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.
Lady Luck
Molly Hatchet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Light three on a match
Walk under a ladder
Kick a black cat
Try your luck in Vegas
Shoot nothing but craps
But I'll gamble on my lady
When my luck's running bad.
[Chorus]
Cause she's my lady luck
She must have come
From heaven above
Now she's my lady luck
My good luck charm
A winner at love.
Spin the wheel of fortune
Look for your pot of gold
Try to make the clock turn back
And never get old
Rolling seven's and eleven's
'Till the dice grow cold
But I'll always be a winner
With the luck that I hold.
[Chorus]
You can break a mirror
Light three on a match
Walk under a ladder
Kick a black cat
Try your luck in Vegas
Shoot nothing but craps
But I'll gamble on my lady
When my luck's running bad.
[Chorus:Repeat x4]
The lyrics of Molly Hatchet's song Lady Luck suggests that good luck charms and superstitions are futile in gambling when compared to luck that comes from a significant other. The opening lines of the song tell us about the many superstitions one can indulge in while the next lines speak about betting in a casino without any luck. But the chorus of the song talks about the singer's lady luck, a charm that never runs out of luck and has been the reason for his success in gambling. The lyrics convey that finding true love and having it by one’s side could bring success and fortune into one’s life.
The lyrics of Lady Luck may seem paradoxical as gambling and love do not always go hand in hand. Still, it follows a common theme in rock n roll music- the quest for love and luck. The song praises luck as something that should be relied on, but the real message of the song appears to be that true love and trust can provide better fortune than any superstition or luck. Together with the upbeat tempo and the band's signature sound, Lady Luck is an enjoyable song filled with positivity and vibrant energy.
Line by Line Meaning
You can break a mirror
Even if you bring bad luck upon yourself, I'm willing to take a chance on my lady.
Light three on a match
Even if things are stacked against me, my confidence in her will keep me going.
Walk under a ladder
I won't let superstitions get in the way of making the most of what I've been given.
Kick a black cat
I'm not afraid of taking risks, especially with someone as lucky as my lady.
Try your luck in Vegas
Taking a gamble on my lady is a safer bet than anything I'll find in Vegas.
Shoot nothing but craps
I won't let the odds discourage me, because I know I have my lady on my side.
But I'll gamble on my lady
Despite any setbacks or doubts, I trust my lady to bring me good fortune.
When my luck's running bad.
Even when everything seems against me, I know I can count on her to turn things around.
[Chorus]
My lady luck is more than just a charm, she's a blessing from above and the only winner I'll ever need.
Spin the wheel of fortune
I'll keep taking my chances in life, because I know I have the best luck on my side.
Look for your pot of gold
I won't stop searching for the best opportunities, because I know my lady will help me find them.
Try to make the clock turn back
Even if time isn't on my side, I know she is, and that's all the luck I'll ever need.
And never get old
With someone as special as my lady, I know that age is just a number and luck is forever.
Rolling seven's and eleven's
I'll keep playing the game of life, because with her by my side, I always come out on top.
'Till the dice grow cold
As long as I have my lady luck, I know I'll keep winning, no matter the odds.
But I'll always be a winner
No matter what life throws at me, I'll always be successful, because I have the best luck possible with my lady.
With the luck that I hold.
My lady is my ultimate charm, and I am blessed to have her as my good luck.
[Chorus:Repeat x4]
My lady is my everything, my queen of luck, and I'll always cherish her for that.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: DAVID LAWRENCE HLUBEK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind