How many singer/songwriters can say that Elvis Presley recorde… Read Full Bio ↴Biography
How many singer/songwriters can say that Elvis Presley recorded one of their songs and has a co-write with Bob Dylan?
In 1972, the legendary Ahmet Ertegun signed Danny O'Keefe to Atlantic Records, then teamed him with the incomparable producer Arif Mardin, resulting in his top-five Billboard hit "Goodtime Charlie's Got the Blues." This was followed by the classic album Breezy Stories in 1973. Besides Elvis, many other artists including Jerry Lee Lewis; Willie Nelson; Chet Atkins; Waylon Jennings; Leon Russell; Charlie Rich; and Mel Torme went on to record this classic composition.
This tandem combined for three other D O'K classics during that decade: "Angel Spread Your Wings" also recorded by Judy Collins; "The Road" also recorded by Jackson Browne; and "Magdalena" also recorded by Donny Hathaway and Leo Sayer. These songs garnered heavy AM and FM airplay for Danny and were the building blocks for his distinguished performing and songwriting career.
Now, regarding the co-write with Bob Dylan: besides Danny's version, "Well, Well, Well" has been recorded by Mavis Staples; David Lindley; Maria Muldaur; The Blind Boys of Alabama with Ben Harper and by Bonnie Raitt on her VH1 special.
Other notable co-writes and covers of Danny's compositions include: "Quits," sung originally as a duet with Linda Ronstadt (Andy Williams; Chris Hillman and Gary Stewart); "Along for the Ride" (John Denver); "Souvenirs" (Jimmy Buffet); "Next To You" (Sheena Easton); "Never Got Off the Ground" (co-written with David Mallett and recorded by Alison Krauss and Molly O'Brien); "Into the West" (Tim O'Brien); "When You Come Back Down" (Nickel Creek and Tim O'Brien); and most recently, "Anywhere On Earth You Are" (Allan Jackson on his 2006 CD "Like Red On A Rose.")
Danny believes that music is a powerful means for sharing concern and motivating change on critical issues such as the preservation of "song" in the world. After becoming increasingly concerned with the decimation of songbirds and their habitat, Danny started The Songbird Foundation (www.songbird.org) which works with musical artists to publicize the issue of songbird species decline due to devastation of their habitat. Using his music to publicize and popularize the issue, Danny successfully encouraged other musicians to do the same. Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, Jimmy Buffet, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nickel Creek, Jackson Browne and many others have responded by contributing public service announcements, perform benefit concerts and do their part to make audiences aware that to create a truly sustainable world requires changed patterns of consumption, especially with concern to aggressive sun-grown coffee in the rain forests of Latin America.
Danny's voice is a superb mixture blues and Americana; his songwriting speaks for itself.
Discography
1971 - Danny O'Keefe Cotillion Records
Produced by Ahmet Ertegun
1972 - O'Keefe Signpost/Atlantic
Produced by Arif Mardin
Contains the top-ten hit "Goodtime Charlie's Got the Blues"
1973 - Breezy Stories Atlantic Records
Produced by Arif Mardin
Contains the single "Angel Spread Your Wings"
1975 - So Long Harry Truman Atlantic Records
Produced by John Boylan
Contained the single "Quits"
1977 - American Roulette Warner Bros. Records
Produced by John Court and Kenny Vance
1979 - The Global Blues Warner Bros. Records
Produced by Jay Lewis and Danny O'Keefe
1984 - The Day To Day Coldwater Records
Produced by Mathew McCauley and Tony Peluso
Contained the singles "Along for the Ride" and "Someday"
Both singles charted in the "20's" in AC charts
1989 - Redux Beachwood/Chameleon Records
(this is a re-release of The Day To Day with a new title and two new songs)
Contained the singles "Along for the Ride" and "Someday"
Both singles charted on AOR charts in the 20's
VH1 played the video of "Along for the Ride"
2000 - Runnin' From the Devil Miramar
January 25th, 2000
2003 - "Don't Ask" w/Bill Braun
Produced by Bill Braun
All songs written and performed by Danny O'Keefe and Bill Braun
Canary
Danny O'Keefe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Canary sings a song she learned waiting for the night
Standing on the corner always asking for a light
Or change, or maybe just a moment
Hey, baby, just a moment
Say, buddy, can you spare the time
Her sister flew united and her brother tried to bum
For change, for maybe just a moment
Hey, baby, just a moment
Say, buddy, can you spare the time
So long, it's been so long
Canary sing your song for me
Yellow plastic raincoat, yellow plastic shoes
She's got a brand new plastic outfit
Says you pay for what you use
She's changed, for maybe just a moment
Hey, baby, just a moment
Say, buddy, can you spare the time?
