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.
Renegade
Charlie Daniels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In 1973
And they won't nobody in Music City
Wanted anything to do with me
They said, "Boy you sure dress funny
And you just don't fit our crowd
And your music's weird, your hair's too long
I said, "Yeah, I know, I'm different
I know, I'm not the same
And you may drive a big Cadillac car
But I ain't gonna play your game"
And you can put me down in this guitar town
And I ain't gonna be afraid
'Cause I'm a proud walkin', slow talkin'
Hard headed, high steppin' genuine renegade
Well, I ain't afraid to tell you what's on my mind
I just ain't the bashful type
I go all the way for the U.S.A.
'Cause I love them stars and stripes
I ain't never been scared of nothin'
And I'm a renegade to the bone
So if you're looking for trouble better bring you some help
I'm a little bit more than you can handle alone
I'm mighty proud of Dixie
I'm just full of Southern pride
I'm a catfish connoisseur
And I know, I'm countryfied
I get an ornery streak sometimes when I speak
But I guess, it's just the price I paid
'Cause I'm a hard drivin' survivin'
Four wheelin', straight dealin' genuine renegade
And you can put me down in this guitar town
I ain't gonna be afraid
'Cause I'm a proud walkin', slow talkin'
Hard headed, high steppin' genuine renegade
In Charlie Daniels's song Renegade, the singer talks about his struggles in the early days of his career. He had gone down to Nashville in 1973 to make a career in music, but nobody wanted anything to do with him. The people in Music City found his appearance and music too different for their liking. While they drove big Cadillac cars, he refused to play their game. The singer admits that he is different, and he may not fit in, but he is proud of who he is. He is a true renegade who is hard-headed and not afraid to speak his mind.
The singer is not scared of anything, and he declares himself to be a renegade to the bone. He loves the United States of America and proudly stands up for the stars and stripes. He is full of Southern pride, and he takes pride in being a catfish connoisseur. Sometimes, he gets an ornery streak, but he believes that it is the price he pays for being a genuine renegade. He is an intense survivor and a dealmaker, who does not back down from any challenge.
Charlie Daniels's song Renegade is an anthem of defiance and pride. It celebrates the spirit of nonconformity and the courage to stand out and be different. The lyrics are a personal narrative of Daniels's struggle to establish himself in Nashville, and they resonate with anyone who has felt rejected or out of place. The song became a hit for Charlie Daniels and solidified his place as a country music legend.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I went down to Nashville
In 1973
And they won't nobody in Music City
Wanted anything to do with me
The song begins with the singer's arrival in Nashville in 1973, hoping to make a name for himself in the music industry. However, he faced rejection from everyone in the city, including Music City, who didn't want anything to do with him.
They said, "Boy you sure dress funny
And you just don't fit our crowd
And your music's weird, your hair's too long
And you play that guitar way too loud"
The singer talks about the reasons that the people of Nashville have given him for why he doesn't fit in with their crowd. They call him out for his weird dress sense, music style, long hair, and loud guitar playing.
I said, "Yeah, I know, I'm different
I know, I'm not the same
And you may drive a big Cadillac car
But I ain't gonna play your game"
The singer acknowledges that he is different and not the same as the people in Nashville. He is unwilling to compromise his identity for fame and fortune and doesn't want to play their game.
And you can put me down in this guitar town
And I ain't gonna be afraid
'Cause I'm a proud walkin', slow talkin'
Hard headed, high steppin' genuine renegade
The artist is not afraid of being put down in Nashville's guitar town because he is proud of who he is. He walks with pride, talks slowly, is stubborn, and is a genuine renegade.
Well, I ain't afraid to tell you what's on my mind
I just ain't the bashful type
I go all the way for the U.S.A.
'Cause I love them stars and stripes
The artist is not shy about expressing his opinions, and he is not embarrassed to stand up for what he believes in. He loves America, and he's prepared to go all the way for his country.
I ain't never been scared of nothin'
And I'm a renegade to the bone
So if you're looking for trouble better bring you some help
I'm a little bit more than you can handle alone
The singer is a true renegade who's never scared of anything. He issues a warning to anyone looking to start trouble with him to bring some help because he's more than they can handle alone.
I'm mighty proud of Dixie
I'm just full of Southern pride
I'm a catfish connoisseur
And I know, I'm countryfied
The singer takes pride in being from Dixie and is full of Southern pride. He is an expert in catfish and is authentic to his country roots.
I get an ornery streak sometimes when I speak
But I guess, it's just the price I paid
'Cause I'm a hard drivin' survivin'
Four wheelin', straight dealin' genuine renegade
The artist admits to having an ornery streak when he speaks, but it comes at a price. Because he is a true renegade, hard driver, survivor, four-wheeler, and straight dealer.
And you can put me down in this guitar town
I ain't gonna be afraid
'Cause I'm a proud walkin', slow talkin'
Hard headed, high steppin' genuine renegade
The artist's identity as a genuine renegade is something he takes pride in, even in the face of rejection. He walks with pride, talks slowly, is stubborn, and is a genuine renegade.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRUCE RAY BROWN, CHARLES FRED HAYWARD, CHARLIE DANIELS, JOHN LOUIS GAVIN, WILLIAM J. DIGREGORIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind