The Ozark Mountain Da… Read Full Bio ↴Alternative tag The Ozark Mountain Daredevils.
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils started in 1971 in Springfield, Missouri in an attempt by the singer/songwriter members to have a vehicle in which to display and promote their music. At first, they played in bars and on porches. However, a record executive from A&M records discovered the band, and they began their recording path.
The original members of the band consisted of:
John Dillion - (vocals, guitars, mandolin, fiddle, piano, harp, autoharp, dulcimer, jawbone, percussion, keyboards)
Mike "Supe" Granda - (vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, mandolin, percussion, chicken squawks)
Buddy Brayfield - (vocals, oboe, piano, harpsichord, organ, percussion, electric piano)
Randle Chowning - (vocals, lead electric & acoustic guitars, harp, national steel, mandolin)
Steve Cash - (vocals, harp, percussion, harpsichord)
Larry Lee - (vocals, drums, acoustic guitar, synthesizer, piano, percussion, saw, saw & board)
The Daredevils peaked commercially in 1973-1974 and were best known for "Jackie Blue" and "If You Wanna Get To Heaven", which both got national coverage. However, there was a wide range of music that the Daredevils produced that was widely missed. The influences of the locale and the talents of the band members produced some unique sounds that could be related to "rockabilly" influences. There was also a good body of music that could be classified as country, rock, ballads, folk or blues.
The band changed throughout the years, but played prevantly throughout the '70s and gained and lost members during that time. To this day, there is still a loyal and avid fan following. There are discs still being released by the group, mostly of past performances in the '70s. In addition, many of the members are currently still working on other interests including Randle Chowning, Larry Lee ("Beyond Reach") Mike "Supe" Granda, and possibly others.
A reunion concert was held in Springfield, Missouri at the refurbished Gilloiz Theatre, in May of 2007. The three nights they performed were entirely sold out, weeks in advance of the concert.
Fool
Ozark Mountain Daredevils Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was falling off to sleep
I was drawn into a dream
and the lady there would weep
and she let me touch her heart
and listen to her sing
and she watched me fall apart
like a man who would be kiiiiing
ice cold water, running through her veins
fool's gold and mirrors, reflecting nothing
bright lady liar, bitter to the taste
foolish desire, left no trail to traaaaaace
(ACOUSTIC GUITAR SOLO)
so I say her name again
I know she knows my call
and I feel the dream begin
like a shadow on the wall
she's a shadooooow
she's a shadaw
she's a shadaw
she's a shadaw
she's a shadaw
she's a shadaw
ice cold water, running through her veins
fool's gold and mirrors, reflecting nothing
bright lady liar, bitter to the taste
foolish desire, left no traaaaaaaaaaail to traaace
ice cold water, running through her veins
fool's gold and mirrors, reflecting nothing
bright lady liar, bitter to the taste
foolish desire, leeeeft noooo traaaaaaaaaaail to traaace
______________________________________________________________________
Lyrics are copyright 1980, Steve Cash, John Dillon & Larry Lee
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils' song Fool's Gold is a haunting ballad that tells the story of a dreamlike encounter with a woman who leaves a deep emotional impact on the singer. The song begins with the singer falling asleep and entering a dream where he meets a lady who is weeping until her tears turn into a stream. She allows him to touch her heart, listen to her sing, and watches him fall apart as he tries to become a king. The lyrics in this stanza suggest that the lady may represent a metaphorical truth that the singer is trying to grasp, but he is ultimately unable to do so.
The second stanza of the song seems to take a more abstract turn, with phrases like "ice cold water, running through her veins" and "fool's gold and mirrors, reflecting nothing." These images create an almost surreal contrast to the emotional tone of the previous stanza. The song then concludes with a repetition of the previous lyrics, with the addition of the phrase "she's a shadow," which may be the singer's final attempt to grasp a deeper meaning behind this encounter.
Overall, the lyrics of Fool's Gold evoke a sense of longing and yearning for something deeper and more meaningful than the everyday experiences of life. The dreamlike quality of the encounter with the lady, and the abstract imagery used in the second stanza, seem to suggest that this deeper meaning may be beyond the singer's ability to fully understand.
Line by Line Meaning
I was falling off to sleep
I was beginning to dooze off to sleep
I was drawn into a dream
I went into a deep dreamstate.
and the lady there would weep
Then, a woman cried right before me.
'till it turned into a stream
Her weeping turned into a flowing river.
and she let me touch her heart
She permitted me to connect with her emotions.
and listen to her sing
She sang me her beautiful songs.
and she watched me fall apart
She saw how I was crumbling emotionally and became distant.
like a man who would be kiiiiing
Like I was a man Kings.
ice cold water, running through her veins
She was cruel and insensitive.
fool's gold and mirrors, reflecting nothing
Deceptive and meaningless objects.
bright lady liar, bitter to the taste
A deceiver who comes off sweet but sours your life.
foolish desire, left no trail to traaaaaace
An irrational fondness that leads to nothing.
so I say her name again
I remembered the lady.
I know she knows my call
I knew she could hear me.
and I feel the dream begin
I felt another dream forming itself.
like a shadow on the wall
She was like a shadow on the wall, always present, yet not properly seen.
she's a shadooooow
She is mysterious and inscrutable.
she's a shadaw
I can never hold on to her.
ice cold water, running through her veins
She is cruel and insensitive.
fool's gold and mirrors, reflecting nothing
Deceptive and meaningless objects.
bright lady liar, bitter to the taste
A deceiver who comes off sweet but sours your life.
foolish desire, left no traaaaaaaaaaail to traaace
An irrational fondness that leads to nothing.
ice cold water, running through her veins
She is cruel and insensitive.
fool's gold and mirrors, reflecting nothing
Deceptive and meaningless objects.
bright lady liar, bitter to the taste
A deceiver who comes off sweet but sours your life.
foolish desire, leeeeft noooo traaaaaaaaaaail to traaace
An irrational fondness that leads to nothing.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Trinitarian
One of my favourite OMD songs. Certainly a forgotten gem.
Southern Rocker
These guys were so under-appreciated