So long, it's been so long
Canary sing your song for me
In Danny O'Keefe's song "Canary," the singer observes a woman known as the Canary who is always asking for a light or spare change while standing on a street corner. Despite her circumstances, she still finds it in her to sing a song she learned while waiting for the night. The lyrics suggest that the Canary's family has had their own struggles, with her father having an interest in rum and her sister flying United (which could be seen as an example of leaving and not looking back) while her brother tried to bum for change. However, the Canary remains on the street corner, always asking for just a moment of someone's time.
The use of the term "Canary" could be interpreted in a few ways, potentially as a metaphor for a canary in a coal mine, singing despite the difficult surroundings. The yellow plastic raincoat and shoes the Canary is described as wearing could also be seen as symbolic of a cheap, artificial exterior that masks her true self. Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on class differences and the idea that somebody who may seem very different from oneself may still have something to offer or a story to tell.
Line by Line Meaning
Canary sings a song she learned waiting for the night
Canary is singing a sad song she learned while waiting in the night, probably on the streets.
Standing on the corner always asking for a light
Canary is always standing on the corner asking for a light, trying to find something to hold onto.
Or change, or maybe just a moment
She's asking for money, or maybe just a moment of someone's time to talk with her.
Hey, baby, just a moment
Canary is using a term of endearment to ask people to stop and talk with her.
Say, buddy, can you spare the time
She's asking the person again to give her a little of their time.
Her father was a banker but his interest was in rum
Canary's father was a banker and his main interest was in alcohol.
Her sister flew united and her brother tried to bum
Her sister was successful and her brother tried to live a carefree life.
For change, for maybe just a moment
Like Canary, her siblings may have also wanted money or a brief moment of someone's time.
Hey, baby, just a moment
She asks again for a little moment of someone's time using a term of endearment.
Say, buddy, can you spare the time
Canary repeats her plea for a little of someone's time.
Yellow plastic raincoat, yellow plastic shoes
Canary wears yellow plastic shoes and raincoat which may represent her cheap, easily replaceable life.
She's got a brand new plastic outfit
Canary got a new plastic outfit which means she bought something new but cheap and replaceable.
Says you pay for what you use
This line may mean that everything in life has a price, and you get what you pay for.
She's changed, for maybe just a moment
The line may mean that Canary has changed as a person, if only for a brief moment of her life.
Hey, baby, just a moment
Canary once again asks for someone's time in a sweet tone.
Say, buddy, can you spare the time?
Canary once again asks for someone's time, perhaps searching for human connection.
So long, it's been so long
Canary has been waiting for a long time, making it seem as if she has been alone and lonely for a long time.
Canary sing your song for me
This line is probably asking Canary to sing a song to lift the mood.
Contributed by Taylor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Southern Style
on Shooting Star
Southern Style
I appreciate your posting the lyrics to this song, however I don't think the lyrics shown in the second verse were the lyrics penned by O'Keefe. I know every Lyric site shows it as presented here but as this is a song about unrequited love I feel it necessary to try to define the word "Electra"/"Elektra" which, at one point in time, referred to "pre-dawn"; Think sun rays coming over the horizon prior to sunrise. So what you have, in effect, is "morning waiting for Elektra but Elektra is mourning for the NIGHT". There is your unrequited love; Morning loves Elektra but Elektra loves Night.