Vocalist Rickey Medlocke revived the name in 1987 with a new backing group and released three additional albums (Rick Medlocke and Blackfoot, Medicine Man, and After The Reign). In 1997, Medlocke disbanded the group, and joined Lynyrd Skynyrd.
In 2004 a second resurrection of Blackfoot took place with founding members Jackson Spires, Greg Walker, and Charlie Hargrett. Medlocke was not available, however, and the frontman role was given to Bobby Barth. Tragedy struck in March 2005 when Spires died suddenly of an aneurysm, but the band decided to persevere for the time being. Following the will of Spires, Austrian drummer Christoph Ullmann was hired as permanent drummer. In 2006, the band toured and was backed up by Jay Johnson on guitar and vocals. A live DVD was released in 2007. In 2007, the band was touring and consisted of bassist Greg Walker, guitarist Charlie Hargrett, guitarist and lead vocalist Bobby Barth, and drummer Michael Sollars. Currently Barth is unavailable due to illness and former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Mike Estes became vocalist.
During the spring of 2010, Barth was forced to undergo emergency back surgery. Former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Mike Estes and current vocalist/guitarist for Skinny Molly was then employed for lead vocals/guitar and Kurt Pietro (drummer of Skinny Molly) replaced Scott Craig on drums. In the summer of 2011 Charlie Hargrett was replaced by Randy Peak.
In 2012, Rickey Medlocke reformed Blackfoot with a completely new line-up (see Members below), with him acting as their producer. Walker, Hargrett, Estes and Pietro subsequently regrouped under the band name Fired Guns. In 2015, Walker, Hargrett, Barth and Ullman began performing together again under the band name Warrior's Pride. Medlocke continues to perform with Lynyrd Skynyrd. On August 5, 2016, Blackfoot released their first album in 20 years, Southern Native. The video for the song and samples were released on August 2, 2016 via regular channels and social media. Although there are no founding members of the band in its current lineup, Medlocke joins the band onstage for certain concerts. The new lineup made their live debut at Gottrocks in Greenville, South Carolina on June 11, 2021 with an 82 minute set including two songs (In The Night, Payin' For It) that were never previously performed in concert.
There is more than one artist with this name, also including:
2) Blackfoot was a British rock band previously called Blackfoot Sue. The band released When Will I See You Again / Lay the Real Thing on Me in 1977.
3) Blackfoot was a New Zealand Christian band.
4) Blackfoot was a Zambian garage rock band. Members were Alfred Yabe, Garry Musopa, George Kabale, and Ottiman Mpondzi. A relatively lo-fi recording of one of their songs is available on the 2017 collection "Welcome to Zamrock!"
Left Turn on a Red Light
Blackfoot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's nine o'clock in this ol' station,
And my silver-linin' ride is right on time,
And then I buy myself a one-way ticket
To somewhere else on down the line,
And I see the other faces
Of a people that will never come home,
I see myself all alone.
Oh, and did you ever stop to wonder
'Bout the times that she laid by your side,
When you know that I was right,
And you finally realize
You took a left turn on a red light.
Oh, oh!
Sun shines down on the desert,
And it seems to make my life a haze,
And I dream of my childhood sweetheart,
And the freedom that I had in those days.
Will I wake from all my dreamin'?
Will this boxcar always be my lonely home? Yeah!
Well, I don't know where I am,
And I really don't give a damn,
This crazy life of mine will soon be gone.
Oh, and did you ever stop to wonder
About the times that she laid by your side,
When you know that I was right,
And you finally realize
You took a left turn on a red light.
Whoa, whoa, oh!
Well, it's nine o'clock at this old station,
Once again my ride is right on time,
And then I buy myself another ticket, Lord,
For somewhere else on down the line.
Will I always be a rambler?
Will the ones I love always keep tellin' me,
"You stare too long in the mirror, son,
Someday you'll be too blind to see."
Oh, and now I'm stoppin' my wonderin'
About the times that she laid by my side.
Now I know that I was right,
And I finally realize
I took a left turn on a red light.
Whoa, whoa, oh!
"Left Turn on a Red Light" by Blackfoot tells the story of a man who regrets taking a wrong turn in his life. The song begins with the singer waiting for his train at the station at 9 pm. He boards a train with a one-way ticket and sees the faces of people who will never go home. He looks into the mirror and sees himself alone, regretting his decisions. The singer wonders if his dreams will come true and if his life will be always on the move. The chorus is a stark reminder to listeners about the consequences of thinking they know better than others in their life.
