After the guys worked on their sound for a while, inspired by gritty rock n roll, they finally recorded and released their first album, 1978's 'Molly Hatchet'. Then, in 1979, 'Flirtin' with Disaster' came out. The group's work earned them both critical praise and commerical success, the album hitting the #19 slot on the Billboard top 200 chart. Allmusic's Rob Theakston has spoken for many in writing that the "tour de force" of a record shows that " the band means business".
Yet the group's history would prove to be a rocky one. In 1980, Brown left the group to form The Danny Joe Brown Band (with future Molly Hatchet guitarist Bobby Ingram). He was replaced by vocalist Jimmy Farrar. After the release of Beatin' the Odds in 1980 and Take No Prisoners in 1981, Farrar left as well.
Brown rejoined the band in 1982 and Banner Thomas left and was replaced by Riff West. In 1983, a new album was released titled No Guts... No Glory. Steve Holland left and was replaced by keyboardist John Galvin.
In 1984 came the release of a new album The Deed Is Done. In 1985 Dave Hlubek left and he was replaced by Bobby Ingram. Then in 1985, the double live album Double Trouble Live was released.
The band continued to tour regularly, and then in 1989 the album Lightning Strikes Twice was released.
1990s
In 1991, the greatest hits collection Greatest Hits was released. Molly Hatchet was in ways similar to fellow Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd in that it paired strong guitar work with a pounding boogie beat. When Brown left the band after Flirtin' with Disaster and was replaced by Farrar, the band's sound turned more to jamming and free form. When Brown returned in time for No Guts...No Glory, the original sound returned as well.
In 1996 due to a stroke and illness Brown had to leave the band, bringing in lead singer Phil McCormack to finish the album Devils Canyon in 1996.
At this point, the band consisted of members: vocalist Phil McCormack, guitarists Bobby Ingram and Bryan Bassett, keyboardist John Galvin, bassist Andy McKinney, and drummer Mac Crawford.
In 1998 Silent Reign Of Heroes was released. And in 1999 the band traveled coast to coast with Charlie Daniels and the Volunteer Jam.
2000s
In 2000, the album The Kingdom Of XII was released in Europe. The band went on tour to promote this album. It was released in the United States in 2001. Locked and Loaded (2003) and Warriors of the Rainbow Bridge (2005) followed. In January of 2005, Ingram invited Hlubek to rejoin Molly Hatchet and in doing so became the only current member who was a part of the original band.
On Thursday, March 10, 2005, after Brown was hospitalized for four weeks, he died less than an hour after returning to his home in Davie, Florida with his family and friends at his side, at the age of 53 from complications from pneumonia. He had previously left the group due to the suffering from a massive stroke in 1995 while driving to his brother's house. After a long battle with diabetes and the effects of the stroke, Brown was able to take the stage one last time at the Jammin' for DJB benefit concert in 1998 where with the help of his friends he ended the show with "Flirtin' with Disaster."
On Monday, June 19, 2006, founding guitarist Duane Roland died in St. Augustine, Florida at the age of 53. He had been playing with the band Gator Country, consisting of former members of Molly Hatchet, as late as May of 2006. His death was listed as being of "natural causes".
Bruce Crump (July 17, 1957 – March 16, 2015) was the original drummer from 1976 to 1983 (including their 1980 hit song "Flirtin' with Disaster" ) and 1984 to 1991. He also played as a member of Canadian band Streetheart in the early 1980s, and joined several of his former Molly Hatchet bandmates in the band Gator Country in the mid-2000s. At his death, Crump was in the Jacksonville, Florida-based band White Rhino and the newly reformed China Sky.
Bass guitarist Banner Thomas died of complications of pneumonia, at 63, on April 10, 2017.
Dave Hlubek died of a heart attack on September 3, 2017, at the age of 66.
Jimmy Farrar, who was frontman from 1980 to 1982, died of heart failure on October 29, 2018, at 67. Singer Phil McCormack died on April 26, 2019 at 58 (McCormack had been sidelined in early 2019, after suffering from health troubles that affected his voice andwas replaced by singer Jimmy Elkins, who continued on with Hatchet after McCormack's death).
Steve Holland, the last original member of Molly Hatchet, died on August 2, 2020.
Jukin' City
Molly Hatchet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on now with me, Son,
Goin' to take you to Jukin' City.
You can stomp your foots around,
To a pickin' country band.
I'm gonna buy you all the Jack Black,
That you can surely stand.
I'm going there with my old man.
