Black Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's… Read Full Bio ↴Black Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas, USA. The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970s with ten charting albums released in that decade. Their style is punctuated by multiple guitar players and the raspy voice and on-stage antics of vocalist Jim "Dandy" Mangrum.

The group, originally called "The Knowbody Else", was formed in 1965 in Black Oak, Arkansas, by Jim "Dandy" Mangrum (vocals), Rickie Reynolds (guitar), Stanley Knight (guitar), Harvey Jett (guitar), Pat Daugherty (bass), and Wayne Evans (drums). Their first PA system was stolen from a local high school. Members of the group were subsequently charged in absentia with grand larceny and sentenced to 26 years at the Tucker Prison Farm (this sentence was later suspended). This led to their retreat to the hills of rural northeast Arkansas where they lived off the land and refined their musical style. Some of their influences during this time were The Beatles and The Byrds.

The Knowbody Else moved to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1969 and signed a record deal with Stax Records. Their debut album (and only album with Stax), The Knowbody Else, was largely ignored by the populace. During this time the band became interested in psychedelia and Eastern spiritualism which, combined with their Southern Baptist upbringing, contributed to their sound.

After several trips to Los Angeles, California, in 1970, the band was signed by Atco Records and rechristened "Black Oak Arkansas". Their new debut album, Black Oak Arkansas, was released in 1971 while the band toured extensively, gaining a reputation as a live act. The twin album releases that followed in 1972, Keep The Faith and If An Angel Came To See You, Would You Make Her Feel At Home, expanded on the group’s eclectic musical style.

In 1973, Black Oak Arkansas released their fourth album, Raunch 'N' Roll Live and introduced a new drummer, Tommy Aldridge. It was their fifth album, High on the Hog, released later that year, that established solid commercial success by peaking at number 52 on the Billboard charts. Vocalist Ruby Starr also toured with the band during this period. Her raspy voice can be heard on the group's remake of LaVern Baker's 1957 hit "Jim Dandy," which reached number 25 on Billboard's Hot 100.

The 1974 release of Street Party may have failed to maintain the momentum. However, another 1974 release, entitled Early Times, an overlooked Stax recording, made up for lost time. In 1975, the original lineup of Black Oak Arkansas (minus Harvey Jett, who was replaced by Jimmy Henderson) released their last album, Ain't Life Grand. A new version of the band, called Black Oak, was formed in 1977 around Jim "Dandy" Mangrum and Jimmy Henderson. Greg Reding (guitar and keyboards), Jack Holder (guitar), Andy Tanas (bass), and Joel Williams (drums) participated on the two Capricorn albums which were recorded in 1977 (Race with the Devil) and 1978 (I'd Rather Be Sailing). In 1978, guitarist Shawn Lane joined the band at age 14 and toured with the band for four years.

Released in 1984, Ready as Hell debuted a heavier sound with pinch harmonics and keyboards featured throughout. The album also marked the return of Rickie Lee Reynolds on rhythm guitar. In 1986, The Black Attack Is Back continued the heavy style of the previous album and featured the particularly adventurous track "I Want A Woman With Big Titties". Despite that lack of subtlety, the album is widely regarded as the finest of the band's long career, with the greatest lineup to date. Still, it made no commercial headway.

James Mangrum has continued recording and touring with a series of different Black Oak lineups up to present day. Black Oak Arkansas currently enjoys a loyal fan following. However, the later lineups have yet to duplicate the level of album sales that the original lineup generated in the early-mid 1970s. Jim Dandy is credited with inspiring Van Halen front-man David Lee Roth's image and onstage persona as well.

In 2008, Boston newspaper 'The Phoenix' named them the All Time Best Band from Arkansas.

