Mississippi (Charlie Daniels song)

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"Mississippi"
Charlie Daniels Mississippi single label.jpg
Single by Charlie Daniels Band
from the album Million Mile Reflections
B-side"Passing Love"
ReleasedSeptember 24, 1979
GenreCountry rock
Length3:09
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Charlie Daniels
Producer(s)John Boylan
Charlie Daniels Band singles chronology
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
(1979) 		"Mississippi"
(1979) 		"Behind Your Eyes"
(1979)

"Mississippi", is a song written by Charlie Daniels and first released on the Charlie Daniels Band's 1979 album Million Mile Reflections. It was also released as a single in September 1979 as the follow-up to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." It reached the top 20 on the country singles charts in both the U.S. and Canada.

Lyrics and music[]

The lyrics of "Mississippi" have the singer thinking about his earlier times in the state of Mississippi.[1] The Clarion-Ledger described the mood of the song as quiet and contemplative.[2] Bill Hance of Gannett News Service described it as a "bluesy ballad" that would appeal to older, more middle-of-the-road listeners than some of Daniels' earlier material.[3]

According to Daniels, the melody he used happened to fit the 4 syllable name "Mississippi" and could have been applied to a different place name with 4 syllables, stating "I coulda made it Cincinnati except they ain't no Spanish moss hangin' from no live oak trees in Cincinnati."[4]

Reception[]

"Mississippi" did not repeat the mainstream success of its predecessor "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" but it was nonetheless a success on the country music charts. It reached #19 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in the U.S. and performed even better on the Canadian country singles chart where it peaked at #3.[5][6][7] It was also noted as one of the "1980 Most Performed Songs of the Year" by the BMI Awards.[8]

Billboard Magazine chose "Mississippi" as a recommended country music single.[9] Gannett contributor Herb Ditzel praised "Mississippi" for expressing how much the singer misses Mississippi without resorting to "fancy guitars, piano or screeching vocals."[1] He refers to "Mississippi" as Daniels' answer to "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."[1] Robert Christgau described it as a "sentimental reminiscence."[10] Music critic Ronald Hawkings criticized the song for being too "saccharine."[11]

"Mississippi" was included on Daniels' 1996 box set .[12]

On April 25, 1979 – before it was released as a single – Daniels presented a special pressing of the song to Mississippi governor Cliff Finch.[13]

Chart performance[]

Chart (1979) Peak
position
Billboard Hot Country Singles[5] 19
Canadian RPM Country Tracks[7] 3

"Passing Lane"[]

The b-side of "Mississippi" was "Passing Lane". Billboard Magazine described "Passing Lane" as " a consistently good mix of Southern rock/boogie," praising both the vocals and the instrumentation.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Ditzel, Herb (November 16, 1979). "Charlie Daniels says he's been "rocked till he's ragged". Courier-Post. p. 98. Retrieved 2018-12-28 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Charlie's dad gave good advice". The Clarion-Ledger. July 10, 1979. p. 44. Retrieved 2018-12-29 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Hance, Bill (December 7, 1979). "1979's been good to Charlie Daniels". Ithaca Journal. p. 63. Retrieved 2018-12-28 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Hurst, Jack (December 2, 1979). "Daniels a Unique Breed". Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 100. Retrieved 2018-12-28 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Hot Country Singles". Billboard Magazine. December 1, 1979. p. 33. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "RPM Country 75 Singles". Library and Archives Canada. December 8, 1979. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  8. ^ "Charlie Daniels Band". Wirth Entertainment. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  9. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. September 29, 1979. p. 71. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
  10. ^ Christgau, Robert. "The Charlie Daniels Band". Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  11. ^ Hawkins, Ronald (April 28, 1979). "On the Tracks". Muncie Evening Press. p. 28. Retrieved 2018-12-28 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Roots Remain". Allmusic. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  13. ^ Warren, Sam (April 19, 1979). "Where It's At". Northside Sun. p. 13. Retrieved 2018-12-29 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. September 22, 1979. p. 71. Retrieved 2020-07-08.

External links[]

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