The band was founded by Randy Owen (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and his cousin Teddy Gentry (bass, backing vocals). They were soon joined by another cousin, Jeff Cook (lead guitar, fiddle, and keyboards). First operating under the name Wild Country, the group toured the Southeast bar circuit in the early 1970s, and began writing original songs. They changed their name to Alabama in 1977 and following the chart success of two singles, were approached by RCA Nashville for a record deal.
Alabama's biggest success came in the 1980s, where the band had over 27 #1 hits, seven multi-platinum albums and received numerous awards. Alabama's first single on RCA Records, "Tennessee River", began a streak of 21 #1 singles, including "Love in the First Degree" (1981), "Mountain Music" (1982), "Dixieland Delight" (1983), "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)" (1984) and "Song of the South" (1988). The band's popularity waned slightly in the 1990s although they continued to produce hit singles and multi-platinum album sales. Alabama disbanded in 2004 following a farewell tour and two albums of inspirational music but reunited in 2010 and have continued to record and tour worldwide.
Owen was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010, but he was later given a clean bill of health, which led to the band's reunion, without Herndon. Following a series of tornadoes destroying homes and businesses throughout their state in 2011, Alabama assembled a benefit concert in Birmingham, called Bama Rising. Featuring the band's first set since 2004, alongside Luke Bryan, Sheryl Crow and Brad Paisley, the concert raised $2.1 million. "I guess we realized that maybe we missed the playing ... and five or six years had gone by and we were like, 'Maybe that wasn't as bad as we remember it being,'" said Gentry. In celebration of the group's 40th anniversary, Alabama resumed touring in 2013 for the Back to the Bowery tour, referencing the Myrtle Beach club where they first became professional musicians. They also undertook a short cruise, The Alabama & Friends Festival at Sea, which left for the Bahamas on Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Pearl ship. In addition, the band released Alabama & Friends, a tribute album encompassing covers from newer artists such as Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line, in addition to two new tracks by Alabama.
The band released their first new studio album in 14 years, Southern Drawl, on September 18, 2015, via BMG Chrysalis. In 2016, Alabama was selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "On the Road Again", and "I Will Always Love You" that celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards.
In April 2017, guitarist Jeff Cook announced in a video that he would reduce the number of shows for which he would be in attendance while the band was on tour, due to his struggle with Parkinson's. He had been diagnosed four years prior, and this was his first public announcement about his condition.
In August 2021, the band sold its interest in its recorded music rights catalog to Reservoir Media. Cook died from complications of Parkinson's disease on November 7, 2022.
The band's blend of traditional country music and Southern rock combined with elements of bluegrass, folk, gospel and pop music gave it a crossover appeal that helped lead to their success. They also toured extensively and incorporated production elements such as lighting and "sets" inspired by rock concerts into their shows.
Alabama was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019 and were awarded with the first ever Life Time Achievement Award from this institution.
The members of Alabama are:
- Randy Owen (lead vocals and rhythm guitar)
- Teddy Gentry (bass guitar and backing vocals)
Give Me One More Shot
Alabama Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's been up and down and round and round to get to where I'm at
If you could see how I'm living in this old car I drive
Well you'd probably wonder and even ponder why I even want to stay alive
So give me one more shot I'll give it all I've got
Let me open my eyes to a new sunrise I pray
Give me one more chance I'll learn to dance the dance
Well I could complain about taxes or the weather we're having today
Go on and on about things that are wrong from New York to L.A.
Well that's just not my nature to sit around feeling sad
We're only here for awhile so why not smile hey living ain't all that bad
So give me one more shot I'll give it all I've got
Let me open my eyes to a new sunrise I pray
Give me one more chance I'll learn to dance the dance
Well I'm satisfied just being alive give me one more day
When I look around there's lots of folks worse off than me
So I just thank the good Lord and ask him please
So give me one more shot I'll give it all I've got
Let me open my eyes to a new sunrise I pray
Give me one more chance I'll learn to dance the dance
Well I'm satisfied just being alive give me one more day
Well I'm satisfied just being alive give me one more day
Give me one more shot I'll give it all I've got
Give me one more day
Show me the way and give me one more day
Give me one more shot
The lyrics of Alabama's song "Give Me One More Shot" describe the struggles and determination of a person who has been through a lot but is still trying to make the most of their life. The singer talks about how life has not been easy for them, but they have persevered to get where they are currently. They admit to living in their car and that someone who were to see how they are living would wonder why they even want to continue living. However, they still have hope and are asking for one more shot to make things better.
The singer explains that they could complain about things like taxes or the weather, but that is not their nature. They do not want to sit around feeling sad but instead choose to smile and be grateful for the opportunity to live. They recognize that many people are worse off than they are and thank the good Lord for what they do have.
Through this song, Alabama encourages listeners to keep going and not give up, even when life may seem difficult. The singer's desire to persevere despite difficult circumstances is a message that is applicable to many people. Rather than dwelling on negativity, it is important to keep moving forward and appreciate the little things in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Life ain't all that easy I can testify to that
Life has had its challenges, and I have experienced the ups and downs that come with it.
It's been up and down and round and round to get to where I'm at
Life has been a never-ending journey that has taken me through many twists and turns to arrive where I am now.
If you could see how I'm living in this old car I drive
The car I'm driving is an old one, and if you saw my living situation, you'd wonder why I am still alive.
Well you'd probably wonder and even ponder why I even want to stay alive
The conditions of my life might make it seem like there is no reason to continue living.
So give me one more shot I'll give it all I've got
I am asking for one more opportunity to prove myself and give it my all.
Let me open my eyes to a new sunrise I pray
I'm hoping for a chance at a new beginning and a fresh start.
Give me one more chance I'll learn to dance the dance
If I am given another opportunity, I promise to take it seriously and make the most of it.
Well I'm satisfied just being alive give me one more day
I am content with simply being alive, but I am also hopeful for another day and another opportunity.
Well I could complain about taxes or the weather we're having today
There are many things that I could complain about, such as taxes or bad weather.
Go on and on about things that are wrong from New York to L.A.
I could go on and on about all the things that are wrong with the world, from New York to Los Angeles.
Well that's just not my nature to sit around feeling sad
However, I choose not to dwell on negativity and prefer to stay positive.
We're only here for awhile so why not smile hey living ain't all that bad
Life is too short to be unhappy and bring others down, so why not choose to be happy and enjoy the journey?
When I look around there's lots of folks worse off than me
I realize that there are many people who are in worse situations than me.
So I just thank the good Lord and ask him please
Instead of complaining, I choose to thank God for what I have and ask for guidance and help.
Give me one more day
I am asking for one more day to make the most of my life.
Show me the way and give me one more day
I am asking for guidance and help to continue living and moving forward.
Give me one more shot
I am asking for one more opportunity to better myself and my circumstances.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: RONNIE ROGERS, TEDDY GENTRY, RANDY OWEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kimberly Bittner
on Carolina Mountain Dewe
Why would you put this one to show, when I made a video to it on u-tube.. This dosen't tell the story to the song I have loved for over 30 tears..