Johnny recorded as a member of the 1980's southern rock band The Johnny Van Zant Band which released albums in 1980, 1981 and 1982. The band shortened its name to Van Zant for the release of its fourth album in 1985, the eponymous Van Zant, which saw some chart success with "You've Got to Believe in Love" and "I'm a Fighter". However, this band was not the same as the current version of Van Zant and did not include brother Donnie.
Johnny released another album under his full name in 1990, but spent most of his time in that period singing for the Lynyrd Skynyrd reunion group. He joined up with Donnie, and they revived the Van Zant name to release an album in 1998, which led to a follow up album in 2001. They have also released two albums to the country music format: 2005's Get Right with the Man and 2007's My Kind of Country. Overall, the group has had two singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks charts (the prior incarnation of Van Zant also had two), and six on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Downright and Dangerous
Van Zant Lyrics
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And a rebel flag in the back
He's got a wad of chew stuck in his mouth
And a shotgun in the rack
He's gonna head on down to the Forrest Inn
Where's gonna pick another fight
Like he did last week and the week before
Cause he's downright and dangerous
Downright and dangerous
So I'm telling you son
You better watch your back
Cause the man don't cut no slack
He's downright and dangerous
He's got a woman at home tired of waiting alone
She's got her own little plan of attack
She's doing seventy five down Rodeo in a redneck Cadillac
When she gets into town she's gonna run him down
Cause he ain't that tough to her
When she walks through the door
They're gonna hit the floor and the rest will be
Cause she's downright and dangerous
Downright and dangerous
So I'm telling you son
You better watch your back
Cause the girl don't cut no slack
She's downright and dangerous
Downright and dangerous
Dangerous
Someone grab the phone dial 9-1-1
Cause they're tearing up the place
I think she's gotta gun everybody run
Get down and cover your face
Cause they're downright and dangerous
Downright and dangerous
So I'm telling you son you better watch your mouth
He's downright and dangerous
The lyrics to Van Zant's song "Downright and Dangerous" explore the idea of two characters who are both incredibly dangerous and unpredictable. The first character is a man who drives around in a pickup truck with a rebel flag in the back, and appears to be constantly on the lookout for a fight. He has a shotgun in the rack and chews tobacco, and makes a habit of visiting the Forrest Inn every Saturday night to find someone to fight. The second character is a woman who is tired of waiting at home for her man, and decides to take matters into her own hands. She speeds down Rodeo Drive in a "redneck Cadillac" to find her man and run him down.
Overall, the song paints a picture of two extremely dangerous people who are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. The man is always looking for a reason to fight, while the woman is willing to take matters into her own hands when she feels wronged. The lyrics provide a kind of warning to listeners to watch out for these kinds of people, as they are not to be trifled with.
Line by Line Meaning
See him ridin' around with his pickup truck
Observing a person driving a pickup truck
And a rebel flag in the back
A rebel flag on display in the back of his truck
He's got a wad of chew stuck in his mouth
Chewing tobacco lodged firmly in his mouth
And a shotgun in the rack
A shotgun stored overhead in the vehicle
He's gonna head on down to the Forrest Inn
Traveling towards Forrest Inn
Where's gonna pick another fight
Intending to engage in physical altercation with someone
Like he did last week and the week before
As in previous weeks, he was fighting last week and the week before
And like he does every Saturday night
He fights every Saturday night
Cause he's downright and dangerous
He is a highly dangerous person
So I'm telling you son
I'm warning you
You better watch your back
Be cautious or careful to avoid danger
Cause the man don't cut no slack
He's completely uncompromising and unyielding
He's got a woman at home tired of waiting alone
He has a woman at home who is frustrated of waiting for him
She's got her own little plan of attack
She has her strategy to retaliate against him
She's doing seventy five down Rodeo in a redneck Cadillac
She's driving a redneck Cadillac at seventy five mph down Rodeo
When she gets into town she's gonna run him down
She intends to hit him with her car as soo as she gets into town
Cause he ain't that tough to her
He is not as challenging to her as he pretends to be
When she walks through the door
As soon as she enters the house
They're gonna hit the floor and the rest will be
They will fight immediately and the result will take its course
Cause she's downright and dangerous
She is a highly dangerous person
Someone grab the phone dial 9-1-1
Someone must call 911
Cause they're tearing up the place
They are causing a huge mess
I think she's gotta gun everybody run
She might have a gun, everyone should run away
Get down and cover your face
Crouch to the ground and hide your face
So I'm telling you son you better watch your mouth
I'm warning you to be careful with your words to avoid danger
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BOG BRITT, CHRIS EDDY, DONNIE VAN ZANT, JOHNNY VAN ZANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind