In America

Zoo Freaks, get ready to groove with some righteous trivia about In America by The Charlie Daniels Band, a patriotic anthem from their All-Time Greatest Hits album that’s perfect for cranking up on THE ZOO! Released in May 1980 as the lead single from the Full Moon album, this song was a fiery response to the tough times America faced in the late 1970s, including the Iran Hostage Crisis, Watergate fallout, and economic struggles like double-digit inflation and unemployment. Charlie Daniels himself said in a Songfacts interview that the hostage crisis “galvanized America,” sparking a patriotic resurgence that inspired lines like “we’ll all stick together and you can take that to the bank.” The song hit #11 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group in 1981, as noted in a 2019 post on X by the band’s team.

One of the song’s standout lines, “Just go and lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan,” has a wild backstory. Charlie Daniels explained in a Wikipedia entry that he saw Pittsburgh’s steel workers and fans as “the salt of the earth,” embodying America’s grit and strength. But there’s more! A fan named Kevin from Pittsburgh shared on Songfacts that the line ties to a 1921 beer truck called the “Terrible Truck,” which Daniels once performed on. Before a gig, the truck’s owner, John Kasier, jokingly told Daniels on live TV to “get off his ass” when he sat on the fender, inspiring that iconic lyric. The song’s patriotic vibe resonated so strongly that a live music video was released in 2001 after the September 11 attacks, and the band performed it at the 1980 CMA Awards, where they also won Instrumental Group of the Year, per a 2020 X post.

Now, let’s rewind to how The Charlie Daniels Band got their start. Born Charles Edward Daniels on October 28, 1936, in Wilmington, North Carolina, Charlie grew up soaking in Pentecostal gospel, bluegrass, and rhythm and blues, as detailed in his Wikipedia bio. By the 1950s, he was already a multi-instrumentalist, shredding on guitar, fiddle, banjo, and mandolin with the bluegrass band Misty Mountain Boys. In the 1960s, he played rock and roll with the Rockets, later renamed the Jaguars after their instrumental hit Jaguar. Charlie also wrote songs for others, including It Hurts Me, recorded by Elvis Presley in 1964. Moving to Nashville in 1967, he hustled as a session musician, playing on Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline and other albums. In 1972, he formed The Charlie skyrocket to fame with their 1979 hit The Devil Went Down to Georgia, blending country, rock, blues, and jazz into a pioneering Southern rock sound.

Stay connected with The Charlie Daniels Band through their Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts, where fans share memories and updates. For more fan love, check out the Charlie Daniels Band Fan Club on Facebook, a vibrant group for Zoo Freaks to swap stories and celebrate the band’s legacy. You can also dive into their discography and history on their official site or join discussions on fan-driven pages like Holler, which lists their top songs. Keep spinning those records, Zoo Crew, and let’s keep Charlie’s music alive!