Other artists to record his music over time included Elvis Presley, Cher, Joan Baez, Waylon Jennings, John Denver, Glen Campbell, Tanya Tucker,Arlo Guthrie, Martha Reeves and even 90's Cali punk band Ten Foot Pole.
Early Career :
The young Hoyt was an All-American athlete replete with football scholarship to Oklahoma State University, which he soon left to join the U.S Navy. During his military stint he was the heavyweight champion boxer in his task force division of 35 ships.
After serving in the armed forces, he arrived in Nashville with a guitar on a tip from his mother Mae Boren Axton (who co-wrote Heartbreak Hotel for Elvis Presley). Hoyt soon split Tennesee for California's burgeoning folk scene during the early 60's. He played the clubs in San Francisco's North Beach and made the scene in L.A as well.
Roger McGuinn remembered Hoyt Axton as a struggling singer who taught him a tune backstage in 1962 at the Troubadour in L.A. "We recorded it live at the Troubadour later that week, and when it came out, I was surprised to see the credit "Here as well is the delightful Australian folk ballad, Brisbane Ladies, on which Jimmy McQuinn of the Chad Mitchell Trio harmonizes with Hoyt." In spite of the misspelled name, I was glad to have been able to sing with Hoyt. I really loved the song too!" The song appeared on Hoyt's debut LP for the Horizon label, McGuinn later formed the Byrds with David Crosby.
Axton's songwriting prowess was eventually noticed after the Kingston Trio recorded Greenback Dollar in 1963 just hours after seeing Axton live. The song eventually appeared on 3 Billboard charting albums but Hoyt made a mere $800.00 from the song..."I was just a kid with a guitar living in a car... How could I sue when the whole point of the song was how I didn't give a damn about a greenback dollar?"
Paying Dues, Paying Bills :
In the late 60's Steppenwolf eventually recorded Axton's The Pusher and Snowblind Friend, two dramatic denouncements of the dark side of drug use. John Kay, a young aspiring singer and dishwasher also used to see Axton perform in the early 60's around L.A. He later told Axton, 'When you sang 'The Pusher,' I'd come out of the kitchen with a towel in my hand, saying that if I ever get a band, I'm gonna record that song'."
The Pusher, in particular, paid off at a good time for Hoyt: "I had two houses, three kids, two cars, $400 in the bank and bills to pay. The bank repossessed the Mercedes-Benz, and said I'd never get credit again," he remembers. "One Saturday morning, I went to the mailbox and there was a check for $14,000 for the use of the song in the film Easy Rider".
Hits like "Never Been To Spain" ("but i kinda like the music") and "The No Song" ("No, no, no, I don't smoke it no more") which went to number three on the U.S. charts for the newly solo Ringo Starr helped keep the money rolling in.
His songs seemed to showcase his optimism and singular sense of humor. A version of Joy to The World by Three Dog Night became the biggest selling record of 1971 ("Jeremiah was a bullfrog..."). Axton's own singing hits included "Boney Fingers" ("Work your fingers to the bone, what do you get? Boney fingers"). "When the Morning Comes", a duet he recorded with Linda Ronstadt from 1974's Life Machine album, which went to number one on the Canadian charts.
As the singer songwriter trend dried up in the latter 70's Axton continued to record for his own label Jeremiah, beginning in '78. 1979's " Rusty Old Halo" album produced his last two major hits, " Della and the Dealer" and the title track.
Later Career:
Axton had numerous negative music business dealings with many labels and by the early nineties his work on Horizon, A&M, Vee-Jay and MCA was mostly left out of print by short sighted label execs. Maintaining a steady concert schedule was a priority throughout the seventies and eighties that found Axton playing as many as 300 dates a year. He also got in front of the camera, first guesting on "Bonanza" in the 1960's, and then eventually on dozens of TV programs including : "Hootenanny", "Hee-Haw", "Diff'rent Strokes","The Dukes of Hazzard", "Trapper John MD","WKRP in Cincinatti" as well as popular feature films like "The Black Stallion" and "Gremlins". His voice was used in TV commercials for Busch beer, Pizza Hut, and even McDonald's where he was the singing lumberjack who introduced the then-new Big Mac. Hoyt reportedly liked doing commercials so much he didn't even consider it work. He also did voiceover narration for educational films. He bought his ranch in Montana, after playing a sheriff in the movie ''Disorganized Crime,'' filmed there in 1988.
He suffered a debilitating stroke in 1996, and a then suffered a demoralizing medical marijuana bust in 1997 for which he received a three year deferred sentence and was fined $15,000. His health was not good these last few months, including advanced complications from diabetes, spending most of his time in a wheelchair. Axton finally passed away a few days after suffering a heart attack during surgery in a Bitteroot Montana hospital.
A spokesperson for the Academy of Country Music told Associated Press after his death "There was nobody that didn't like Hoyt".
Have A Nice Day
Hoyt Axton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope it doesn't land on you
When the truth is found
I hope it will be true to you.
All I'm sayin' is have a nice day
I hope it doesn't rain on your parade
An' when it all comes down
When I woke up this mornin'
I fell out of my bed
I burnt my toast an' coffee
An' bumped my achin' head.
The radio was playin'
But it was so hard to hear
The words that they were sayin'
With my elbow in my ear.
When it all comes down
I hope it doesn't land on you
When the truth is found
I hope it will be true to you.
All I'm sayin' is have a nice day
I hope it doesn't rain on your parade
An' when it all comes down
I hope it doesn't land on you.
--- Instrumental ---
I believe in Jesus
An' what the Bible said
An' I am fairly certain
He had himself a heavy head.
He stared the lyin' people
So bad, they hung him dead
An' they never even listened
To what he really said.
He said: "When it all comes down
I hope it doesn't land on you
When the truth is found
I hope it will be true to you."
"All I'm sayin' is have a nice day
I hope it doesn't rain on your parade
An' when it all comes down
I hope it doesn't land on you..."
The song "Have a Nice Day" by Hoyt Axton is a light-hearted tune with a deeper meaning hidden within. The lyrics suggest that the truth will eventually come out, and when it does, Axton hopes that it won't negatively affect the listener. He wishes them well and hopes that they continue to have a pleasant day, despite any obstacles or difficulties they may encounter.
The song starts with a comical description of a morning gone wrong. Axton's day began with burning his toast, spilling his coffee, and bumping his head. He then turns the radio on, but can't hear it because his elbow is blocking his ear. This humorous portrayal of a chaotic morning could be interpreted as a metaphor for the chaos and confusion people face in life. Despite these obstacles, Axton reminds us to keep a positive outlook and continue to wish others well.
The final verse of the song brings in a reference to Jesus and the Bible. Axton suggests that even Jesus had a heavy head due to dealing with the lies of people. He warns that when it all comes down, it shouldn't land on the listener, and when the truth is found, he hopes it will be true to them. This verse is a reminder that everyone makes mistakes and suffers from the consequences of others' actions, but we should ultimately strive for the truth and wish positivity onto others.
Line by Line Meaning
When it all comes down
If things go wrong or come crashing down
I hope it doesn't land on you
I hope you won't be affected or harmed by it
When the truth is found
When the facts become known or revealed
I hope it will be true to you.
I hope the truth will not disappoint you
All I'm sayin' is have a nice day
I'm simply wishing you a good day
I hope it doesn't rain on your parade
I hope nothing spoils your plans or celebration
An' when it all comes down
And if everything fails or ends
When I woke up this mornin'
When I got up early today
I fell out of my bed
I got out of bed clumsily
I burnt my toast an' coffee
I accidentally overcooked my breakfast
An' bumped my achin' head.
And hit my head, which was already hurting
The radio was playin'
The radio was on
But it was so hard to hear
But it was difficult to make out the sounds
The words that they were sayin'
The message or information being conveyed
With my elbow in my ear.
Because my elbow was blocking my ear
I believe in Jesus
I have faith in Jesus
An' what the Bible said
And I trust the teachings in the Bible
An' I am fairly certain
And I'm quite convinced
He had himself a heavy head.
He was burdened with a lot of responsibilities and challenges
He stared the lyin' people
He confronted those who were dishonest
So bad, they hung him dead
To the point that they executed him
An' they never even listened
And they didn't pay attention
To what he really said.
To his true message or intentions
Contributed by Amelia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
J Ledford
I first heard this song at a coffee house in the fall of 1968 at LSU. I love this song and love Hoyt!!!! 😎💃🕺🎶🎶🎶🎶
Gene Hennigh
Hoyt can be corny, but he's even good corny
swami 7774
The Smothers Brothers performed this on their 2nd, short-lived variety show on February 4, 1975.
Gene Hennigh
When he wrote a good one, it was great
Ubu Roi
So... Every single time?
Dave Micklon
I believe this song inspired the mass-merchandised smiley fad.
slownoman
Great song, Hoyt. thank you !