Jukin' City, Jukin' City,
I'm going there with a friend.
Jukin' City is a little place down around Macon Town,
Sawdust floors, cold draft beer and women all around.
We started with two fat mamas,
They promised us a real good time.
The there fellas came into the place,
We had to fight to stay alive.
Jukin' City, Jukin' City,
I'm going there with my old man.
Jukin' City, Jukin City,
I'm going there with a friend.
Yes, I was about seventeen when my pappy said to me,
Come on with me, Son, Gonna take you to Jukin' City.
You can stomp your foots around,
To pickin' country band. I'm gonna buy you all that Jack Black,
That you can surely stand.
Jukin' City, Jukin' City,
I'm going there with my old man.
Jukin' City, Jukin' City
I'm going there with a friend.
The song "Jukin' City" by Molly Hatchet follows the story of a young man who is taken by his father to a small town called Jukin' City. The town is described as having sawdust floors, cold draft beer and women all around. The father buys his son Jack Black and they start stomping their feet to the pickin' country band. They start with two fat mamas who promised them a good time but soon after that, some fellas come into the place and they have to fight to stay alive. The song is about the excitement of the journey to an unknown place, the fun that can be had in a country town and the dangers that come with it.
The lyrics of the song have a strong storytelling element and an energy that translates well into music. The description of Jukin' City makes the listener feel like they are there, with the sawdust on the floor and the band playing in the background. The song captures the spirit of youthful excitement while acknowledging the dangers that come with youthful recklessness.
Line by Line Meaning
I think I was about seventeen when my pappy said to me,
When I was a teenager, my dad told me about a place called Jukin' City.
Come on now with me, Son,
My dad invited me to go with him.
Goin' to take you to Jukin' City.
He was taking me to Jukin' City.
You can stomp your foots around,
We could dance to the country band.
To a pickin' country band.
The band was playing country music.
I'm gonna buy you all the Jack Black,
My dad promised to buy me a lot of Jack Black.
That you can surely stand.
As much as I wanted, my dad would buy me that much Jack Black.
Jukin' City, Jukin' City,
Talking about Jukin' City.
I'm going there with my old man.
I was going to Jukin' City with my dad.
Jukin' City, Jukin' City,
Talking about Jukin' City again.
I'm going there with a friend.
I was also going to Jukin' City with a friend.
Jukin' City is a little place down around Macon Town,
Jukin' City is a small town near Macon Town.
Sawdust floors, cold draft beer and women all around.
The place had sawdust floors, cold beer, and women everywhere.
We started with two fat mamas,
We started out with two overweight women.
They promised us a real good time.
They promised us that we would have a lot of fun.
Then three fellas came into the place,
But then three guys showed up.
We had to fight to stay alive.
We had to fight to survive.
Yes, I was about seventeen when my pappy said to me,
My dad first told me about Jukin' City when I was 17.
Come on with me, Son, Gonna take you to Jukin' City.
He invited me to go with him.
You can stomp your foots around,
We could dance.
To pickin' country band. I'm gonna buy you all that Jack Black,
There was a country band playing and my dad promised to buy me a lot of Jack Black.
That you can surely stand.
He would buy me as much as I wanted.
Jukin' City, Jukin' City,
Jukin' City was on my mind again.
I'm going there with my old man.
I was still going with my dad.
Jukin' City, Jukin' City
Jukin' City again.
I'm going there with a friend.
I was also going with a friend.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: DANNY JOE BROWN, DAVID LAWRENCE HLUBEK, STEVEN JEROME HOLLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rick Widlund
You can't get enough of this music. Jukebox time !
wayne dodson
24 times live ,4 different states,3 countrys and a shit load of great times I fucking. love molly hatchet. !!!!!!
B i l l L a n n a n
You sound like me started following at 1975 I've seen them 22 times live four different states their lead guitars Dwayne rolund grew up 3 mi away from me
Steven Keller
Great track off a fantastic album!
MrDjh66
Greatest voice ever
THUDTP
GREAT GUITARS!! ROCK 'EM DUANE!
Xenia Bolaños
This is BEAUTIFUL music 😎 🎸
southgadawg
absolutly love this song.
Jay A
I have to thank Eckerd Drugs for accidentally introducing me to Molly Hatchet. They were clearing out all their vinyl records to make room for CDs. I bought 4 of the bands albums @ $1.00 ea because of the cover art. Have been a fan ever since.....
Revolution gaming
Have a tat of the cover of there album Bounty Hunter on my back.