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
Saturday Morning
Danny O'Keefe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I was a kind I used to go to school
Tried to treat everybody right and live by the golden rule
Now I've gotten to be a man I find the rules don't work
Try to treat everybody straight they take you for a jerk
It's Saturday Morning
Maybe you got the answer, there's no question anymore
If you don't know whose side you're on you ain't been keepin' score
Hey, what's happenin', Baby? Go ask Old Mr. Jones
Cuz he's been lock-and-loadin' while you been rollin' stones
And it's Saturday Morning
And there's no school today
Baby, I ain't the doctor and there ain't nothin' I can do
But the medicine you've been takin' ain't no good for you
You'd better listen to me, get hip to what it's about
Cuz it's already Saturday morning and school has just let out
The song "Saturday Morning" by Danny O'Keefe is a reflection on the disillusionment that comes with growing up and realizing that the rules and morals one was taught as a child don't always hold up in the real world. O'Keefe contrasts his idealistic childhood self, who tried to follow the "golden rule" and treat everybody fairly, with his adult self, who has found that such actions are often taken advantage of. The lyrics suggest that the world is not as simple as we once believed, and that determining "whose side" we are on requires a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of life.
The chorus, "It's Saturday Morning and there's no school today," reinforces the idea of a loss of innocence, as Saturday mornings were once associated with the carefree joy of weekends and time off from school, while now they serve as a reminder that the responsibilities and realities of adulthood are always present. The song also contains a warning to the listener about the dangers of blindly following authority figures or taking medication without question, implying that critical thinking and self-reflection are key to navigating the complexities of the world.
Overall, "Saturday Morning" is a poignant and introspective song that speaks to the universal experience of growing up and realizing that life is not as straightforward as we once thought.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a kind I used to go to school
During my childhood, schooling was a regular part of life
Tried to treat everybody right and live by the golden rule
I made an effort to maintain good behavior and follow the morality of treating others how I would like to be treated
Now I've gotten to be a man I find the rules don't work
As I've matured, I've come to realize that abiding by this morality doesn't guarantee good treatment in return
Try to treat everybody straight they take you for a jerk
Even when I am honest and true to my values, some people still view me negatively
It's Saturday Morning
The day is Saturday, which signals freedom from regular routines such as school
And there's no school today
School is not in session for the day
Maybe you got the answer, there's no question anymore
You may believe that you have all the knowledge and understanding you need, but you have stopped asking questions to gain more insight
If you don't know whose side you're on you ain't been keepin' score
If you don't know your own beliefs and values, you haven't been reflecting on your past experiences and what they indicate about your character
Hey, what's happenin', Baby? Go ask Old Mr. Jones
You may be unsure about what's going on in the world, so seek guidance from an experienced person like Mr. Jones
Cuz he's been lock-and-loadin' while you been rollin' stones
While you have been idle or oblivious, Mr. Jones has been actively preparing and taking action
And it's Saturday Morning
The day is still Saturday morning
And there's no school today
School is still not in session
Baby, I ain't the doctor and there ain't nothin' I can do
I cannot physically heal you like a doctor, and I have limited power to help you
But the medicine you've been takin' ain't no good for you
The actions or habits you have been relying on are not actually helpful or healthy for you
You'd better listen to me, get hip to what it's about
You should pay attention to my advice and become more knowledgeable about the situation
Cuz it's already Saturday morning and school has just let out
The fact that it's still Saturday morning and school has only just let out emphasizes the immediacy and importance of the issue
Contributed by Matthew W. 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.