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)
Keepin' Up
Alabama Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause one's goin' down to early, one's comin' up to soon
The hands on my old clock tell me once again that I'm fallin' behind
There's too much to do and not enough time
Keepin' up I'm movin' as fast as I can
Keepin' up in a circle that never ends
I can't stop like it or not I'm stuck
There's no such thing for me as a nine to five
It takes more sweat than that just to get us by
It's like I'm chasin' my own tail
'Cause Monday mornin' starts another stressed out week
The world is breathing down my neck I can feel the heat
Keepin' up I'm movin' as fast as I can
Keepin' up in a circle that never ends
I can't stop like it or not I'm stuck
It's runnin' me to death and I'm out of my breath keepin' up
By the time we make ends meet
There's not much left for you and me
And no job security
It sure makes it tough
Keepin' up
Keepin' up
I can't stop like it or not I'm stuck
It's runnin' me to death and I'm out of my breath keepin' up
I'm movin' as fast as I can
Keepin' up in a circle that never ends
Keepin' up
I can't stop
Keepin' up like it or not
Keepin' up I'm movin' as fast as I can
Keepin' up in a circle that never ends
Keepin' up
I can't stop
Keepin' up like it or not
Keepin' up
The lyrics to Alabama's "Keepin' Up" describe the frustrations and stresses of modern life, particularly when it comes to the never-ending cycle of work and trying to make ends meet. The singer is feeling overwhelmed by the demands of their job and the constant pressure to keep up and stay ahead. The imagery of the sun and moon suggests a sense of disorientation and confusion, as if the world is out of sync and spinning out of control.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of the American Dream and the notion that hard work should lead to success and security. However, the singer is struggling to keep up despite their best efforts, and the promise of financial stability seems like a distant dream. The line "there's no such thing for me as a nine to five" speaks to the idea that many people work much longer hours and put in more effort than they are compensated for.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of exhaustion and frustration with the pressures of modern life, particularly those related to work and financial stability.
Line by Line Meaning
What's goin' on with the sun and the moon
Questioning the strange behavior of the sun and the moon
'Cause one's goin' down too early, one's comin' up too soon
The sun and the moon are out of sync, causing confusion
The hands on my old clock tell me once again that I'm fallin' behind
Feeling overwhelmed and unable to keep up with time
There's too much to do and not enough time
Constantly busy and struggling to complete tasks in a timely manner
Keepin' up I'm movin' as fast as I can
Doing everything possible to keep up with the demands of life
Keepin' up in a circle that never ends
Caught in a never-ending cycle of trying to keep up
I can't stop like it or not I'm stuck
Unable to slow down or take a break from the fast-paced lifestyle
It's runnin' me to death and I'm out of my breath keepin' up
Being exhausted and overwhelmed by the constant pressure to keep up
There's no such thing for me as a nine to five
Having a job that requires more than just standard working hours
It takes more sweat than that just to get us by
Needing to work extremely hard just to make ends meet
It's like I'm chasin' my own tail
Feeling like efforts are circular and unproductive
'Cause Monday mornin' starts another stressed out week
Feeling overwhelmed at the start of each new week
The world is breathing down my neck I can feel the heat
Being pressured by external forces and feeling suffocated
By the time we make ends meet
Only being able to afford basic necessities after a lot of hard work
There's not much left for you and me
Being left with minimal resources for personal enjoyment or fulfillment
And no job security
Facing the fear of losing one's source of income
It sure makes it tough
Acknowledging that the situation is difficult to deal with
Keepin' up
Continuing to try and keep up with the demands of life
I can't stop like it or not I'm stuck
Reiterating the feeling of being trapped in a fast-paced lifestyle
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: RONNIE ROGERS, TEDDY GENTRY, RANDY OWEN, GREG FOWLER
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..