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.
If You Wanna Get to Heaven
Ozark Mountain Daredevils Lyrics
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I never saw it on a show
But i heard it in the alley on the weird radio.
If you want a drink of water
You got to get it from the well.
If you wanna get to heaven
You got to raise a little hell.
I never felt it in my feet
Or felt it in my soul
But i heard it in the alley
Now its in my rock and roll.
If you wanna know a secret
You got to promise not to tell.
If you wanna get to heaven
You got to raise a little hell.
I never thought it'd be so easy
I never thought it'd be so fun.
But I heard it in the alley
Now I got it on the run.
If you wanna see an angel
You got to find it where it fell.
If you wanna get the heaven
You got to raise a little hell.
If you wanna get to heaven
If you wanna get to heaven
If you wanna get to heaven
If you wanna get to heaven
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ song “If You Wanna Get to Heaven” is a catchy, upbeat song that delivers a unique message to the listener. The first verse of the song speaks about how the singer did not learn the message he is delivering through traditional means such as reading a book or seeing it on a show, but rather he heard it in an alley on a “weird radio”. The message he heard is that “if you want to get to heaven, you got to raise a little hell”.
The chorus of the song reinforces this message, explaining that in order to receive the ultimate reward of heaven, one must first be willing to challenge the norm and take risks. The lyrics explain that just as “if you want a drink of water, you got to get it from the well”, in order to receive the benefits of heaven, you must first be willing to put in the work.
The second verse of the song emphasizes that this message is not something that can be taught or physically felt, but it can be experienced through rock and roll music. The final verse of the song explains that while the road to heaven may not be easy or traditionally respected, it is worth it in the end. In order to find the ultimate reward of heaven, you may need to take some risks and make some mistakes along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
I never read it in a book
I've never found this knowledge in any written source.
I never saw it on a show
I've never seen it presented in any media.
But i heard it in the alley on the weird radio.
I obtained this understanding from an unconventional source.
If you want a drink of water
You got to get it from the well.
Methods must be employed to obtain what one desires.
If you wanna get to heaven
You got to raise a little hell.
Some effort or chaos is necessary to achieve one's goals, especially grand ones like reaching heaven.
I never felt it in my feet
Or felt it in my soul
But i heard it in the alley
Now its in my rock and roll.
I didn't feel or realize this concept at first, but now it has become a part of my worldview and attitude.
If you wanna know a secret
You got to promise not to tell.
If you wanna get to heaven
You got to raise a little hell.
Some things require confidentiality and extreme measures to achieve.
I never thought it'd be so easy
I never thought it'd be so fun.
But I heard it in the alley
Now I got it on the run.
This experience surpassed my expectations, and I'm currently enjoying it tremendously.
If you wanna see an angel
You got to find it where it fell.
If you wanna get the heaven
You got to raise a little hell.
To achieve this divine vision, one must scour high and low, and endure some hardship.
If you wanna get to heaven
If you wanna get to heaven
If you wanna get to heaven
If you wanna get to heaven
Reaffirmation of the previous stanza's idea: if you want to reach heaven, you must be willing to go through some chaos or struggle.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN DILLON, STEVE CASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@smackahotribe7777
I never read it in a book
I never saw it on a show
But I heard it in the alley
On a weird radio
If you want a drink of water
You got to get it from a well
If you want to get to heaven
You got to raise a little hell
I never felt it in my feet
I never felt it in my soul
But I heard it the alley
Now it's in my rock and roll
If you want to know a secret
You got to promise not to tell
If you want to get to heaven
You got to raise a little hell
I never thought it'd be so easy
I never thought it'd be so fun
But I heard it in the alley
Now I got it on the run
If you want to see an angel
You got to find it where it fell
If you want to get to heaven
You got to raise a little hell
If you want to get to heaven
If you want to get to heaven
If you want to get to heaven
If you want to get to heaven
Written by John Dillon, Steve Cash • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group
@MrSuzuki1187
I was their personal pilot for tours in the mid to late 1970s when I flew for a commuter airline based at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The Daredevils lived near the army base and used my airline for tours. In 1977, I flew them to Minot, North Dakota where they were the closing act. They invited me, my copilot, and our flight attendant to watch the show from the stage. The were very nice guys and were Great fun to hang with.
@joejohnston1994
Minot the coldest place ever lived 1969
@chaosreigns6407
Im at Ft Lost in the woods for AIT right now. Thanks for the trivia
@amychester8735
Awesome
@seankane9279
Minot, we used to call it Mindrot. Very cool story. Thanks for sharing.
@anthonyrone393
Wish you woulda been Skynyrds pilot...
✌😎❤
@echojohnny714
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils were a Very underrated band. They wrote and played so many great songs
@montibarnett6740
They played many great songs and I can't I wish I could hear him and see him today
@susanm7925
Touche! I always said I didn't like blue grass music...but I love this music.
@crystalbennett1493
I didn't realize how many great songs they had until I saw them at the Wildey I Edwardsville in 2021