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/
Everytime I See Him
Charlie Daniels Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Superfly
Stays high
Sneakin down the alleyway to make another buy
Talkin bout a big deal
Big wheel
Nothins real
Sneakin out the back door
Top floor
Dirt poor
You know the boys gonna get himself in jail
Living on the back street
Concrete
Fast speed
Lost in the jungle with the tiger by the tail
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
He's just barely getting by
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
He's down there getting high
Midnight siren
Whats it mean
Bad dreams
Shiverin and shakin in the middle of the night
Down in a cold sweat
In debt
Upset
Hidin in the back room to keep ot of sight
Walkin that tough walk
Jivetalk
Double cross
Sneakin down the side street hidin from the sun
Makin them big plans
Big man
Be this man
Gonna make a million but he never gets it done
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
He's just barely getting by
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
He's down there getting high
Thinks he's a loverboy
Super joy
Tough toy
Thinks he's kinda sexy but the ladies say he ain't
Nothing but a no class
Jiveass
Movin fast
Wants to be a winner but the monkey says he can't
After hours nightspot
Whatcha got
Hot shot
Gotta keep movin just to keep from going down
The boy won't ever learn
Slow burn
Overturn
End up in a coffin there six feet in the ground
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
He's just barely getting by
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
He's down there getting high
The lyrics to the Charlie Daniels Band's song Everytime I See Him tell the story of a man who portrays himself as a big shot and tough guy, but in reality is always on the brink of getting arrested and running out of money. He thinks he's a ladies' man but the women disagree. He tries to be a winner but always falls short. The song paints a picture of a man living on the edge of society, constantly chasing a high and trying to escape his problems.
The lyrics use vivid imagery to describe the man and his actions. He's sneaking down alleyways to make buys, hiding in back rooms to avoid detection, and trying to keep moving to avoid going down. The repeated refrain of "everytime I see him" emphasizes the cyclical nature of this man's life - he's always barely getting by and always getting high.
Overall, the song serves as a commentary on the destructive nature of addiction and the desperation that can drive people to take risks and make bad choices. It also speaks to the idea of self-delusion and trying to present oneself as something they're not.
Line by Line Meaning
Thinks he's a toughguy
He thinks of himself as a strong and resilient person
Superfly
He fancies himself as being superior and cool
Stays high
He is constantly under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Sneakin down the alleyway to make another buy
He secretly goes to a shady place to buy drugs
Talkin bout a big deal
He talks about a major opportunity that he believes will bring him success
Big wheel
He believes himself to be an important and influential person
Nothins real
He does not understand the truth and reality of the situation
Wouldn't know the truth if it looked him in the eye
He is so blinded by his delusions that he cannot recognize the truth even when it is staring him in the face
Sneakin out the back door
He tries to slip away unnoticed
Top floor
He lives in the uppermost part of a building
Dirt poor
He is extremely poor and has nothing of value
You know the boys gonna get himself in jail
It is highly likely that he will end up in prison
Living on the back street
He resides in a seedy and run-down part of town
Concrete
The streets and surroundings are constructed of hard and tough material
Fast speed
The pace of his life is frenetic and chaotic
Lost in the jungle with the tiger by the tail
He is trapped and unable to escape from a dangerous and unpredictable situation
Everytime I see him
Whenever he is seen or encountered
He's just barely getting by
He is struggling to survive and make ends meet
He's down there getting high
He is consuming drugs or alcohol to escape reality
Midnight siren
The loud noise made by an emergency vehicle during the middle of the night
Whats it mean
He is confused and unable to understand the significance of the siren
Bad dreams
He is experiencing unpleasant and terrifying dreams
Shiverin and shakin in the middle of the night
He is trembling and convulsing due to fear and anxiety during the night
Down in a cold sweat
He is perspiring profusely and feels extremely nervous and anxious
In debt
He owes a substantial amount of money to others
Upset
He is highly agitated and distressed
Hidin in the back room to keep ot of sight
He is concealing himself in a room at the back of a building to avoid being seen or caught
Walkin that tough walk
He is swaggering and attempting to appear strong and formidable
Jivetalk
He uses a vernacular language that is fashionable and popular
Double cross
He deceives others and does not fulfill his promises
Sneakin down the side street hidin from the sun
He is trying to evade exposure to public scrutiny by walking on a less busy street and keeping out of direct sunlight
Makin them big plans
He has grand aspirations and projects for the future
Big man
He wants to be important and powerful
Be this man
He wants to emulate and become like a particular individual
Gonna make a million but he never gets it done
He has high ambitions to achieve great financial success but is unable to follow through and make it happen
Thinks he's a loverboy
He believes he is attractive and desirable to women
Super joy
He experiences intense pleasure and satisfaction
Tough toy
He thinks of himself as being resilient and unbreakable like a toy made of tough material
Thinks he's kinda sexy but the ladies say he ain't
He perceives himself as being charming and sexually appealing but women do not consider him so
Nothing but a no class
He is an inferior and worthless person
Jiveass
He is a deceitful and manipulative person who uses fashionable language to conceal his true motives
Movin fast
He is living an unstable and reckless life at a rapid pace
Wants to be a winner but the monkey says he can't
He desires to achieve success but is held back by his own flaws and limitations
After hours nightspot
He goes to a place that is open late during the night where people gather to drink and socialize
Whatcha got
He is asking what is available or being offered
Hot shot
He is trying to show off and prove himself as being important
Gotta keep movin just to keep from going down
He must constantly move about and stay active to avoid slipping into a dire and unhappy situation
The boy won't ever learn
He is incapable of learning from his mistakes and will continue to repeat them
Slow burn
He is simmering with resentment and anger that will one day explode with violent consequences
Overturn
He is reversing and destroying any progress or achievements that he has made
End up in a coffin there six feet in the ground
His life will end in death and he will be buried six feet below the surface of the earth
Contributed by Layla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.