Daniels began writing and performing in the 1950s. In 1964, Daniels wrote a song called "It Hurts Me" which Elvis Presley recorded. He worked as a session musician, including playing on three Bob Dylan albums during 1969 and 1970. Daniels recorded his first solo album, Charlie Daniels, in 1970. His first hit, the novelty song "Uneasy Rider", came off his 1972 second album, Honey in the Rock, and reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1974, Daniels organized the first in a series of Volunteer Jam concerts based in or around Nashville, Tennessee. Except for a three-year gap in the late 1980s, these have continued ever since.
In 1975, he had a top 30 hit as leader of the Charlie Daniels Band (CDB) with the Southern rock self-identification anthem "The South's Gonna Do It Again". "Long Haired Country Boy" was also a minor hit in that year.
Daniels won the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1979 for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", which reached #3 on the charts.
Subsequent Daniels pop hits included "In America" (#11 in 1980), "The Legend of Wooley Swamp" (#31 in 1980), and "Still in Saigon" (#22 in 1982).
In the late 1980s and 1990s several of Daniels' albums and singles were hits on the country charts. Daniels also released several gospel and Christian records.
Charlie Daniels has never shied away from politics. "The South's Gonna Do It" had a mild message of Southern cultural identity within the Southern rock movement. Daniels was an early supporter of Jimmy Carter's presidential bid and performed at his January 1977 inauguration.
"In America" was a reaction to the 1979-1981 Iran Hostage Crisis; it described a patriotic, united America where "we'll all stick together and you can take that to the bank / That's the cowboys and the hippies and the rebels and the yanks." In contrast, "Still in Saigon" (written by Dan Daley) was an effective portrayal of the plight of the American Vietnam veteran ten years after the war; it was part of an early 1980s wave of attention to the subject, in contrast to treatments such as Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." and "Shut Out the Light", Billy Joel's "Goodnight Saigon", and somewhat later Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road".
In 1990, Daniels' country hit "Simple Man" seemingly advocated a pseudo-Biblical form of vigilantism; lines such as "Just take them [rapists, killers, child abusers] out in the swamp / Put 'em on their knees and tie 'em to a stump / Let the rattlers and the bugs and the alligators do the rest," got Daniels considerable media attention and talk show visits.
In 2003, Daniels published an Open Letter to the Hollywood Bunch in defence of George W. Bush's Iraq policy. His 2003 book Ain't No Rag: Freedom, Family, and the Flag contains this letter as well as many other personal statements. During the 2004 presidential campaign, Daniels acknowledged that having never served in the military himself, he did not have the right to criticize John Kerry's service record.
In 2005, he has made a cameo appearance along with Larry the Cable Guy, Kid Rock, and Hank Williams, Jr. in Gretchen Wilson's music video for the song "All Jacked Up", whose album has been released.
In November 2007, Daniels was invited by Martina McBride to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
In October 2016, Daniels officially became a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
On October 26, 2018, Daniels released a new side album project that was not solo or CDB, but a new band called Beau Weevils, along with CDB bass player, Charlie Hayward, producer James Stroud on drums and Billy Crain on guitar.
Billy The Kid
Charlie Daniels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the mighty Franklin Mountains guard the trail to Mexico
There's a new made widow crying and a hearse a rolling slow
I guess that Devil's passed this way again
There's a lathered Sorrel Stallion running threw the Joshua trees
And a young man in the saddle with his coat tails in the breeze
He's got a six gun on his right hip and a rifle at his knees
And he's dealing in a game that he can't win
Poor Billy Bonny, you're only twenty one
Pat Garrett's got your name on every bullet in his gun
Each notch you carved on your six gun
Has a bloody tale to tell
You're a mile ahead of Garrett and a step outside of Hell
Them fancy clothes your wearing and the women in your bed
Can't take away the faces of the men that you've left dead
As you ride across the bad lands with a price upon your head
And now the wheel of fortune starts to turn
You're reputation's grown till it's the biggest in the land
And there ain't a lot of people left who want to call your hand
And I guess you'll go down shooting and like all branded men
When you shake hands with the Devil you get burned
Poor Billy Bonny, you're only twenty one
Pat Garrett's got your name on every bullet in his gun
Each notch you carved on your six gun
Has a bloody tale to tell
You're a mile ahead of Garrett and a step outside of Hell
The song “Billy the Kid” by Charlie Daniels Band describes the story of Billy Bonny, also known as Billy the Kid, who was a notorious American Old West outlaw. The song starts with the description of the location where the story takes place, which is in the southern part of Texas, where the Franklin Mountains are, and where the trail to Mexico is guarded. The description sets a rugged and dangerous tone that characterizes the environment in which Billy the Kid operated. The song then intensifies the melancholy mood by mentioning a new made widow crying and a hearse rolling slow, suggesting that there was a recent death in the area, perhaps caused by violence. This builds up to the chorus, which repeats twice throughout the song, emphasizing Billy the Kid’s doomed fate or “deal with the Devil," as he tries to escape from the law.