Band Members

* James L. "Jim Dandy" Mangrum - lead vocals, washboard (1965-present)
* Rickie Lee "Ricky" "Ricochet" Reynolds - twelve-string guitar, vocals (1965-1977, 1984-present)
* Hal McCormack - lead guitar (2003-present)
* Johnnie Bolin - drums ( -present)
* George Hughen - bass guitar ( -present)
* Stanley Knight - lead guitar, steel guitar, organ, vocals (1965-1976)
* Pat Daugherty - bass guitar, vocals (1965-1977, 2000-2002)
* Harvey Jett - lead guitar, banjo, piano, vocals (1965-1974)
* Wayne Evans - drums (1965-1973)
* Tommy Aldridge - drums (1973-1977)
* Paul Simmons - drums (1985-1986)
* James Henderson - guitar (1975-1979)
* Jack Holder - guitar (1977-1979)
* Greg Reding - guitar, keyboards (1977-1979)
* Andy Tanas - bass (1977-1980)
* Joel Williams - drums (1977-1978)
* Marius Penczner - keyboards (1975-1977)
* Shawn Lane - guitar (1977-1981)
* Chris Craig - drums (late 70's - early 80's)
* Jon "Thunder Paws" Wells - drums (Ready As Hell)
* Dave Wilson - Bass Guitar (1979-1981)
* William Lemuel - bass guitar (Ready As Hell)
* Steve "The Axe" Nuenmacher - lead guitar, rhythm guitar (Ready As Hell)
* Billy Batte - keyboards, violin (Ready As Hell)
* Michael "Narley Dude" Martin (R.I.P.) - Lead Guitar (The Black Attack Is Back)
* "Big" Mike Fowler - bass guitar (The Black Attack Is Back)
* Biff Bingham - 2nd lead guitarist (Ready as Hell, The Black Attack is Back)
* Jerry A. Williams - drums (Ready as Hell, The Black Attack is Back) (1985-1986)
* Darrell Miller - drums (1970's)
* Les John - drums (1979-1980)
* Cozy Johnson - drums (early 80's)
* James "Little Jim" Mangrum Jr. - drum technician
* Danny Leath - lead guitar
* Rocky Athas - lead guitar (1996-2001)
* John Roth - guitar (mid 80's)

Someone Something
Black Oak Arkansas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Someone is waitin' there for me. Oh, Yeah!
Someone who's been reading what I say. Yeah
She's waiting for the reason.
I can't live without her.
She's waiting for the reason.
I can't do without her in my life, in my life.

Someone Someone

And I'm never gonna see her again.
No I'm never gonna see her again.

Something I'm wishin' for is real. Oh yeah, yeah
Something I'll always have to steal. Yeah
Something I've been wanting.
I can't do without it.
There's something
That's been hauntin' me and it's got into
My soul. To my soul.

Someone Someone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Black Oak Arkansas's song "Someone Something" depict a song about longing, desire, and possibly even addiction. The first verse talks about this "someone" who has been waiting for the singer, someone who has been reading what they say. The lyrics convey a sense of urgency, as if the singer cannot go on living without this person. The repetition of the line "She's waiting for the reason" further emphasizes this sense of desperation. The chorus, which simply repeats "Someone Someone," adds to this feeling of incompleteness, as if the singer needs someone in their life to feel whole.

The second verse repeats the same formula as the first, but with a slightly different subject matter. Instead of a person, this time the lyrics mention something that the singer is "wishing for" and "has to steal." This could mean anything from a physical object to a feeling or emotion. The repetition of the word "something" gives the impression that this is something vague, something that the singer can't quite put their finger on. Nonetheless, they are clearly obsessed with it, as it has "haunted" them and "got into [their] soul."

Overall, the song seems to be about the human need for connection and fulfillment. Whether it is a person, an object, or an abstract concept, the singer is longing for something that they feel is missing from their life. The repetitive nature of the lyrics adds to this sense of longing and desperation.

Line by Line Meaning

Someone is waitin' there for me. Oh, Yeah!
There is a person waiting for me eagerly because they have been reading what I say and want to make a connection.

She's waiting for the reason.
This person is waiting for a reason why I can't live without them.

I can't live without her.
This person has become such an important part of my life that I can't imagine living without them.

She's waiting for the reason.
This person is still waiting for an explanation as to why I can't do without them in my life.

I can't do without her in my life, in my life.
The absence of this person would cause such a profound impact on my life that I can't fathom going on without them.

Something I'm wishin' for is real. Oh yeah, yeah
There is something that I have been hoping for and it has finally become real.

Something I'll always have to steal. Yeah
It seems impossible that I could ever have this thing I desire, so I would have to steal it.

Something I've been wanting.
This thing has been on my mind for a while and I can't shake it.

I can't do without it.
This thing has become so essential to me that I couldn't imagine living without it.

There's something that's been hauntin' me and it's got into my soul. To my soul.
This thing has been troubling me deeply and has become a part of me at a soul level.

And I'm never gonna see her again.
This thing has become so all-consuming that I can no longer see this person who was waiting for me

No I'm never gonna see her again.
I have become so obsessed with this thing that I can't see things that were once clear to me.

Contributed by Makayla O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS