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/
Wichita Jail
Charlie Daniels Band Lyrics
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My head felt like somebody been walkin' on it,
Don't know how I got here,
Don't remember nothin' at all,
But if I done all the things that they say I did,
Well I sure musta had a ball
'Cause in thirty more days
To see that gal of mine,
But the Wichita Jail
Is a long long way
From the Tupelo County line,
I gotta do my time
Well I ain't got a cent of the money I had
I spent it
Shirts tore, my shoes got a big hole in it,
There's a king size knot on the side of my head
And I got one big black eye
But brother if you think I look bad,
You oughtta see that other guy
'Cause in thirty more days
I'm goin' back home,
To see that gal of mine,
But the Wichita Jail
Is a long long way
From the Tupelo County line,
I gotta do my time
Well this nine pound hammer feels like it weighs a ton
Makin' lil ones outta big ones in this red hot Kansas sun
I just hope I can make it thirty more days
And get out of this mess I'm in,
And if I ever get back to Mississippi
I ain't ever gonna leave again
'Cause in thirty more days
I'm goin back home,
To see that gal of mine,
But the Wichita Jail
Is a long long way
From the Tupelo County line,
I gotta do my time
I gotta do my time
I gotta do my time
I gotta do my time
The Charlie Daniels Band's "Wichita Jail" tells the story of an individual who wakes up in jail with no recollection of how he got there. His physical state: a knot on his head, one black eye, and having spent all his money. Despite not remembering what landed him there, the lyrics hint that he must have had a wild time leading up to his arrest. He speaks of a woman waiting for him at home, and he's counting down the days until his release. However, the Wichita jail proves to be a long way from home, and he's resigned to serve his time.
The lyrics of the song describe a group of individuals who, like Johnny Cash, are locked up for one reason or another. The singer is one of these individuals. He is introspective, wondering what it takes to escape going to the titular Wichita Jail. He describes a sense of amnesia and bewilderment before coming to terms with his situation. "Wichita Jail" is a classic country song that tells the story of a man who made some mistakes that landed him behind bars, and now he has to serve out his sentence. It's a tale of redemption and hope, as the lyrics remind us that everyone has a second chance to turn their lives around.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up on a cement floor this mornin'
I woke up in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable place.
My head felt like somebody been walkin' on it
I had a headache and was in pain.
Don't know how I got here
I have no recollection of my arrival here.
Don't remember nothin' at all
I have lost all memory of what happened.
But if I done all the things that they say I did,
If I really did all of the things that they have accused me of,
Well I sure musta had a ball
I must have had a great time if I have done everything they said I did.
'Cause in thirty more days
After thirty more days have passed,
I'm goin back home,
I will return to my home.
To see that gal of mine,
To see my girlfriend.
But the Wichita Jail
The prison I am currently in,
Is a long long way
Is very far
From the Tupelo County line,
From the county I am from.
I gotta do my time
I have to complete my sentence in prison.
Well I ain't got a cent of the money I had
I have no more money left.
I spent it
I used it up.
Shirts tore, my shoes got a big hole in it,
My clothes are ripped and my shoes are damaged.
There's a king size knot on the side of my head
There is a large bump on the side of my head.
And I got one big black eye
My eye is swollen and bruised.
But brother if you think I look bad,
But if you think I look bad now,
You oughtta see that other guy
You should see the other person involved in the incident.
'Cause in thirty more days
After thirty more days have passed,
I'm goin' back home,
I will return to my home.
To see that gal of mine,
To see my girlfriend.
But the Wichita Jail
The prison I am currently in,
Is a long long way
Is very far.
From the Tupelo County line,
From the county I am from.
I gotta do my time
I have to complete my sentence in prison.
Well this nine pound hammer feels like it weighs a ton
The tool I am using feels much heavier than it really is.
Makin' lil ones outta big ones in this red hot Kansas sun
I am doing hard labor in the hot sun and breaking big rocks into small ones.
I just hope I can make it thirty more days
I hope I can survive for thirty more days in this environment.
And get out of this mess I'm in,
And to escape this difficult and dangerous situation I am in.
And if I ever get back to Mississippi
And if I ever return to my home state of Mississippi.
I ain't ever gonna leave again
I will never leave Mississippi again.
'Cause in thirty more days
After thirty more days have passed,
I'm goin back home,
I will return to my home.
To see that gal of mine,
To see my girlfriend.
But the Wichita Jail
The prison I am currently in,
Is a long long way
Is very far.
From the Tupelo County line,
From the county I am from.
I gotta do my time
I have to complete my sentence in prison.
I gotta do my time
I have to complete my sentence in prison.
I gotta do my time
I have to complete my sentence in prison.
I gotta do my time
I have to complete my sentence in prison.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLIE DANIELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Reaper
Anytime me and my dad go hunting, fishing, or just sitting in camp drinking we crank this album up and jam out. Thanks for showing me great music pops! Love ya!
John Regan
great album. I found Charlie Daniels about 40 years ago and I can't believe how great this album is.
Daniel Burns
this song went to #22 on the country charts in 1976!!!
Heath Davis
Great Tune and album 😁
William Roberts
Rest In Peace Charlie Daniels.
doughboy Bellmore
Rest in Peace Charlie, Taz, Tommy an Rick. LH&R Brothers
Gary Bales
Rip Charlie. Never be another
Kylie Malcombe
The Master of southern rock i was raised on this mosart
bugsme10
doughreally.
bugsme10
so is this your song? ; - )