However, while the band felt they weren't making any progress on their musical path and had moved on, their English manager took the demo to a small Yorkshire record label, Making Waves, who liked the material and released the demos as the "Keep The Faith" EP in 1985 (Kerrang #113). The press response to the EP was positive and prompted the band to reform in the US. Baird had been playing with the Woodpeckers in NC, while Richards remained in Atlanta with the Hell Hounds, who included both Mauro Magellon (drums) and Rick Price (bass). With Baird essentially joining the Hell Hounds the Satellites were reborn and American record labels started taking notice of the band.
By 1986 only Elektra Records were willing to sign the band, who then reunited with Glixman to record their debut full-length album at Axis Sound Studios in Atlanta. Their album, Georgia Satellites, was their most successful album to date, featuring the track "Keep Your Hands To Yourself". That song went all the way to #2 on the Billboard chart, topped only by Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer". It went into extremely heavy MTV rotation at the time. Other hits included "Battleship Chains" (#86) and "Can't Stand The Pain".
In 1988, the band recorded a cover of The Swinging Blue Jean's 1964 hit, "Hippy Hippy Shake" to the Tom Cruise movie soundtrack Cocktail. Released as a single the song made it to #45 on the Billboard chart. During the year the band released their second album "Open All Night," which infamously included a cover of the Ringo Starr song "Don't Pass Me By," though the album wouldn't build on the success of the debut. A single, "Open All Night" backed with "Dunk 'N' dine" failed to chart. A third studio album, "In The Land Of Salvation And Sin," was released in 1989, which included re-recordings of "Six Years Gone" and "Crazy" from the 1985 EP. Baird left the band in 1990 for a solo career when the album failed to find any commercial success.
Hard Luck Boy
The Georgia Satellites Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hard luck story that's goin' around
You can make a fool wear a crown
Prop him up but he falls back down
Fall back down
Every time I stick out my heart
It just gets stepped on
I don't need to look over my shoulder
To tell what's coming
It's a dark cloud it belongs to me
Just a hard luck boy from a hard luck town
Hard luck story that's goin' around
You can make a fool wear a crown
Prop him up but he falls back down
Fall back down
Every time I roll the dice
They come up box cars
It feels just like I've been
Snakebit since day one
I got a girl to ask why
I don't wear a smile on my face
Well it's hard when your living under the gun
Just a hard luck boy from a hard luck town
Hard luck story that's goin' around
You can make a fool wear a crown
Prop him up but he falls back down
Falls back down
He falls back down
Fall back down
Yeah a hard luck boy from a hard luck town
Hard luck story that's goin' around
You can make a fool wear a crown
Prop him up but he falls back down
Hard luck boy from a hard luck town
Hard luck story that's goin' around
You can make a fool wear a crown
Prop him up but he falls back down
Fall back down
Watch him fall back down
Fall back down
Watch him fall back down
Fall back down
Watch him fall down
Fall back down
Watch him fall back down
Fall back down
Watch him fall back down
Fall back down
Watch him fall back down
Fall back down
The Georgia Satellites' "Hard Luck Boy" is a song about a person who has been dealt a bad hand in life. He is from a town full of bad luck and has a hard luck story that is constantly being told. He has tried to make something of himself, but no matter what he does, he always seems to fall back down. The song's lyrics are filled with metaphors, such as "you can make a fool wear a crown", which means that although someone may look successful on the outside, they are still a fool on the inside, and they will eventually fall.
The singer goes on to talk about how he has been unlucky in love, with every time he sticks out his heart, it just gets stepped on. He then goes on to say that he doesn't need anyone's sympathy, even though he knows he is living under a dark cloud. The imagery of being "snakebit since day one" shows that the singer believes that he has been cursed since the beginning of his life.
Overall, "Hard Luck Boy" is a song about a person who feels like they have been dealt a bad hand in life and that they will always fall back down no matter how hard they try. The song's lyrics are filled with metaphors and imagery that paint a vivid picture of the singer's struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Just a hard luck boy from a hard luck town
The singer of the song comes from a town where life is tough, and he is no exception.
Hard luck story that's goin' around
The tough conditions in the town have resulted in a lot of hard luck stories, including the singer's.
You can make a fool wear a crown
Even someone who is not well off can be made to feel special for a while, but it doesn't last forever.
Prop him up but he falls back down
Even if someone is given a temporary boost, eventually they will go back to their difficult circumstances.
Fall back down
Things won't get any better for the artist.
Every time I stick out my heart
Every time the singer shows vulnerability, he is hurt as a result.
It just gets stepped on
Other people take advantage of his vulnerability and hurt him even more.
I don't want to need your precious sympathy
The artist doesn't want anyone to feel sorry for him or give him pity.
I don't need to look over my shoulder
He knows that tough circumstances are always behind him, so he doesn't need to be reminded of them.
To tell what's coming
He expects nothing but trouble in his future.
It's a dark cloud it belongs to me
The singer feels like he is always under a dark cloud of bad luck and misfortune.
Every time I roll the dice
Every time he takes a chance, it doesn't end up going well for him.
They come up box cars
He always seems to get the worst possible outcome when he takes a chance.
It feels just like I've been
The singer's bad luck is so consistent that it feels like it's been this way his whole life.
Snakebit since day one
The singer has been unlucky since the day he was born.
I got a girl to ask why
Someone in his life is questioning why he doesn't seem happier.
I don't wear a smile on my face
Despite external pressure to be happy, the artist cannot be happy all the time given his circumstances.
Well it's hard when your living under the gun
Living in difficult circumstances is like constantly being under threat.
Watch him fall back down
The singer will continue to experience hardship as he falls back down to his old circumstances.
Fall back down
The artist's luck will not change, and he will continue to struggle.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL JOHN BAIRD, JASON RINGENBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind