The band was formed in 1992 as a sextet, with four members having been high school friends. They didn't play clubs or cut demos. Instead, they put on concerts, played county fairs, and drew crowds of over 5,000 screaming fans. They recorded singles and sent them to radio stations, and developed a larger regional fan base. They recorded a five-song independent CD Out of the Burrow that sold over 100,000 copies at their events and through the mail from their Bakersfield office. Their initial three singles received enough airtime to take them to the top of the independent charts.
In 1994, they were signed and released their debut album for MCG/Curb, Smokin' Armadillos. Included on that album was their highest charting single, "Let Your Heart Lead Your Mind", which peaked at #53 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1996. Their earlier independent CD was also reissued. A 1998 album, Plan B, was never released, but in 2003, they released another album, Strike the Match.
Discography
Albums: Out of the Burrow (1993), Smokin' Armadillos (1996, US Top Country Albums #37), Plan B (1998), Strike the Match (2003).
Singles: "My Girlfriend Might", "I'm a Cowboy", "Red Rock", "Let Your Heart Lead Your Mind" (1996, US Hot Country Songs #53), "Thump Factor" (1996, #68), "I Don't Want No Part of It" (1998, #64), "Waking Up Behind the Wheel" (1998), "You Were a Mountain" (2003).
Miracle man
Smokin' Armadillos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Miracle Man came to Lousian'
Selling potions from a jar
Claimed he could cure anything
From a fever to a scar
And all the town folk
Gathered round to see
As he cast his spell of wonder
See, the Miracle Man was a Dapper Dan
Full of eloquence and grace
And I could tell his charm was working
By that look on mama's face
She was buying more
Than meets the eye
Because she left me and my daddy
Without even a goodbye
And Daddy Cried
For forty days and forty nights
And so did I
From the emptiness inside
No I wasn't old enough
To understand
Whatever happened to my mama
And that Miracle ManWell the years went by
And One day I went riding into town
I came upon commotion
There were people gathered 'roundAnd out in front of Emma Barker's place
Stood the man
Who stole my mama
And my daddy face to faceDaddy stepped up to him
And drew his. 45
And with both hands on that trigger
Stuck right between his eyesAnd just when I thought
He'd sent him to the grave
Suddenly with out a word
He just turned and walked awayAnd how I tried
As we were riding home that night
To figure why
My Dad would put away his prideWhen he knew he had
The power in his hands
To put a round of Justice
In that Miracle ManLater on that night
He came and sat upon my bed
He said there are some reasons why
That demon isn't deadThe good book says
You'll reap the seeds you sow
And if you turn the other cheek
You'll find the way the righteous goIf I would have shot him
They'd have put me in a cage
And I would be around here now
To watch you come of ageAnd an orphaned life
Can turn a boy to stone
Son I love you far too much
To watch face this world aloneIn my mind
At that moment in my life
I came to find
Everything he said was rightFor the first time
I could truly understand
Why My daddy spared the life
Of that Miracle ManYes, and now I'm old enough
To understand
It was my daddy all along
Who was the Miracle Man
The Miracle Man is a captivating story about a man who comes to Louisiana with his enchanting charm and sells potions. The townspeople think he can cure everything. However, the singer seems to be immune to the charm of this man. His father and mother fall under the spell, and she leaves without saying goodbye to her child or husband. The Miracle Man becomes the reason for the disintegration of the singer’s family. The singer grows up and eventually confronts the Miracle Man, who is the reason for the abandonment of his mother. His father wants to shoot him, but he refrains from doing so, citing reasons from the good book. His father realizes that turning the other cheek and forgiveness is the righteous path.
The song tells a story that has all the elements of a thriller novel. It captures the imagination of the listener, and the witty storytelling keeps them engaged. The lyrics are vivid, allowing listeners to see the story in their minds. The story is about revenge and redemption, and how love can overcome our shortcomings. It is a story of a Miracle Man, but it is also a story of a miracle of love.
Line by Line Meaning
The Miracle Man came to Lousian'
A Miracle Man arrived in Louisiana
Selling potions from a jar
He was selling remedies out of a vessel
Claimed he could cure anything
He boasted he could cure any ailment
From a fever to a scar
Whether it was a high temperature or a wound, he alleged he could fix it
And all the town folk
The whole town's people
Gathered round to see
Gathered around him to observe
As he cast his spell of wonder
As he enchanted everyone
Over everyone but me
Except me, who wasn't mesmerized by him
See, the Miracle Man was a Dapper Dan
The Miracle Man was a charming and elegant individual
Full of eloquence and grace
He spoke with finesse and elegance
And I could tell his charm was working
And I could sense that his charm was effective
By that look on mama's face
Based on the expression on my mother's face
She was buying more
She was paying more attention to him
Than meets the eye
Than what I could understand
Because she left me and my daddy
That's why she left me and my father
Without even a goodbye
Without bidding farewell
And Daddy Cried
My father wept
For forty days and forty nights
Without stopping for a month and ten days
And so did I
And so did I
From the emptiness inside
From the void within myself
No I wasn't old enough
I was not mature enough
To understand
To comprehend
Whatever happened to my mama
What occurred to my mother
And that Miracle Man
And that Miracle Man
Well the years went by
Years passed
And One day I went riding into town
One day I went to the town riding a horse
I came upon commotion
I encountered a disturbance
There were people gathered 'round
People stood around
And out in front of Emma Barker's place
And in front of Emma Barker's residence
Stood the man
Stood the Miracle Man
Who stole my mama
Who took my mother
And my daddy face to face
And confronted with my dad
Daddy stepped up to him
My father approached him
And drew his. 45
And took out his .45 calibre gun
And with both hands on that trigger
With both hands on the gun's trigger
Stuck right between his eyes
Pointed it right between the Miracle Man's eyes
And just when I thought
And precisely as I was thinking
He'd sent him to the grave
That he had killed him
Suddenly with out a word
Suddenly, without speaking
He just turned and walked away
My father just turned and departed
And how I tried
And how I attempted
As we were riding home that night
As we were riding home that evening
To figure why
To deduce why
My Dad would put away his pride
My father would suppress his pride
When he knew he had
Even though he knew he had
The power in his hands
The power in his possession
To put a round of Justice
To deliver justice by shooting the Miracle Man
In that Miracle Man
To vanquish that Miracle Man
Later on that night
Later that night
He came and sat upon my bed
My father came and sat on my bed
He said there are some reasons why
He explained that there were reasons
That demon isn't dead
The Miracle Man isn't dead
The good book says
The Bible states
You'll reap the seeds you sow
You will experience the consequences of your actions
And if you turn the other cheek
And if you don't retaliate when provoked
You'll find the way the righteous go
You will follow the path of the righteous
If I would have shot him
If I had shot him
They'd have put me in a cage
They would have incarcerated me
And I would be around here now
And I wouldn't be around now
To watch you come of age
To be here when you grow up
And an orphaned life
Being an orphan
Can turn a boy to stone
Can turn a child cold and unfeeling
Son I love you far too much
My son, I love you exceedingly
To watch face this world alone
To see you face the world alone
In my mind
In my opinion
At that moment in my life
At that instance of my life
I came to find
I discovered
Everything he said was right
Everything he spoke was correct
For the first time
For the very first time
I could truly understand
I could genuinely comprehend
Why My daddy spared the life
Why my father saved the Miracle Man
Of that Miracle Man
Of that Miracle Man
Yes, and now I'm old enough
And now that I'm mature enough
To understand
To comprehend
It was my daddy all along
It was my father the entire time
Who was the Miracle Man
Who was the true Miracle Man
Contributed by Aaliyah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mark Ellsworth
One of the best country story songs of all-time in my opinion. It's a real shame this song wasn't a hit on the charts.
Dennis Emigh
Loved this entire CD when I was younger. This song kind of gets to me now that I'm a dad.
ShanonLovesMusic254
I remember seeing Smokin' Armadillos in concert. This brings back some really good memories. <3
ShanonLovesMusic254
I remember seeing Smokin' Armadillos in concert. This brings back some really good memories. <3
Ravinian
A highly underrated tune.
Melissa Reneè
I was just a little girl when this song came out, I've known every word to this song since. Still one of my favorites.
Victor Mayfield
I dont even like country, but i've always liked this song
Marita Clfton
I LOVE THIS SONG!!! HAVE THIS CD!!!
PaidSpook1
I agree, Mark. This should have been a number 1....
Melissa Ritter
I remember Iowa's Best Country Kix 101 played this song back in the Summer of 96. Rick always sings and sounds just like Keith Whitley!