Mississippi (Charlie Daniels song)

"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.

"Mississippi"
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)

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 The Roots Remain.[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. 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. "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 0-89820-177-2.
  7. "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.
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