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.
Let Freedom Ring
Charlie Daniels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the head army there stepped a man
He said, "I've been to the top of the liberty
And I've looked over the promised land"
He had no fear of death or evil
His skin was black and his name was King
He said I may not get there with you
There was a tyrant strong and mighty
And he built his self a wall
He said, "This wall's gonna stand forever
No power on Earth is gonna make it fall"
But then the winds of change they started blowing
Like a free bird on the wing
And then the wall fell down with a sound like thunder
Let the free bird fly and let freedom ring
(Let freedom ring)
Throughout the northland out across the frozen Tundra
To the land of the midnight sun and the Eskimo
(Let freedom ring)
From Albuquerque across the sea to Greece and Turkey
And from Halifax down south to Mexico
(Let freedom ring)
From Carolina round the world to Indochina
From Seattle to Mobile and Abilene
(Let freedom ring)
Let freedom ring
(Let freedom ring)
Let freedom ring
Let it ring, let it ring, let it ring
Innocent blood was shed for freedom
In a faraway place called Tiennemen Square
'Cause the heavy hand of cruel oppression
Is so much more than a man can bear
But you can't chain a man forever
And your guns they don't mean a thing
'Cause they'll rise again in the cause of justice
Give the power to the people and let freedom ring
(Let freedom ring)
From Minnesota across the plains to North Dakota
And from Kennebunkport out to Kalamazoo
(Let freedom ring)
From Rome to Reno and from Tokyo to Moscow
And from Barcelona, Spain to Kathmandu
(Let freedom ring)
From Madagascar and from Berlin to Alaska
And from Liverpool to Perth to Aberdeen
(Let freedom ring)
Let freedom ring
(Let freedom ring)
Let freedom ring
Let it ring, let it ring, let it ring
Let's give thanks to God our Father
The author of our liberty
Gave us this land to protect and cherish
It's the home of the brave and it's the land of the free
Oh America, we love you
Sweet land of hope of thee we sing
And with our life's blood we will protect you
Let the eagle fly and let freedom ring
Let freedom ring
Let freedom ring
Let freedom ring
Let it ring, let it ring
Let it ring, let it ring
Let freedom ring
The lyrics to Charlie Daniels's song "Let Freedom Ring" are a call to action for people to stand up for their freedom and to fight against tyranny and oppression. The song tells the story of a man who has been to the "top of the liberty" and has seen the promised land, but who knows that he may not live to see it himself. He urges others to put their faith in God and to let freedom ring, even if it means facing death.
The song also recognizes the struggles of people throughout the world who have fought for their freedom, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the protests in Tiananmen Square. It acknowledges that the fight for freedom is ongoing, and that people must continue to rise up for what they believe in.
Overall, "Let Freedom Ring" is a powerful anthem that reminds us of the importance of standing up for our beliefs and fighting for our freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
In the heat of the battle
When things were tough and uncertain
To the head army there stepped a man
A courageous leader appeared among them
He said, "I've been to the top of the liberty
I have experienced true freedom and seen its full potential
And I've looked over the promised land"
And I have seen a brighter future that lies ahead
He had no fear of death or evil
He was not afraid of what might happen to him
His skin was black and his name was King
He was an African-American named King
He said I may not get there with you
I may not be around to see it happen
But put your faith in God and let freedom ring
But believe in the power of God and the importance of freedom
There was a tyrant strong and mighty
There was a powerful and oppressive leader
And he built his self a wall
And he created obstacles to freedom
He said, "This wall's gonna stand forever
He claimed that these obstacles would be permanent
No power on Earth is gonna make it fall"
No one can make these obstacles go away
But then the winds of change they started blowing
But then things began to change
Like a free bird on the wing
As if a bird that had been caged was finally set free
And then the wall fell down with a sound like thunder
And then these obstacles were destroyed, as if by a great force
Let the free bird fly and let freedom ring
Allow freedom to exist and flourish
(Let freedom ring)
Throughout the northland out across the frozen Tundra
Throughout the cold and desolate regions of the north
To the land of the midnight sun and the Eskimo
To places like Alaska and those who inhabit it
From Albuquerque across the sea to Greece and Turkey
From cities in the United States to countries across the world
And from Halifax down south to Mexico
And from cities in Canada to countries in Central America
From Carolina round the world to Indochina
From states in the southern United States to countries in Southeast Asia
From Seattle to Mobile and Abilene
From cities in the western United States to those in the south
Let freedom ring
Allow freedom to exist and flourish
Innocent blood was shed for freedom
People have died in the fight for freedom
In a faraway place called Tiennemen Square
In a place in China called Tiennemen Square
'Cause the heavy hand of cruel oppression
Because of the harsh and unjust treatment of people
Is so much more than a man can bear
Is more than any person can endure
But you can't chain a man forever
But you cannot keep people suppressed indefinitely
And your guns they don't mean a thing
And weapons cannot keep people from seeking freedom
'Cause they'll rise again in the cause of justice
Because people will continue to fight for justice and freedom
Give the power to the people and let freedom ring
Empower individuals and allow freedom to exist and flourish
(Let freedom ring)
From Minnesota across the plains to North Dakota
From states in the midwestern United States to others in the region
And from Kennebunkport out to Kalamazoo
And from cities in the northeastern United States to those in the Midwest
From Rome to Reno and from Tokyo to Moscow
From cities in Europe to those in Asia and Russia
And from Barcelona, Spain to Kathmandu
And from cities in Spain to those in Nepal
From Madagascar and from Berlin to Alaska
From countries in Africa to states in the United States
And from Liverpool to Perth to Aberdeen
And from cities in the United Kingdom to those in Australia and Scotland
Let freedom ring
Allow freedom to exist and flourish
Let's give thanks to God our Father
Let us show gratitude to God
The author of our liberty
The one who created the concept of freedom
Gave us this land to protect and cherish
Gave us this country to value and maintain
It's the home of the brave and it's the land of the free
It is a country of courageous individuals who prioritize freedom
Oh America, we love you
We have affection for this country
Sweet land of hope of thee we sing
We praise this land and express our hope for its future
And with our life's blood we will protect you
We will defend this country even unto death
Let the eagle fly and let freedom ring
Allow the symbol of American liberty to soar and freedom to flourish
Let freedom ring
Allow freedom to exist and flourish
Let it ring, let it ring
Let it be heard loudly and clearly
Let it ring, let it ring
Let it echo throughout the land and beyond
Let freedom ring
Allow freedom to exist and flourish
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRUCE RAY BROWN, CHARLES FRED HAYWARD, CHARLIE DANIELS, JOHN LOUIS GAVIN, WILLIAM J. DIGREGORIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zohar Soncino
This song gives me chills
sarah foster
"There was a tyrant, strong and mighty, and he built himself a wall. He said this walls gonna stand forever, no power on Earth is gonna make it fall, then the wind of change it started blowing."
So perfect.
Henry Spoolman III
God bless Charlie !
HeReigns
“The author of Our Liberty” 🗽
Dylan Jordan
Thanks for posting these songs. I have looked for this cd in the stores and can't find it
glencoe6305
Charlie Daniels for President in 2016 !
Jennifer Chandler
Thank You!
Ronald Charles Epstein
Unfortunately, Martin Luther King is unable to hear this song.
Patriotic White
This song sucks lol
Evelyn
Not true.