Lyrics for singles by Charlie Daniels Band

Uneasy Rider

I was takin' a trip out to LA
Toolin' along in my Chevrolet
Tokin' on a number and diggin' on the radio
Just as I crossed the Mississippi line
I heard that highway starting to whine
And I knew that left rear tire was about to go

Well, the spare was flat and I got uptight
'Cause there wasn't a filling station in sight
So I just limped down on the shoulder on the rim
I went as far as I could and when I stopped the car
It was right in front of this little bar
Kind of a redneck lookin' joint called the Dew Drop Inn

Well, I stuffed my hair up under my hat
And told the bartender that I had a flat
And would he be kind enough to give me change for a one
There was one thing I was sure proud to see
There wasn't a soul in the place 'cept for him and me
And he just looked disgusted and pointed toward the telephone

I called up a station down the road a ways
And he said he wasn't very busy today
And he could have somebody there in just about ten minutes or so
He said, "Now, you just stay right where you're at"
And I didn't bother to tell the durn fool that
I sure as hell didn't have any place else to go

I just ordered up a beer and sat down at the bar
When some guy walked in, said, "Who owns this car
With the peace sign, the mag wheels and four on the floor?"
Well, he looked at me and I damn near died
And I decided that I'd just wait outside
So I laid a dollar on the bar and headed for the door

Just when I thought I'd get out of there with my skin
These five big dudes come a strollin' in
With this one old drunk chick and some fella with green teeth
And I was almost to the door with the biggest one
Said, "You tip your hat to this lady, son"
And when I did all that hair fell out from underneath

Now the last thing I wanted was to get in a fight
In Jackson Mississippi on a Saturday night
'Specially when there was three of them and only one of me
But they all started laughin' and I felt kinda sick
And I knew I'd better think of something pretty quick
So, I just reached out and kicked old Green Teeth right in the knee

Now, he let out a yell that would curl your hair
But before he could move I grabbed me a chair
And said, "Watch him folks, 'cause he's a thoroughly dangerous man
Well, you may not know it, but this man's a spy
He's an undercover agent for the FBI
And he's been sent down here to infiltrate the Klu Klux Klan"

He was still bent over, holdin' on to his knee
But everybody else was lookin' at and listenin' to me
And I laid it on thicker and heavier as I went
I said, "Would you believe this man has gone as far
As tearin' Wallace stickers off the bumpers of cars
And he voted for George McGovern for president

Well, he's a friend of them long-haired, hippie-type pinko fags
And I'll bet you he's even got a Commie flag
Tacked up on the wall inside of his garage
He's a snake in the grass, I'll tell you guys
He may look dumb, but that's just a disguise
He's a mastermind in the ways of espionage

They all started lookin' real suspicious at him
And he jumped up and said, "Now, just wait a minute, Jim
You know he's lyin', I've been livin' here all of my life
I'm a faithful follower of Brother John Birch
And I belong to the Antioch Baptist Church
And I ain't even got a garage, you can call home and ask my wife"

Then he started sayin' somethin' 'bout the way I was dressed
But I didn't wait around to hear the rest
I was too busy movin' and hopin' I didn't run out of luck
And when I hit the ground I was makin' tracks
And they were just takin' my car off the jacks
So I threw the man a twenty and jumped in and fired that mother up

Mario Andretti would've sure been proud
Of the way I was movin' when I passed that crowd
Comin' out the door and headed toward me in a trot
And I guess I shoulda' gone ahead and run
But, somehow, I just couldn't resist the fun
Of chasin' them all just once around the parking lot

Well, they headed for their car, but I hit the gas
And spun around and headed them off at the pass
I was slingin' gravel and puttin' a ton of dust in the air
Ha ha, well, I had them all out there steppin' and fetchin'
Like their heads were on fire and their asses was catchin'
But I figured I'd better go ahead and split before the cops got there

When I hit the road I was really wheelin'
Had the gravel flyin' and rubber squeallin'
And I didn't slow down 'til I was almost to Arkansas
Well, I think I'm gonna reroute my trip
I wonder if anybody would think I've flipped
If I went to L.A. via Omaha

Long Haired Country Boy

People say I'm no good
Crazy as a loon
Cause I get stoned in the morning
And get drunk in the afternoon
Kinda like my old blue tick hound
I like to lay around in the shade
And I ain't no money
But I damn shure got it made

Cause I ain't asking nobody for nothin
If I can't get it on my own
If you don't like the way I'm livin
You just leave this long haired country boy alone

Preacher man talking on T.V.
Puttin down the rock and roll
Wants me to send a donation
Cause he's worried about my soul
He said Jesus walked on the water
And I know that its true
But some times I think that preacherman
Would like to do a little walking too

But I ain't asking nobody for nothin
If I can't get it on my own
If you don't like the way I'm livin
You just leave this long haired country boy alone

A poor girl wants to marry
And a rich girl wants to flirt
A rich man goes to college
And a poor man goes to work
A drunkerd wants another drink of wine
And a politician wants a vote
I don't want much of nothin at all
But I will take another toke

The Devil Went Down to Georgia

The devil went down to Georgia
He was lookin' for a soul to steal
He was in a bind
'Cause he was way behind
And he was willin' to make a deal

When he came upon this young man
Sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot
And the devil jumped
Up on a hickory stump
And said boy let me tell you what

I guess you didn't know it
But I'm a fiddle player too
And if you'd care to take a dare I'll make a bet with you

Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy
But give the devil his due
I'll bet a fiddle of gold
Against your soul
'Cause I think I'm better than you

The boy said my name's Johnny
And it might be a sin
But I'll take your bet
And you're gonna regret
'Cause I'm the best there's ever been

Johnny rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
Cause hell's broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
But if you lose the devil gets your soul

The devil opened up his case
And he said I'll start this show
And fire flew from his fingertips
As he rosined up his bow

Then he pulled the bow across the strings
And it made a [sic] evil hiss
And a band of demons joined in
And it sounded something like this

[Instrumental]

When the devil finished
Johnny said "Well you're pretty good old son
But sit down in that chair right there
And let me show you how it's done!"

He played Fire on the Mountain
Run boys, run
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun
Chicken in a bread pan picken' out dough
Granny does your dog bite
No child, no

[Instrumental]

The devil bowed his head
Because he knew that he'd been beat
And he laid that golden fiddle
On the ground at Johnny's feet

Johnny said, "Devil just come on back
If you ever wanna try again
I done told you once you son of a bitch
I'm the best that's ever been"

He played Fire on the Mountain
Run boys, run
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun
Chicken in a bread pan picken' out dough
Granny will your dog bite
No child, no

Still in Saigon

Got on a plane in Frisco and got off in Vietnam
I walked into a different world, the past forever gone
I could have gone to Canada or I could have stayed in school
But I was brought up differently --- I couldn't break the rules

Thirteen months and fifteen days, the last ones were the worst
One minute I'd kneel down and pray and the next I'd stand and curse
No place to run to where I did not feel that war
When I got home I stayed alone and checked behind each door

'Cuz I'm still in Saigon
Still in Saigon
I am still in Saigon in my mind

The ground at home was covered with snow and I was covered with sweat
My younger brother calls me a killer and my daddy calls me a vet
Everybody says that I'm someone else, that I'm sick and there's no cure
Damned if I know who I am; there was only one place I was sure
When I was

[chorus]

Every summer when it rains, I smell the jungle, I hear the planes
I can't tell no one, I feel ashamed, afraid someday I'll go insane

That's been ten long years ago and time has gone on by
But now and then I catch myself...Eyes searchin through the sky
All the sounds of long ago will be forever in my head
Mingled with the wounded's cries and the silence of the dead

In America

Well the eagle's been flyin' slow
And the flag's been flyin' low
And a lotta people sayin' that America's fixin' to fall

Well speakin' just for me
And some people from Tennessee
We've got a thing or two to tell you all

This lady may have stumbled
But she ain't never failed
And if the Russians don't believe that
They can all go straight to hell

We're gonna put her feet back
On the path of righteousness and then
God bless America again

And you never did think that it ever would happen again           ( In America, did you )
You never did think that we'd ever get together again             ( We damn sure could )
Yeah, we're walkng real proud and we're talkin' real loud again   ( In America )
You never did think
That it ever would happen again

From The Sound up in Long Island
Out to San Francisco Bay
And everthing that's in between them is our own
And we may have done a little bit
Of fightin' amongst ourselves
But you outside people best leave us alone

'Cause we'll all stick together
And you can take that to the bank
That's the cowboys and the hippies
And the rebels and and the yanks

You just go and lay your hand
On a Pittsburgh Steelers' fan
And I think you're gonna finally understand