Better known as Daniel throughout the show, he beat over 9000 candidates to compete in Malaysian Idol and was left with Norhanita Hamzah in the final two.
In the final episode and the subsequent results show held at Genting Highlands' Arena of Stars on September 23 and September 24, 2005 respectively, he obtained roughly 1.2 million out of 1.67 million votes (68%) cast through SMS and phone calls. The finale was broadcast live on TV3 and 8TV.
He has released his first single Mimpi (translation: "Dream") on Oct 19, 2005 which sold 5000 copies in five days. His self-titled debut album was released on 22 November 2005 and sold more than 10,000 copies in its first three weeks. The album has 10 songs including Mimpi (with Mandarin and Malay versions), Heaven Knows (English), and seven other songs in Mandarin, one of which he composed himself. Within six months of release, the album eventually achieved platinum status by breaching 25,000 copies. His second album, Unavoidable 躲不過, was released about 18 months later on June 13, 2007. He is under the management of The 8 Unit.
There were major disagreements surrounding Daniel's victory as the Malaysian Idol as some viewers claimed that his looks brought him the victory. It was claimed that the majority of the votes sent via SMS were mostly by young girls and it was also speculated that some even voted more than once, which ultimately explains the amassed 1.2 million votes which led to his win. The music student from Universiti Sains Malaysia has displayed his talent in playing various musical instruments such as the violin, guitar and piano, but the truth is still debated today.
Lee has also been compared with Mawi, the winner of the third season of Akademi Fantasia, in terms of their huge successes and controversies looming.
Prior to participating in Malaysian Idol, he was a first-year music course student at the Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. He was also a part-time singer in "unplugged" cafes prior to the competition.
He worked part time in a computer shop in Prangin Mall, Penang. As a music lover and a keen photographer, he is an avid user of the Apple Computer iLife suite of applications (GarageBand, iTunes, iPhoto & iDVD). He intends to continue with his university studies after a 1-year stint in the recording industry.
Pinkie's World, the official fan club for Daniel Lee.
The name "Pinkies" came about through the frequent wearing of a pink t-shirt (a gift from a fan) by Daniel throughout the contest. It was inferred that his favourite colour was thus pink, leading to the naming of the fan club as such.
Up-to-date, Daniel has yet to conduct a concert of his own. However, Daniel has appeared in numerous multiple-artiste concerts and performances since his winning of Malaysian Idol 2. One of his major performances include the Summer 8 Live Concert 2006 (夏日8度演唱会 2006) at Danga Bay , Johor , and also Summer 8 Live Concert 2007 (夏日8度演唱会 2007) at Ipoh , Perak a mass concert gathering Chinese singers from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, organized by Malaysian private channel, 8TV.
Daniel also performed at the Sungei Wang 2007 Countdown, entertaining the Malaysian public with other local and international artistes from Hong Kong and Taiwan, attended by a crowd of more than 100,000. The concert was taunted as the biggest countdown concert in Malaysia for 2007.
Daniel stood in for Gary Yap (叶俊岑) temporarily as the host for 8TV E-News (八八六十事) when the latter was busy with preparations and rehearsals for hosting the Grand Finale of the maiden edition of the Malaysian version of Project Superstar, a Mandarin singing talent-search competition, in April 2006.
Daniel made a guest appearance in 8TV's own idol television drama, Sky 星空 (2007), as a character with his own name. The drama was starred by Gary Yap (叶俊岑), maiden edition of Project Superstar's overall/male category champion, Johnson Wee Chun Yen (黄俊源) aka John and female category runner-up, Mei Sim (云美鑫), and one of the judges of Project Superstar itself, Guan Qi Yuan (管启源). Daniel also recorded a song for the drama's OST album.
**Important Note:
Daniel Lee Chee Hun should NOT be mistaken for DANIEL LEE http://www.danielleemusic.com/. He is the true composer of all the albums that are crediting Daniel Lee Chee Hun by mistake.
Backwood Tobacco
Daniel Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the sun goes down on the little town
They roll the sidewalks up
Make it hard to find a good time
Oh, but that never does stop us
'Cause, when it comes to cuttin' loose
We know how to hold our own
Buy our beer and gas at the Texaco
We put our trucks in the mud
Trust in the Lord
Fall for the girls in the cut-off shorts
Sang a little Hank
Pour Jack in our Coke
And pass around the backwood tobacco
Work all week and make ends meet
Sometimes we barely do
Wish Uncle Sam would give a damn
'Bout folks like me and you
When it comes to kickin' back
Hell it shouldn't be a crime
If we don't wanna slow our role
Hey Lord we're runnin' wild
We put our trucks in the mud
Trust in the Lord
Fall for the girls in the cut-off shorts
Sang a little Hank
Pour Jack in our Coke
And pass around the backwood tobacco
Me and my baby on a Friday night
Sittin' on a tailgate, country fight
It's the kind of life that I like to live
Me and my baby on a Friday night
Sittin' on a tailgate, country fight
It's the kind of life that I like to live
We put our trucks in the mud
Trust in the Lord
Fall for the girls in the cut-off shorts
Sang a little Hank
Pour Jack in our Coke
Fall for the girls in the cut-off shorts
Put our trucks in the mud
Pour Jack in our Coke
And pass around the backwood tobacco
And pass around the backwood tobacco
Pour Jack in our Coke
And pass around the backwood tobacco
"Backwood Tobacco" by Daniel Lee is a song that celebrates pleasure in simplicity with an ode to small-town life. The lyrics explore enjoying the simple things in life without worrying about life's pressures. The song starts with the mention of backwood tobacco, a type of rolled tobacco that represents leisure and relaxation, and the scene is set in a small town where things shut down after dark. Despite this, the singer says that they still know how to have a good time, even without many options for entertainment.
