Marion Bandy was born and grew up in Meridian, Mississippi, hometown of the country singer Jimmie Rodgers. He later stated: "My grandfather worked on the railroads with Jimmie Rodgers. He was the boss of the railway yard in Meridian and Jimmie Rodgers worked for him. He said that he played his guitar all the time between work."
He was nicknamed Moe by his father when he was a child. The Bandy family moved to San Antonio, Texas when Moe was six. His mother played piano and sang. Bandy was taught to play the guitar by his father who had a country band called the Mission City Playboys, but made little use of the ability until he was in his teens. His father's wish that Moe also play the fiddle never materialized.
He made some appearances with the Mission City Playboys but generally during his high school years he showed little interest in music and a great deal of interest in rodeos. He tried bronco-busting and bull riding and by the time he was 16, both he and his brother Mike were competing in rodeos all over Texas.
In 1962, tired of the bruises and fractured bones, he began to pursue a career in country music. He assembled a band that he called Moe And The Mavericks and found work playing small beer joints, honky-tonks, and clubs over a wide area around San Antonio. When he was young he tried to sound like Hank Williams and George Jones - "I even had my hair cut short like his."
Although work was plentiful, the pay was poor and during the day he worked for his father as a sheet metal worker, a job that lasted for 12 years, during which time he made a few recordings for various small labels. In 1964, he had his first single, "Lonely Girl", on the San Antonio based Satin label, but it made little impression. He did manage to get his band a residency on a local television program called Country Corner and in this capacity, he provided backing for several touring stars.
In 1973, he went solo when record producer Ray Baker, who had listened to his demos, suggested that he come to Nashville, Tennessee. Moe Bandy obtained a loan and recorded a song called "I Just Started Hatin' Cheatin' Songs Today". Initially released on Footprint Records with a limited pressing of 500 copies, it soon came to the attention of the Atlanta-based GRC label. In March 1974, it entered the US country chart, eventually peaking at number 17. Other minor hits followed, including "It Was Always So Easy To Find An Unhappy Woman (Till I Started Looking For Mine)" and "Don't Anyone Make Love At Home Anymore".
In 1975, a song written by his friend Lefty Frizzell and Whitey Shaffer gave him a number 7 country hit, firmly establishing his reputation. "Bandy The Rodeo Clown" was to become not only one of his own favorites but also one of his most popular recordings. (Shaffer was greatly amused by the way Bandy pronounced woman as "woh-min", and began to send him songs with the "woh-min" in them.)
Bandy sang in a simple style that extracted the utmost from his songs of lost love, sadness, and life. Although by no means a Hank Williams sound-alike, his method of putting across his honky-tonk songs showed the distinct influence of Williams. He met with immediate success at Columbia Records with Paul Craft's "Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life" and quickly added further hits, including "Here I Am Drunk Again".
From 1977 through 1979, he was a country chart regular with singles such as "I'm Sorry For You, My Friend" (the song Williams had written for their mutual friend Lefty Frizzell), "Cowboys Ain't Supposed To Cry", "That's What Makes The Jukebox Play", and a duet with Janie Fricke, "It's A Cheating Situation".
In 1979, he achieved his first solo number 1 with "I Cheated Me Right Out of You".
That same year, in 1979, Bandy joined forces with Joe Stampley and recorded a tongue in cheek novelty single: "Just Good Ol' Boys". The song went on to top the country chart and it led to a continuation of their partnership. The duo, commonly known as "Moe and Joe", had more novelty hits between 1979 and 1985, including "Holding The Bag", "Tell Ole I Ain't Here", and "Hey Joe (Hey Moe)". In 1984, they ran into copyright problems with their parody of the then-current Boy George/Culture Club phenomenon: "Where's The Dress" used the guitar-riff introduction from Culture Club's hit "Karma Chameleon".
During the 1980s, Bandy maintained a steady line of solo successes, including "Yesterday Once More", "Rodeo Romeo", "She's Not Really Cheatin' (She's Just Gettin' Even)", and "Till I'm Too Old To Die Young".
Bandy also registered duet successes with Judy Bailey ("Following The Feeling") and Becky Hobbs ("Let's Get Over Them Together"). Over the years, he maintained a touring schedule estimated at 250 to 300 days a year and appeared on numerous network television shows. In later years, he cut back considerably on his schedule. He was never a regular Grand Ole Opry member, but has made guest appearances from time to time.