The song has a sad tone, and the singer is portrayed as someone who doesn't want to remain where he is presently. He wants to be in a better place, free from regret and missed opportunities. The sun shining down on the desert makes his life feel like a dream, and he dreams of his happy childhood. He's unsure of where he's going but is consumed by contemptuous indifference towards his current situation. The lyrics describe the cycle of life and how we're always seeing people come and go in our lives, but we must live the entirety of our own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Lord, oh no.
Expresses feelings of worry or regret.
It's nine o'clock in this ol' station,
Establishes the setting of the scene.
And my silver-linin' ride is right on time,
Reflects a sense of irony to the situation.
And then I buy myself a one-way ticket
Indicates a sense of restlessness, a desire to move on.
To somewhere else on down the line,
Adds to the idea of moving on, leaving the current place behind.
And I see the other faces
Observation of other people at the station.
Of a people that will never come home,
Conveys a sense of homesickness or longing.
And when I stare into the mirror, Mama,
Introspective moment, looking at self.
I see myself all alone.
Feeling of loneliness or isolation.
Oh, and did you ever stop to wonder
Asks a rhetorical question of the listener.
'Bout the times that she laid by your side,
Referring to the listener's past romantic relationship.
When you know that I was right,
Asserts confidence in the artist's position or choices.
And you finally realize
The listener coming to a moment of realization.
You took a left turn on a red light.
A metaphor for making a mistake or choosing the wrong path.
Sun shines down on the desert,
Shifts the setting to a new location.
And it seems to make my life a haze,
Creating a sense of confusion or disorientation.
And I dream of my childhood sweetheart,
Reflecting on past relationships or memories.
And the freedom that I had in those days.
Feeling of nostalgia for simpler times.
Will I wake from all my dreamin'?
Expressing doubt or uncertainty about the future.
Will this boxcar always be my lonely home?
Feeling of isolation or despair.
Well, I don't know where I am,
Feeling of being lost or directionless.
And I really don't give a damn,
Indifferent or apathetic about the situation.
This crazy life of mine will soon be gone.
Feeling of transience or impermanence.
Well, it's nine o'clock at this old station,
Bringing the listener back to the present.
Once again my ride is right on time,
Reflecting a sense of repetition or routine.
And then I buy myself another ticket, Lord,
Continuing the cycle of restlessness or desire to move on.
For somewhere else on down the line.
Restating the desire to leave the current place behind.
Will I always be a rambler?
Reflecting on a sense of identity or purpose.
Will the ones I love always keep tellin' me,
Feeling of pressure or conflict between personal desires and expectations of others.
"You stare too long in the mirror, son,
Advice or criticism from others.
Someday you'll be too blind to see."
A warning about the consequences of one's actions or habits.
Oh, and now I'm stoppin' my wonderin'
Contrast from earlier rhetorical question.
About the times that she laid by my side.
Reflecting on the artist's own past romantic relationship.
Now I know that I was right,
Feeling of validation or affirmation.
And I finally realize
Feeling of clarity or understanding.
I took a left turn on a red light.
Acknowledging a mistake or poor choice.
Whoa, whoa, oh!
Repetitive exclamation at the end of the song.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JACKSON SPIRES, RICKEY LYNN MEDLOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jim Calabrese
One of those obscured songs tucked away on an album that turns out to be the real gem. Love this song.
Kimberly Ballantyne
Memories love those day's.
Ray Walton
Jim Calabrese, I totally agree. Train Train, Highway Song, some great stuff on this album. But this may be my favorite song on a pretty unheralded and underplayed (and under-appreciated) album. Nothing but great, kick ass rock and roll.
Mike Madden
That's the way it always is, isn't it!!!
Jay Becker
One of my favorites, wish the classic rock stations would play this one more often.
T Thoy
the incredible vocals of Rickey Medlocke
Alram syamay
With 1 Lung. He is incredible
missingremote
1 lung? Holy crap! Get well brother
ckelley63
Arguably one of the best debut southern rock albums of all time!!
Elvy jonsson
Real Music never dies! Thank you Rickie!