door
Turpentine and dandelion wine
I've turned the corner an' I'm doin' fine
Shootin' at the birds on the telephone line
Pickin' 'em off with this gun o' mine
Got a fire in my belly and a fire in my head
Goin' higher and higher till I'm dead
Oh, the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home
And the young folks are rollin' on the floor
Oh, the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home
Keep them hard times away from my door
Keep them hard times away from my door
The Osborne Brothers's song "My Old Kentucky Home" is a poignant tale that explores the lives of a dysfunctional family living in poverty in Kentucky. The song is an emotional and anguished depiction of a family that is struggling to cope with the hardships of life. The lyrics convey the sense of desperation and hopelessness that pervades the lives of these people, especially the singer who seems to be resigned to his fate.
The first stanza of the song is particularly evocative, as it describes the singer's state of mind as he tries to cope with his bleak circumstances. He is drinking turpentine and dandelion wine, shooting birds with his gun, and going higher and higher until he is dead – a clear indication of his desperation and despair. The second stanza introduces two members of the singer's family, his sister Sue and his brother Gene. Sue is described as short and stout, and not allowed out much, while Gene is big and mean and has little to say. The mention of Gene's abusive behavior towards his wife indicates that violence is a part of the family dynamic in this household.
The chorus of the song provides a glimmer of hope amidst the bleakness, with its invocation of the sun shining bright on the old Kentucky home and the young folks rolling on the floor. But the final line ("Keep them hard times away from my door") suggests that this hope is precarious and fleeting, and that the hard times are never far away.
Line by Line Meaning
Turpentine and dandelion wine
I used to drown my sorrows in cheap liquor and not care about life.
I've turned the corner an' I'm doin' fine
I've decided to turn my life around and things are getting better.
Shootin' at the birds on the telephone line
I'm enjoying the simple things in life, like shooting birds with a gun.
Pickin' 'em off with this gun o' mine
I have a gun and I'm not afraid to use it.
Got a fire in my belly and a fire in my head
I'm passionate about life and have a lot of energy and ideas.
Going higher and higher till I'm dead
I'm living life to the fullest and won't slow down until the end.
Sister Sue is short and stout, she didn't grow up, she grew out
My sister is overweight and doesn't fit society's standards of beauty.
Momma says, she's plain but she's just being kind
My mother is trying to spare my sister's feelings by downplaying her looks.
Papa thinks she's pretty but he's almost blind
My father loves my sister and thinks she's beautiful despite what others say.
Don't let her out much except at night
My family is ashamed of my sister's appearance and only lets her go out at night when fewer people are around.
But I don't care 'cause I'm all right
I love my sister no matter what others think and I'm happy with who I am.
Oh, the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home
I take pride in my home state of Kentucky and cherish the good times I've had there.
Young folks roll on the floor
People in Kentucky know how to have fun and enjoy life.
Keep them hard times away from my door
I want to keep any troubles or hardships out of my home and life.
Brother Gene is big and mean and he don't have much to say
My brother is tough and doesn't talk much to anyone.
He had a little woman who he whooped each day
My brother was abusive towards his wife when he had one.
But now she's gone away got drunk last night
His wife left him after he got drunk and probably hurt her.
Kicked momma down the stairs but I'm all right
My brother was violent towards our mother, but I'm okay with it and won't intervene.
So I don't care
I'm indifferent to my brother's actions and won't do anything about them.
Keep them hard times away from my door
I don't want any problems to come into my life or home, no matter what my brother does.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HEINZ ROEMHELD, STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind