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/
Reflections
Charlie Daniels Band 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 wings
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;
Chorus
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.
repeat chorus
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 best,
And now that your gone I thank God I was blessed
Just to know you
repeat Chorus
The lyrics of the Charlie Daniels Band's song "Reflections" recount a nostalgic look back at the rock 'n' roll era of the 1950s and 60s. The song begins by addressing a singer who was a sensation in 1956, captivating audiences with his moves and tricks. He was adored by both country and city girls, and his powerful voice was capable of soaring to impressive heights. The chorus of the song acknowledges that although the era has come and gone, the singer's legacy lives on, and he should continue to sing loud because heaven should be proud of him.
The song then takes a turn as it explores the arrival of the sixties, which saw the emergence of Janis Joplin as one of the biggest stars of the day. The lyrics acknowledge the upheaval of the era, but notes that even in the midst of chaos, Joplin was able to bring a piece of her heart to her music. Finally, the song turns to 1977, when the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd experienced a tragedy with the death of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant. The lyrics pay tribute to Van Zant, who was a close friend of one of the band members, and expresses gratitude for having known him.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember you back in nineteen-fifty-six
I have memories of you from the year 1956
You had all the moves and you knew all the tricks
You were skillful and knowledgeable
You left all the ladies in a hell of a fix, when your voice took wings
You had a great impact on women with your singing
Then you'd shake around and oh, how'd you sing
You would dance while singing
Just an old boy from Memphis with a big diamond ring
You were a humble person from Memphis but had great wealth
A country girl's prayer and a city girl's dream
You were sought after by women from the country as well as the city
Hail the king
You were like a king in the eyes of many people
But it's all right now
Everything is alright now
Keep on singing loud
Continue your passion of singing loudly
Heaven should be proud
Heaven should feel proud of you
The fifties left town on a crowded dance floor
The 1950s era ended with a lot of excitement
The sixties came in with a bang and a roar
The 1960s era started with a lot of energy
The world heard a knock it was Janis at the door
Janis Joplin made an entry into the music world with a great impact
They let her in
She was given an opportunity to showcase her talent
And when it seemed this whole world was falling apart
During times the world seemed chaotic or out of control
The houselights would fall and the music would start
Music would bring people together during difficult times
She'd be giving us all a piece of her heart, once again
Janis always sang with full passion and dedication
It was October in St. Louis town
The incident happened in St. Louis town in October
When we heard that the Free Bird had fell to the ground
The news of Free Bird's fall reached us at that time
And we all said a prayer before we went down to play
We prayed before going to perform
And Ronnie, my buddy, above all the rest
Ronnie was the closest to the artist among all his friends
I miss you the most and I loved you the best
The artist misses Ronnie the most and loved him the best
And now that you're gone I thank God I was blessed just to know you
The singer feels blessed to have known Ronnie even though he is no longer alive
Repeat Chorus
Repeat the previously mentioned chorus
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AChalian1
Someone needs to cover this song and add a verse about Charlie. Heaven is certainly proud now. RIP
@AutomatikSystematik
One of the best tribute songs ever written. Brings a tear to my eye every time.
@phillipwoods6377
Been a long time since I heard this, still gets to me after 40 years
@johnvadenais472
Yes, today and always. RIP Mr Daniels.
@rturner5883
RIP Charlie. What a loss. Music legend, great patriot, one of my favorites.. Jam on with Ronnie and all the rest.
@jasonjohnson9478
What a beautiful, heartfelt song.
@timothybender
Rest easy Charlie! You were a great musician and patriot. Heaven is proud!
@jessericks703
CDB. Truly a legend. Thank you for the years the songs and the integrity
@semprelazio
Heaven should be proud.. rip CD.. a genuine American treasure
@karensykes2108
This has always been my favorite Charlie Daniels song. Heart and tears xx