The chorus shows how the town's people party and have fun by doing things like putting their trucks in mud, trusting in the lord, flirting with girls in cut-off shorts, and singing to Hank Williams' music. They also pass around backwood tobacco, drink Jack and Coke, and enjoy each other's company. The song highlights the pleasure of being with friends and loved ones in a simple setting.
Overall, "Backwood Tobacco" is a cheerful song that celebrates the beauty in simplicity and small-town living. It speaks of the joy of losing oneself in the moment, without worrying about life's pressures. It's a reminder that happiness is often found in the simplest things in life.
Line by Line Meaning
That's the round of backwood tobacco
This is how things go when we're smoking our homemade tobacco.
When the sun goes down on the little town
Nighttime comes to our small town.
They roll the sidewalks up
Everything in town closes down for the night.
Make it hard to find a good time
It's tough to find something fun to do when all the businesses are closed.
Oh, but that never does stop us
Despite there being nothing to do, we find a way to have a good time.
'Cause, when it comes to cuttin' loose
We know how to have fun and let loose.
We know how to hold our own
We are self-sufficient and can take care of ourselves.
Buy our beer and gas at the Texaco
We purchase our necessities at the local gas station.
But the smoke is all home grown
We make our own tobacco at home.
Work all week and make ends meet
We work hard during the week to make enough money to survive.
Sometimes we barely do
It's a struggle to make ends meet sometimes.
Wish Uncle Sam would give a damn
We wish the government cared about people like us.
'Bout folks like me and you
About ordinary people who are working hard to make a living.
When it comes to kickin' back
When we want to relax.
Hell it shouldn't be a crime
It shouldn't be against the law to have a good time.
If we don't wanna slow our role
If we don't want to stop having fun.
Hey Lord we're runnin' wild
We're enjoying our freedom and having a good time.
Me and my baby on a Friday night
My significant other and I on a Friday evening.
Sittin' on a tailgate, country fight
We sit on the back of a truck and enjoy our time together.
It's the kind of life that I like to live
Our simple, fun way of living is what I enjoy.
We put our trucks in the mud
We drive our trucks through muddy terrain.
Trust in the Lord
We believe in God and have faith in Him.
Fall for the girls in the cut-off shorts
We are attracted to women wearing short shorts.
Sang a little Hank
We enjoy singing songs by Hank Williams Jr.
Pour Jack in our Coke
We mix Jack Daniels whiskey with Coca Cola.
And pass around the backwood tobacco
We share our homemade tobacco with each other.
And pass around the backwood tobacco
We share our homemade tobacco with each other.
Fall for the girls in the cut-off shorts
We are attracted to women wearing short shorts.
Put our trucks in the mud
We drive our trucks through muddy terrain.
Pour Jack in our Coke
We mix Jack Daniels whiskey with Coca Cola.
And pass around the backwood tobacco
We share our homemade tobacco with each other.
Writer(s): Jon Henderson, Lynn Hutton, Daniel Lee
Contributed by James C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jacobwhitaker7575
One of my favorite all time songs ..Daniel keep on slingin them words boy you gotta good thing going for ya and some great songs to show for it
@RandomKiller87
August 2021 and this song still kickass!
@DanielLeeSomofo
lol thanks Shannon
@py_fn01
Who’s still listing to this song
@josephwhite7062
1 year later still listening good ass song man
@dakotaflowers0
It should be a crime that this video has only 160k! Hitting the share button for sure
@jezeusrodrigues5744
this song says it all, who doesn't like to go mudding in their trucks? always find ways to have fun no matter what, get fucked up off jack, everything in this song is the definition of fun, put a lip in a listen to this song is awsome, amazing song
@collincooper3259
killing it brother keep it up
@DanielLeeSomofo
keep passing around the backwood tobacco yall!!!!
@mermaidcandy
I hadn't drank for a year...had a pint a Jack and this song blastin' on New Year's Eve in Pendleton, Oregon, #DanielLee We's Country! Soon Oregon's #BackWoodsTobbaco will be legal. People like you bringing it into the light turns off the darkness. Thanks man. #BackWoodsTobacco all the way...I can only take that #TennesseeWhiskey once in awhile!