From there, the song goes on to describe Billy the Kid’s attempt to outrun Pat Garrett, the man entrusted to capture him, and the reality of his situation as he is chased through the badlands of the southwestern United States. The song highlights how the fame of Billy the Kid grew as he continued to elude the law, which means that he has more enemies than allies, and his judgment day is coming. The last verse emphasizes the tragic nature of Billy the Kid's fate, as indicated by his youth (21 years old), his infamy, and the bloody tales behind every notch on his gun. The line "you're a mile ahead of Garrett and a step outside of Hell" sums up the fact that he is running out of time.
Overall, the song tells the story of Billy the Kid with a mixture of sadness and admiration, recognizing him as a daring and fearless outlaw who ultimately chose the path that led to his downfall.
Line by Line Meaning
In the southern part of Texas, east and west of EL Paso
The setting of the story is in southwestern Texas.
Where the mighty Franklin Mountains guard the trail to Mexico
The geography of the area is significant, as it is near the trail leading to Mexico.
There's a new made widow crying and a hearse a rolling slow
Someone has died, and a funeral procession is taking place.
I guess that Devil's passed this way again
The implication is that Billy the Kid was responsible for the death and is, therefore, viewed as the devil.
There's a lathered Sorrel Stallion running threw the Joshua trees
A horse has just taken off through the desert landscape covered in sweat.
And a young man in the saddle with his coat tails in the breeze
Billy the Kid is on this horse with a long jacket flowing behind him.
He's got a six gun on his right hip and a rifle at his knees
Billy the Kid is carrying both a pistol and a rifle with him.
And he's dealing in a game that he can't win
The game he is playing is too dangerous, and he is unlikely to emerge unscathed.
Poor Billy Bonny, you're only twenty one
The song addresses Billy the Kid specifically, noting how young he was when he was engaging in all his exploits.
Pat Garrett's got your name on every bullet in his gun
Garrett was on a mission to catch Billy and would leave no stone unturned.
Each notch you carved on your six gun
Billy the Kid memorialized his kills by carving notches on his weapon.
Has a bloody tale to tell
Each notch was an indication of the bloodshed left behind in his wake.
You're a mile ahead of Garrett and a step outside of Hell
Despite being pursued tirelessly by Garrett, Billy the Kid seemed invincible.
Them fancy clothes your wearing and the women in your bed
The popular image of Billy as a dapper and charming outlaw is invoked.
Can't take away the faces of the men that you've left dead
Despite Billy's charm and elegance, he has killed men and can't leave those memories behind.
As you ride across the bad lands with a price upon your head
Billy knows that someone is on his tail, and there is a bounty on his head.
And now the wheel of fortune starts to turn
This suggests that Billy's good fortune is about to run out and that his luck is up.
You're reputation's grown till it's the biggest in the land
Billy's reputation as a dangerous outlaw has spread far and wide, making him infamous throughout the region.
And there ain't a lot of people left who want to call your hand
As a result of his notoriety, few people are willing to cross Billy the Kid.
And I guess you'll go down shooting and like all branded men
The presumption is that Billy will not give up quietly and will choose to fight until the bitter end.
When you shake hands with the Devil you get burned
Billy's association with evil or the Devil risks his life and hastened his demise.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind