The Charlie Daniels Band was formed in 1970, with Charlie Daniels joined by Barry Barnes (guitar), Mark Fitzgerald (bass), Fred Edwards and Gary Allen (drums), and Taz DiGregorio (keyboards). They started recording southern rock-styled albums for Kama Sutra. Although a multi-instrumentalist, Daniels was a limited vocalist, but his voice was well suited to the talking-style "Uneasy Rider", which reached the US Top 10 in 1973. He followed it with his anthem for southern rock, "The South's Gonna Do It". In 1974, Daniels had members of The Marshall Tucker Band and The Allman Brothers Band join him onstage in Nashville. It was so successful that he decided to make his so-called Volunteer Jam an annual event. It led to some unlikely combinations of artists such as James Brown performing with Roy Acuff, and the stylistic mergers have included Crystal Gayle singing the blues with the Charlie Daniels Band.
The Charlie Daniels Band underwent some personnel changes on 1975's 'Nightrider", with Tom Crain, Charlie Hayward and Don Murray replacing Barnes, Fitzgerald and Allen respectively. When Daniels moved to Epic in 1976, there was a concerted effort to turn the band into a major concert attraction, despite the fact that at 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 20 stone Daniels was no teenage idol: he hid his face under an oversized cowboy hat. The albums sold well, and in 1979, when recording his "Million Mile Reflections" album, he recalled a 20s poem, "The Mountain Whipporwill", by Stephen Vincent Benet. The band developed this into "The Devil Went Down To Georgia", in which Johnny outplays the Devil to win a gold fiddle. Daniels overdubbed his fiddle seven times to create an atmospheric recording that topped the US country charts and reached number 3 in the US pop charts. It was also a UK Top 20 success.
In 1980 the band recorded "In America" for the hostages in Iran, and then in 1982, "Still In Saigon", about Vietnam. The band were featured on the soundtrack for Urban Cowboy and also recorded the theme for the Burt Reynolds movie "Stroker Ace". The 13th Volunteer Jam was held in 1987, but financial and time constraints meant the event was put on temporary hiatus (it resumed four years later). In the late 80s Daniels appeared in the movie "Lone Star Kid" and published a book of short stories, but continued touring and playing his southern boogie to adoring audiences.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, several of Daniels' albums and singles were hits on the Country charts and the music continues to receive airplay on country stations today. Daniels also released several Gospel and Christian records.
http://www.charliedaniels.com/
Caballo Diablo
Charlie Daniels Band Lyrics
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Swift as the wind blowin' free
With two eyes like fire brands that glow in the night
Somewhere up there he's waitin' for me
And he knows that I'm coming for him
I just can't rest 'til I find
That raven black stallion who wears no man's brand
They call him Caballo Diablo
Half horse and half devil they say
Caballo Diablo the outlaw
Of the blanca Sierra Madre
Two men before tried to take him
They had their chance one by one
But each met his fate when those flashin' black hooves
Brought death 'neath the Mexican sun
Still I can't leave, I must find him
You fool of a horse can't you see
I may be half man, but the other half's devil
And you're just exactly like me
They call him Caballo Diablo
Half horse and half devil they say
Caballo Diablo the outlaw
Of the blanca Sierra Madre
Even the breeze has stopped movin'
Hush now, be still
Don't make a sound and stay close to the ground
'Cause he's waitin' just over that hill
Downwind behind him move quickly
Do it fast now, he's startin' to stir
Grab a hand full of mane and up onto his back
And start breaking him down with my spurs
But try as he will, he can't shake me
As over the preface we go
To spill the lifes blood of a horse and a man
On the rocky Sierra below
They call him Caballo Diablo
Half horse and half devil they say
Caballo Diablo the outlaw
Of the blanca Sierra Madre
Charlie Daniels Band's song "Caballo Diablo" is a ballad about a man's difficult journey to capture the wild and untamed black stallion horse known as Caballo Diablo. The lyrics describe the horse as wild as a coastal boranca and swift as the wind blowing free, with two eyes like firebrands that glow in the night. The man is determined to capture Caballo Diablo, an outlaw in the Sierra Madre mountains, as he feels a connection to the horse's wild and restless spirit.
The song highlights the difficulty and danger of catching a horse that does not wear anyone's brand, unlike Charlie Daniels' previous song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." Two men before have tried and failed to capture Caballo Diablo, losing their lives under his flashing black hooves. The singer knows this but cannot rest until he captures the devilish horse. The last verse details the man and horse's final ride over the preface, leading to their deaths.
The song "Caballo Diablo" explores the human condition and the desire to capture untamed freedom in the form of a wild horse. Through the lyrics, the singer paints a picture of a man driven to possess and husband an outlaw in Caballo Diablo, even though it leads to his death.
Line by Line Meaning
Wild as a coastal boranca
The horse is like the wild wind that blows near the coast.
Swift as the wind blowin' free
The horse is very fast and moves like the free wind.
With two eyes like fire brands that glow in the night
The horse has bright eyes that shine in the darkness of the night.
Somewhere up there he's waitin' for me
The singer believes that the horse is waiting for him somewhere.
And he knows that I'm coming for him
The singer is sure that the horse is aware of him coming for him.
I just can't rest 'til I find
The singer cannot relax until he finds the horse.
That raven black stallion who wears no man's brand
The horse is a black stallion that does not belong to anyone.
With a wild restless spirit like mine
The horse has a wild and restless nature, just like the singer.
They call him Caballo Diablo
The horse is known as 'Caballo Diablo'.
Half horse and half devil they say
'Caballo Diablo' is said to be half horse and half devil.
Caballo Diablo the outlaw
'Caballo Diablo' is an outlaw.
Of the blanca Sierra Madre
The horse roams the white Sierra Madre.
Two men before tried to take him
Two people have tried to capture the horse before.
They had their chance one by one
Both of them had a try to capture the horse separately.
But each met his fate when those flashin' black hooves
Both the men have died under the hooves of the horse.
Brought death 'neath the Mexican sun
The men have died under the sun in Mexico.
Still I can't leave, I must find him
The singer must find the horse and cannot leave without it.
You fool of a horse can't you see
The singer scolds the horse for not understanding his intentions.
I may be half man, but the other half's devil
The singer believes he has a devil inside him, and that halves him from being just a man.
And you're just exactly like me
The singer thinks the horse is like him in terms of his wild nature.
Even the breeze has stopped movin'
The atmosphere has become completely still in anticipation of the singer's actions.
Hush now, be still
The singer is trying to be quiet so that the horse does not run away.
Don't make a sound and stay close to the ground
The singer is asking someone, possibly himself, to stay quiet and close to the ground.
'Cause he's waitin' just over that hill
The horse is waiting nearby, just over the hill.
Downwind behind him move quickly
The singer is trying to approach the horse from behind without it noticing.
Do it fast now, he's startin' to stir
The horse is starting to sense the presence of the singer and might get excited.
Grab a hand full of mane and up onto his back
The singer is trying to mount the horse quickly by grabbing its mane.
And start breaking him down with my spurs
The singer is using his spurs to try and calm the horse down.
But try as he will, he can't shake me
The horse tries to get rid of the singer but fails.
As over the preface we go
The singer is now riding the horse in the mountains.
To spill the lifes blood of a horse and a man
The singer knows that he and the horse might lose their lives while riding.
On the rocky Sierra below
The singer and the horse are riding in the rocky Sierra region.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLIE DANIELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind