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.
Whiskey Man
Molly Hatchet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You drink your whiskey too much more than you can stand
You have your highs, you have your lows
Nobody knows which way you go
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
It takes whiskey to make you tall
You start to get straight, then you get weak
Can't you see your on a loosing streak
You have your highs, you have your lows
Nobody knows which way you'll go
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
Hey don't you know
I use to be there myself
I tried to kick the habit, baby, with nobody else's help
I have my highs, I have my lows
But nobody knows which way I'll go
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
The lyrics to Molly Hatchet's song "Whiskey Man" are an invitation to a cautionary tale about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. The song depicts a man who drinks too much whiskey and is running as hard as he can, indicating that he is trying to escape from something. The singer warns him that he shouldn't play that hand too long, as it may lead him to a path of destruction.
The song highlights the negative impact of alcohol on the human body and mind. The lyrics suggest that the man is unable to control his drinking habit and that he is losing control over his life. The lines "Can't you see you're on a losing streak" and "You start to get straight, then you get weak" depict the idea that the man is unable to overcome his addiction and that it is taking a toll on his wellbeing. The repetition of the line "Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long" emphasizes the warning and reminds the listener that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to disastrous consequences.
Overall, "Whiskey Man" is a powerful song that warns against the dangers of addiction and advocates for moderation. The lyrics resonate with anyone who has struggled with addiction or has witnessed the negative consequences of alcohol abuse.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey whiskey man, you're running as hard as you can
You are trying your best to outrun the effects of alcohol addiction
You drink your whiskey too much more than you can stand
You consume an excessive amount of whiskey that your body cannot handle
You have your highs, you have your lows
You experience both highs and lows while under the influence of whiskey
Nobody knows which way you go
The unpredictable nature of your behavior while under the influence of whiskey is unknown even to those close to you
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
Don't let alcoholism consume and control your life for too long
It takes whiskey to make you tall
Alcohol may give an illusion of confidence and make you feel taller than you are
You ain't so very damn tall at all
The confidence gained from alcohol is short-lived and does not make you a better person
You start to get straight, then you get weak
Attempts at sobriety may be quickly followed by relapse and weakness
Can't you see your on a loosing streak
Your continued indulgence in alcohol addiction will ultimately lead to negative consequences and loss
Hey don't you know
The singer empathizes with the struggles of alcohol addiction as he has been in that position himself
I use to be there myself
The singer has battled with alcohol addiction in the past
I tried to kick the habit, baby, with nobody else's help
The singer tried to overcome the addiction on his own and without support from others
I have my highs, I have my lows
The singer still experiences both the good and bad aspects of life, even in sobriety
But nobody knows which way I'll go
Even in sobriety, there is still an unpredictability to life and the choices a person may make
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
The singer reiterates the warning to not let alcoholism control your life for too long
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
The singer repeats the warning to emphasize its importance
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
The singer again warns against letting alcoholism consume one's life
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long
One last warning to refrain from the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Bruce Crump, Danny Brown, David Hlubek, Steven Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Niki369369
Hey whiskey man, you're running as hard as you can,
You drink your whiskey too much more than you can stand.
You have your highs, you have your lows,
Nobody knows which way you go.
[Chorus:]
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long.
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long.
It takes whiskey to make you tall,
You ain't so very damn tall at all.
You start to get straight, then you get weak,
Can't you see your on a loosing streak.
You have your highs, you have your lows,
Nobody knows which way you'll go.
[Chorus:]
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long.
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long.
Hey don't you know,
I use to be there myself,
I tried to kick the habit, baby, with nobody else's help.
I have my highs, I have my lows,
But nobody knows which way I'll go.
[Chorus:]
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long.
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long.
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long.
Whiskey man, don't you play that hand too long.
@butchvito
There needs to be a southern rock revival!
@hell45042
Wouldn't be the same they'd probably use rap beats like country music's been doing
@SergeStorms-ie6jc
Needs to be a rock and roll revival period.
@SergeStorms-ie6jc
There needs to be a rock and roll revival. It's been dead for over 20 years now
@Grizzlied555
Rock and Roll will never die!
@99somerville
Great album. They were really hitting their peak at this time.
@stephenriggins4946
What a great voice, R.I.P.🤘
@lmacbay
God how I wish I was young again - rip roarin' up and down the country roads, wide open, windows down regardless of the temp outside, playin' this shit as loud as it'd go, drinkin' whiskey straight outta the bottle. Damn fine days.
@kingdaddypopschuckcagle5085
I'm with ya on that comment,,
@donmurray8632
We can still do that babe! 😉