Charlie Daniels (born October 28, 1936 in Wilmington, North Carolina) is an… Read Full Bio ↴Charlie Daniels (born October 28, 1936 in Wilmington, North Carolina) is an American musician famous for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his Number One country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer since the early 1950s. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on January 24, 2008.[1]

Daniels is a singer, guitarist, and fiddler, who began writing and performing in the 1950s. In 1964, Daniels co-wrote "It Hurts Me", a song which Elvis Presley recorded. He worked as a Nashville session musician, often for producer Bob Johnston, including playing on three Bob Dylan albums during 1969 and 1970, and recordings by Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen. Daniels recorded his first solo album, Charlie Daniels, in 1971 (see 1971 in country music). His first hit, the novelty song "Uneasy Rider", was from his 1973 second album, Honey in the Rock, and reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1974, Daniels organized the first in a series of Volunteer Jam concerts based in or around Nashville, Tennessee often playing with members of Barefoot Jerry. Except for a three-year gap in the late 1980s, these jams have continued ever since.

In 1975, he had a top 30 hit as leader of the Charlie Daniels Band with the Southern rock self-identification anthem "The South's Gonna Do It Again". "Long Haired Country Boy" was also a minor hit in that year.

Daniels won the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1979 for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", which reached #3 on the charts. The following year, "Devil" became a major crossover success on rock radio stations, after its inclusion on the soundtrack for the hit movie Urban Cowboy. The song is by far Daniels' greatest success, still receiving regular airplay on U.S. classic rock and country stations, and is well-known even among audiences who eschew country music in general. A hard rock/heavy metal cover version of the song was also included in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock as the final guitar battle against the last boss (the devil). Daniels has openly stated his opposition to the metal cover and the devil winning occasionally in the game. [2]

Subsequent Daniels pop hits included "In America" (#11 in 1980), "The Legend of Wooley Swamp" (#31 in 1980), and "Still in Saigon" (#22 in 1982). In 1980, Daniels participated in the country music concept album, The Legend of Jesse James.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, several of Daniels' albums and singles were hits on the Country charts and the music continues to receive airplay on country stations today. Daniels also released several Gospel and Christian records.

In 2005, he has made a cameo appearance along with Larry the Cable Guy, Kid Rock, and Hank Williams, Jr. in Gretchen Wilson's music video for the song "All Jacked Up". In 2006, he appeared with Little Richard, Bootsy Collins, and other musicians as the backup band for Williams' opening sequence to Monday Night Football.

In November 2007, Daniels was invited by Martina McBride to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. [3] He was inducted by Marty Stuart and Connie Smith during the January 19, 2008 edition of the Opry at the Ryman Auditorium. [4]

Daniels now resides in Mount Juliet, TN, where the city has named a park after him. Daniels continues to tour regularly. Daniels appeared in commercials for UPS in 2001 with other celebrities convincing NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett to race the UPS Truck.

Daniels describes himself as a born again Christian.

Charlie Daniels played fiddle on many of The Marshall Tucker Band's early albums. Charlie played on the bands albums: "A New Life", "Where We All Belong", "Searchin' For A Rainbow", "Long Hard Ride" and "Carolina Dreams". Charlie can also be heard on the bands live album recorded in Milwaukee,WI on July 11,1974.

In addition to the Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie also played fiddle on Hank Williams,Jr's 1975 album "Hank Williams Jr & Friends". Toy Caldwell can also be heard on this classic album.

'The Charlie Daniels Band' is also on Last.fm as 'Charlie Daniels Band'.

Midnight Train
The Charlie Daniels Band Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Midnight train, roll on
Midnight train, roll on

Clear them tracks and keep that whistle blowin'
Take this stranger on to Santa Fe
It seems like romance and danger
Follow this here tall dark stranger all along the way

Well, the train was rumblin' through the night heading south to Santa Fe
And in a fancy car with a private bar and a personal valet
There was a bunch of cold eyed men sittin' at a poker table
Bettin' hot stakes all around

Ole Louisiana Lou had a knife in his shoe was dealin"
A hand of cards and ole Stagger Lee Crocket had a gun in his pocket
Was sweatin' bettin' hard and over in the corner this Mexican guy
With two gold teeth and a patch on his eye took a long hard look around

And then the door flew open, the stranger walked in
Said, "don't y'all get excited, I know this here's a private game
And I know I wasn't invited but I got a roll that"d choke a mule
I'm just about a big enough fool to lay it all right down

And everybody nodded as the stranger took his seat
He knew this bunch of cutthroat"s would be mighty hard to beat
As the stranger knew then the toughest two by far were where he sat
Was a pot belly fellow from south Alabama and a dude in a black felt hat

Midnight train, roll on
Midnight train, roll on

Well, clear them tracks and keep that whistle blowin'
Take this stranger on to Santa Fe
It seems like romance and danger
Follow this here tall dark stranger all along the way

Well, the stranger sat down he looked around at all them evil faces
And the pot-belly fellow drew a pair of queens but the stranger
He drew aces and he kept on raising and pushin' his luck
Kept on winning like a run away truck he was giving them a beating

And the stakes got higher than a Chinese kite, the stranger
Kept getting hot till every cent everybody had was lying out in the pot
And then the stranger threw down a royal flush, somebody said
"Hey man, that's enough friend I think you've been cheatin'"

And then the stranger picked the money up and said, "Boys I better run"
And then the pot-bellied fella pulled a razor out, somebody pulled a gun
They said, "You may think you're a sly old fox, you're gonna leave here
In a long pine box if you don't leave that money alone"

Just about then the lights went out and they all started fussin'
And the lights came on, the stranger was gone, they all started cussin'
And they searched that train from front to rear
That stranger he done disappeared and all their money was gone

When the train pulled in the station, with the whistle blowin' loud
A telegram was waitin' from the stranger for the crowd
Said "Thank you for the money boys but don't feel too outdone
'Cause it takes a dog to know a dog I'm a howlin' son of a gun"

Midnight train, roll on
(Roll on, roll on)
Midnight train, roll on
(Roll on, roll on)

Well, clear them tracks and keep that whistle blowin'
Take this stranger on to Santa Fe
It seems like romance and danger

Follow this here tall dark stranger all along the way
Oh, he's long gone

Overall Meaning

The Charlie Daniels Band's song Midnight Train is a tale of a mysterious stranger who joins a high-stakes poker game on a train heading to Santa Fe. Despite not being invited, he pulls out a roll good enough to "choke a mule" and bets it all. He keeps winning, and the stakes get higher, but things take a dangerous turn when the others suspect him of cheating. The stranger disappears with all their money, but not before sending a telegram thanking them and revealing himself to be a "howlin' son of a gun." The song highlights the allure of the unknown and the excitement of taking risks, even if it means possibly ending up in danger.

The lyrics of the song allude to various elements that carry symbolic meanings. For instance, the train represents the journey of life, and the stranger embodies the temptation to take risks and the possibility of the unknown. The poker game represents life's uncertainties, and the various characters in the game embody different personas that people often come across in life. Moreover, the danger and allure of romance represent life's unpredictable nature.

Line by Line Meaning

Midnight train, roll on
The train departs in the middle of the night

Clear them tracks and keep that whistle blowin'
The train's path is free, and its whistle is sounding as it moves through the night

Take this stranger on to Santa Fe
An unknown man is on the train heading to Santa Fe

It seems like romance and danger
The journey is full of mystery and intrigue

Follow this here tall dark stranger all along the way
The stranger is the focus of the story and is being watched closely

Well, the train was rumblin' through the night heading south to Santa Fe
The train is moving through the night towards its destination

And in a fancy car with a private bar and a personal valet
There is a luxurious car on the train with special amenities

There was a bunch of cold eyed men sittin' at a poker table
A group of men are playing poker, and they are not friendly individuals

Bettin' hot stakes all around
They are gambling large amounts of money

Ole Louisiana Lou had a knife in his shoe was dealin'
One of the players is cheating and has a weapon

A hand of cards and ole Stagger Lee Crocket had a gun in his pocket
Another player is also cheating and has a weapon

And over in the corner this Mexican guy with two gold teeth and a patch on his eye took a long hard look around
There is a Mexican man with distinctive features who is observing the game

And then the door flew open, the stranger walked in
A stranger unexpectedly enters the game

Said, 'don't y'all get excited, I know this here's a private game
The stranger acknowledges that he is not invited to the game but wants to play

And everybody nodded as the stranger took his seat
The others agree to let the stranger play

He knew this bunch of cutthroat's would be mighty hard to beat
The stranger realizes that he is playing against dishonest players

And then the pot-belly fellow drew a pair of queens but the stranger he drew aces
The stranger has a better hand than the other player

And the stakes got higher than a Chinese kite
The amount of money being gambled increases dramatically

They said, 'You may think you're a sly old fox, you're gonna leave here in a long pine box if you don't leave that money alone'
The others threaten the stranger with violence if he doesn't leave with his winnings

Just about then the lights went out and they all started fussin'
The lights go out, causing chaos and confusion

And the lights came on, the stranger was gone, they all started cussin'
When the lights come back on, the stranger has vanished, and the others are angry

And they searched that train from front to rear
The others look for the stranger and their missing money

When the train pulled in the station, with the whistle blowin' loud
The train arrives at its destination

A telegram was waitin' from the stranger for the crowd
The stranger sends a message to the others after leaving the train

Said 'Thank you for the money boys but don't feel too outdone
The stranger thanks the others for their money but also taunts them

'Cause it takes a dog to know a dog I'm a howlin' son of a gun'
The stranger is proud of his deception and considers himself a skilled gambler

Oh, he's long gone
The stranger has disappeared and won't be found

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES FRED HAYWARD, CHARLIE DANIELS, JOHN CRAIN, JOHN LOUIS GAVIN, WILLIAM J. DIGREGORIO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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