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.
Jitterbug
Charlie Daniels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drives a '36 Cord with a rumble seat.
He's a jitterbug; scare the letters off a highway sign.
He drinks beer and eats bennies
And chases it down with Thunderbird wine.
Carries brass knuckles and a .44,
Runs a loan shark business and a mary jane store.
He's a jitterbug; keeps movin', don't sit still;
One day in September he stepped out of his Cord,
Into the street to face a bullet-spittin' Ford.
Now he's “Jitterbug,” just a name in the news.
He finally paid the price;
He finally paid his dues.
The lyrics of Charlie Daniels's song, Jitterbug, depict the life of a reckless man who lives on the edge and indulges in activities that are considered illegal in society. The first stanza describes the man's appearance and his possessions, which are a zoot suit with a reet pleat and a vintage '36 Cord with a rumble seat. The lyrics portray the subject as a jitterbug, which is a term used for a person who lives life fearlessly and with abandon. This person does what they want, without any regards for the consequences of their actions.
The second verse of the song goes further to describe this man's actions, behaviors and habits. He drinks beer and eats bennies (amphetamine pills), and he's known to chase them down with Thunderbird wine. He carries brass knuckles and a .44 (a gun), runs a loan shark business, and deals in marijuana. The lyrics reveal how he's always on the move and can never remain in one place for long. The chorus of the song stresses the idea that the jitterbug keeps moving and never sits still. If he doesn't get caught by the law, someone he has upset will eventually catch up with him.
In the final verse, the lyrics reveal that the jitterbug's reckless behavior finally catches up with him. The man steps out of his Cord on a September day to confront a car that shoots bullets at him. The man no longer has the chance to dodge danger as the shooter gets the best of him. The lyrics reveal that the jitterbug finally pays the price for his life of adventure and recklessness.
Line by Line Meaning
He wears a zoot suit with a reet pleat,
He dresses flamboyantly in a zoot suit with a creased pleat
Drives a '36 Cord with a rumble seat.
He drives a 1936 Cord convertible car with foldable seats in the rear
He's a jitterbug; scare the letters off a highway sign.
He is a fast-moving and reckless person who can shake the letters off a road sign
He drinks beer and eats bennies
He consumes beer and amphetamines
And chases it down with Thunderbird wine.
He drinks Thunderbird wine to follow up his beer and amphetamines
Carries brass knuckles and a .44,
He carries brass knuckles and a .44 caliber handgun
Runs a loan shark business and a mary jane store.
He is involved in the illegal businesses of loan sharking and selling marijuana
He's a jitterbug; keeps movin', don't sit still;
He is a constantly-moving individual who doesn't stay in one place for long
If the law don't get him, some gun-totin' irate husband will.
If the police don't catch him, some man who is jealous and armed with a gun will
One day in September he stepped out of his Cord,
One day in September he got out of his Cord car
Into the street to face a bullet-spittin' Ford.
He faced a car that was shooting bullets at him
Now he's “Jitterbug,” just a name in the news.
Due to his violent lifestyle and eventual death, he is now known as 'Jitterbug' and his name is mentioned in the news
He finally paid the price;
He eventually faced the consequences of his actions
He finally paid his dues.
He suffered the punishment that he deserved
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WILLIAM J. DIGREGORIO, JOHN CRAIN, FRED EDWARDS, CHARLES FRED HAYWARD, DON BRUCE MURRAY, CHARLIE DANIELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@glenmoore9977
One of the best of all time. Charlie Daniels
@stephengriffin9992
Rest in Peace Charlie Daniels- You Were One of A Kind.
@rockinredneck57
Charlie was lucky to get Taz. He could have been a star on his own. He was a great addition to the band. I think he was with Charlie longer than any other member.
@tobiascree6799
thanks Charlie and Tommy, you gentlemen are cookin as usual, but that bass guitarist Is just smokin beond belief
@rockinredneck57
Charlie Hayward played over 40 years with the CDB and played on CDs last project, Beau Weevils. Excellent bassist.
@phatbackbeat6553
Tazz.., with one hand tied behind his back !
@Warpedsmac
Does not need two hands...that's only for beginners...