Bandy summed up his music when he said, "I really think my songs are about life. There's cheating, drinking and divorcing going on everywhere and that's what hardcore country music is all about." He added: "If I'd done all the things I sing about, I'd be dead."
Critics reviewing some of his later recordings wrote that it was strange that at a time when more artists were actually recording his type of music, some of his recordings were spoiled by string and/or choir arrangements, and advised that an immediate return to his roots was necessary. Bandy opened his popular Americana Theatre in Branson, Missouri in 1991 and performs frequently there.
Moe, along with his brother, Mike Bandy, a six time NFR bull riding qualifier, were inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2007.
She's Not Really Cheatin'
Moe Bandy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She makes up her face
Then she makes up a lie
She's dressed fit to kill
And it takes all his will
Not to cry
And he won't let it show
As she's leavin'
Ooh, she's not really cheatin'
She's just gettin' even
And he's going through hell
But he knows to well it's deserved
She telling all the same lies
The same alibis that she's heard
Two wrongs don't make it right
But he knows tonight she's believing
That's she's not really cheatin'
She's just gettin' even.
She's never been untrue
So this is all new
But she's catchin' on fast
Her cheatin' is fair
Cause he's done his share
In the past
He has to understand
Cause he's an old hand (?)
At this even (?)
So she's not really cheatin'
She's just gettin' even
And he's going through hell
But he knows to well it's deserved
She telling all the same lies
The same alibis that she's heard
Two wrongs don't make it right
But he knows tonight
She's believing
That's she's not really cheatin'
She's just gettin even
Moe Bandy's song "She's Not Really Cheatin'" is a tale of a relationship in which the woman is cheating on her partner. The lyrics suggest that the man is aware of his partner's infidelity, but he is choosing to not confront her about it. The woman puts a lot of effort into her appearance and lies to her partner, suggesting that she is trying to hide her affair. The man, on the other hand, is struggling with his emotions, trying not to express his pain and disappointment.
In the lyrics, the woman rationalizes her infidelity by saying that she is only getting even with her partner since he has been unfaithful to her in the past. The song implies that the man realizes his mistakes, and he is now paying for them. He understands that he has hurt his partner in the past, and she is now seeking revenge. The man is aware that two wrongs do not make a right, but he lets her continue her affairs because he thinks that it is well-deserved.
The song touches on the theme of revenge and how it can manifest in a relationship. It highlights how a cycle of infidelity and revenge can start in a relationship, leading to more hurt and pain for both partners. The lyrics suggest that the couple is stuck in this cycle and can't find a way out.
Line by Line Meaning
Not a hair out of place
She has made sure that her appearance looks perfect and she is putting on a show.
She makes up her face
She applies makeup to her face to look her best and hide her true emotions.
Then she makes up a lie
She fabricates a story to explain her behavior to her partner, even though it's not true.
She's dressed fit to kill
She wears clothes that make her look attractive and desirable with the intention of hurting her partner.
And it takes all his will
Her partner has a hard time controlling his emotions and not showing his pain.
Not to cry
He struggles to hold back his tears and remain stoic in front of her.
She don't know that he knows
She is unaware that her partner knows about her actions and plans to retaliate.
And he won't let it show
He keeps his knowledge of her actions a secret and does not let her know that he knows.
As she's leavin'
She is leaving, but the consequences of her actions will remain.
Ooh, she's not really cheatin'
Although she is acting inappropriately, she is not technically cheating because it is in response to her partner also behaving poorly.
She's just gettin' even
She is using her actions as revenge for her partner's past behavior, which she thinks justifies it.
And he's going through hell
Her partner is in a lot of emotional pain due to her behavior.
But he knows too well it's deserved
He acknowledges that he has also been unfaithful in the past, so he understands that she feels justified in her actions.
She telling all the same lies
Like her partner before her, she is lying to cover up her behavior and avoid the consequences.
The same alibis that she's heard
She has heard similar excuses from her partner before and is now using them herself.
Two wrongs don't make it right
Although they both have done wrong, it doesn't justify their actions or make them right.
But he knows tonight she's believing
He understands that she thinks she has a valid reason for her actions, even if he disagrees.
That's she's not really cheatin'
In her mind, her actions are not really considered cheating because she sees it as revenge.
She's just gettin even
She continues to justify her actions as getting even for her partner's past behavior.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RANDY SHAFFER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind