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/
In America
Charlie Daniels Band Lyrics
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And the flag's been flyin' low
And a lotta people sayin' that America's
fixin' to fall
Well speakin' just for me
And some people from Tennessee
We've got a thing or two to tell you all
This lady may have stumbled
And if the Russians don't believe that
They can all go straight to hell
We're gonna put her feet back
On the path of righteousness and then
God bless America again
[Chorus]
And you never did think
That it ever would happen again
(In America, did you)
You never did think
That we'd ever get together again
(We damn sure could)
Yeah, we're walkng real proud
And we're talkin' real loud again
(In America)
You never did think
That it ever would happen again
From The Sound up in Long Island
Out to San Francisco Bay
And everthing that's in between them
Is our own
And we may have done a little bit
Of fightin' amongst ourselves
But you outside people best leave us
alone
'Cause we'll all stick together
And you can take that to the bank
That's the cowboys and the hippies
And the rebels and and the yanks
You just go and lay your hand
On a Pittsburgh Steelers' fan
And I think you're gonna finally
understand
[Chorus: x2]
Charlie Daniels's "In America" is a patriotic song that speaks to the resilience of the United States and the love that its citizens have for their country. The lyrics start by acknowledging that there are people who believe that America is on the verge of collapse, but Daniels and some proud Tennesseans are quick to defend their country. The image of the eagle flying slow and the flag flying low may symbolize the nation's struggles or hardships, but despite this, the country has not fallen. The reference to Russians going to hell could be understood in the context of the Cold War, which was a significant political issue at the time.
The chorus is a call to unity, challenging those who thought America would never be able to come together again to think again. The song also references the past conflicts that the country has faced, such as fighting amongst themselves, but in the end, they stick together. The bridge mentions different regions - from Long Island to San Francisco Bay - that are united in their love for America.
Overall, "In America" is a song that celebrates the greatness of the United States and calls for people to come together in unity. It's a reminder that even amidst hardships and differences, the people of the country can support one another and find a way to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the eagle's been flyin' slow
Symbol of USA has been showing a slow progress
And the flag's been flyin' low
The national flag has been down to indicate distress
And a lotta people sayin' that America's fixin' to fall
Many individuals believe that USA is about to collapse
Well speakin' just for me And some people from Tennessee
Speaking on behalf of myself and a group of individuals from Tennessee
We've got a thing or two to tell you all
We have some information to share with everyone
This lady may have stumbled
USA may have faced some challenges or setbacks
But she ain't never fell
However, the country has never completely failed
And if the Russians don't believe that They can all go straight to hell
If Russia doesn't believe in the strength of USA, they can be dismissed
We're gonna put her feet back On the path of righteousness and then God bless America again
We will guide the nation towards a better future and may God bless USA
And you never did think That it ever would happen again (In America, did you)
You didn't expect that USA would rise again, did you?
You never did think That we'd ever get together again (We damn sure could)
You never expected us to unite again, but we definitely can
Yeah, we're walkng real proud And we're talkin' real loud again (In America)
We are confidently and proudly expressing ourselves again in the country
From The Sound up in Long Island Out to San Francisco Bay And everthing that's in between them Is our own
From Long Island to San Francisco Bay, everything in between is our territory
And we may have done a little bit Of fightin' amongst ourselves
We may have faced some internal conflicts
But you outside people best leave us alone
But people outside our nation should not get involved
'Cause we'll all stick together And you can take that to the bank That's the cowboys and the hippies And the rebels and and the yanks
We will unite and support each other, that's the cowboys, hippies, rebels, and Yankees
You just go and lay your hand On a Pittsburgh Steelers' fan And I think you're gonna finally understand
If you mess with one of us, you're messing with all of us
And you never did think That it ever would happen again
You didn't expect that USA would rise again, did you?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES FRED HAYWARD, CHARLIE DANIELS, FRED EDWARDS, JAMES W. MARSHALL, JOHN CRAIN, WILLIAM J. DIGREGORIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind