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.
Reflections
Charlie Daniels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You had all the moves and you knew all the tricks
You left all the ladies in a hell of a fix,
When your voice took wing
Then you'd shake around and oh, how'd you sing:
Just an old boy from Memphis with a big diamond ring:
A country girl's prayer and a city girls dream;
But its all right now
Keep on singin' loud
Its all right now
Heaven should be proud
The fifties left town on a crowded dance floor:
The sixties came in with a bang and a roar.
The world heard a knock it was Janis at the door:
They let her in.
And when it seemed this whole world was falling apart
The houselights would fall and the music would start
She'd be givin us all a piece of her heart
Once again
But its all right now
Keep on singin' loud
Its all right now
Heaven should be proud
It was October in St. Louis town,
When we heard that the Free Bird had fell to the ground
And we all said a prayer before we went down
To play
And Ronnie, my buddy, above all the rest
I miss you the most and I loved you the bes,
And now that your gone I thank God I was blessed
Just to know you
But its all right now
Keep on singin' loud
Its all right now
Heaven should be proud
The lyrics of "Reflections" by Charlie Daniels are a tribute to the generation-defining musicians who came to prominence in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. The verses paint a picture of three such stars, evoking memories of their music, persona, and impact. The first verse honors an unnamed male artist whose charisma, talent, and jewelry made him irresistible to women. He could sing the pants off anyone, leaving them in awe and admiration. The second verse is about the legendary Janis Joplin, a trailblazer for women in rock music. She, too, had an unforgettable voice, and her performances were electrifying. She bared her soul on stage, giving the audience a glimpse of her pain and hope. The final verse is about the Lynyrd Skynyrd band, specifically Ronnie Van Zant, who died in a plane crash in 1977. Daniels expresses his grief over the loss of a friend and a great musician.
The chorus "It's all right now/Keep on singin' loud/Heaven should be proud" serves to tie the three stories together, suggesting that their music lives on and should be celebrated. Daniels acknowledges that the world has changed, many things have been lost or forgotten, but the power of music endures. As long as people keep singing and listening to these songs, they will remain part of our collective memory and culture.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember you back in ninteen-fifty-six
I recall you from the year 1956
You had all the moves and you knew all the tricks
You had all the right dance moves and were skilled in various ways
You left all the ladies in a hell of a fix,
You caused quite a stir among the women
When your voice took wing
When you began to sing beautifully
Then you'd shake around and oh, how'd you sing:
You would move energetically and sing with passion
Just an old boy from Memphis with a big diamond ring:
A man from Memphis with a notable ring
A country girl's prayer and a city girl's dream;
A prayer for the rural girls and a dream for the urban ones
Hail the king
Praise the musician
But its all right now
Everything is okay now
Keep on singin' loud
Continue to sing energetically
Heaven should be proud
Heaven would be happy for the singing
The fifties left town on a crowded dance floor:
The 1950s ended with a big celebration
The sixties came in with a bang and a roar.
The 1960s began with noise and excitement
The world heard a knock it was Janis at the door:
Janis Joplin made her presence known to the world
They let her in.
People appreciated her music
And when it seemed this whole world was falling apart
During times of chaos and uncertainty
The houselights would fall and the music would start
The music would provide a sense of comfort and stability
She'd be givin us all a piece of her heart
Janis would share her passion and soul with the audience
Once again
As usual
It was October in St. Louis town,
The setting was St. Louis in October
When we heard that the Free Bird had fell to the ground
When we learned that the Free Bird had passed away
And we all said a prayer before we went down
We prayed before performing
To play
To perform on stage
And Ronnie, my buddy, above all the rest
Ronnie was my best friend
I miss you the most and I loved you the best,
I miss Ronnie and loved him dearly
And now that your gone I thank God I was blessed
Now that he's gone, I'm grateful for having known Ronnie
Just to know you
Just to have been acquainted with you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHARLIE DANIELS, WILLIAM J. DIGREGORIO, JOHN CRAIN, JAMES W. MARSHALL, FRED EDWARDS, CHARLES FRED HAYWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Banditnip03
We lost one of the greatest men of the USA today. Rest in peace Charlie. May perpetual light shine upon you. I love your music.
jeannebug1
This song gives me chills every time I hear it.
Charlene Webb
I love this song ❤️ There's so many great people mentioned in this song that I love. R I P everyone we miss you all.💙💔😪
BB
RIP, Charlie. Thanks for all of the great music and entertainment.
MadDog
“And Ronnie my buddy....” Gets me every time. 42 years in Heaven & we haven’t forgotten. Long live Lynyrd Skynyrd. God bless Charlie Daniels.
UKWTS
💯❤️
Ken Perkins
GOD DID.
Ken Perkins
S longer if the hospital had done its job!
Ken Perkins
He would have been with us longer if the hospital had done its job.
Scott Hunt
RIP, Charlie. You were one of the best! God bless you!