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The Ozark Mountain Daredevils — If You Wanna Get To Heaven
Album: The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Avg rating:
6.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 887









Released: 1974
Length: 3:02
Plays (last 30 days): 0
I never read it in a book, I never saw it on a show
But I heard it in the alley on a weird radio
If you want a drink of water, you got to get it from a well
If you wanna get to heaven, you got to raise a little hell

I never felt it in my feet, I've never felt it in my soul
But I heard it in the alley, now it's in my rock and roll
If you wanna know a secret, you got to promise not to tell
If you wanna get to heaven, you got to raise a little hell

I never thought it'd be so easy, I never thought it'd be so fun
But I heard it in the alley, now I got it on the run
If you wanna see an angel, you got to find it where it fell
If you wanna get the heaven, you got to raise a little hell

If you wanna get to heaven
If you wanna get to heaven
If you wanna get to heaven
If you wanna get to heaven
Comments (150)add comment
GREAT!!
in Southern Illinois, we call this "hippie-redneck" music. 
Not sure Ozark Mountain Daredevils approved of this um, uh, er, "Mountain Clogging" dance demo as the music video for the song:
I think Jimmy Carter invited them to play a gig at the White House. Not too shabby.
I'm glad I brought two spoons with me today!
I'm sick of eating those slimy runny eggs -Jesco White
 michaelc wrote:
Set the wayback machine, I remember this one well. 
Does not age well
 
I was 14 when this was all over the radio. Loved it then, love it now. Ages just fine thankee kindly.
If y’a wanna hear good music y’a gotta go to Radio Paradise
Oh HELL yes!  
 Stefen wrote:
Did ZZ Top cover this?
 
Ha ha ha ha...
Boone's Farm and a new lid of 'Lumbo... Summer Time...out in the airport fields
Did ZZ Top cover this?
Jesco White the Dancing Outlaw theme song!!! Go Jesco!
If you wanna get to heaven I'll tell you how to do it, just greeze your feet and slide into it.
 finsterboy wrote:
Or if you want to get to heaven, you could just be a sheep. Sorry goats.
 
You Goatist!  ; )
Set the wayback machine, I remember this one well. 
Does not age well
Sweet transition from If You Wanna Get To Heaven Bill.
Lord God Almighty!  Flashback to college in South Carolina, trying to raise a little hell.  Always thought this was a bit trite, but who am I to argue with the masses?
Harmonica players smile when hearing this one.  I know I am.
Or if you want to get to heaven, you could just be a sheep. Sorry goats.
Wow, nice to hear this oldie but goodie. Saw them way back in day. Always a fun time!
Yup, we were singing this in class and got ourselves a stern scolding from cranky old Mr. Bench in Earth Science in 8th Grade — and we knew the refrain was true, regardless!  Good stuff then, and still sounds fun as ever!
 

HELL YES!!! I luv new & eclectic music, that's why I listen to RP, but damn it's nice to return to my teenage years. Thanks Bill!


 Cynaera wrote:
Ozark Mountain Daredevils was OMD before Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark was OMD. And I still love their music... I can remember listening to them while helping my co-worker swamp out, paint, and move into her first apartment (which probably should have been condemned, but the price was right) - we were up from at least eight P.M. to after three A.M. with the stereo playing, and our music of choice was Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

Good times...{#Bounce}
 
I remember them from wayyyyyy back when Cyn.  Really good times. I've still got them on vinyl somewhere. 7.
 lexica wrote:
Not high art, but fun to bop around the living room to. {#Dancingbanana}
 
More like art to get high to...  And yep, definitely a bop-around-the-living-room song! {#Bananajumprope}
 Stingray wrote:
"minus 1"
 
Sorry...you really had to be there to get this...

Roll the spliff up and the windows down......ah, high school!
Oh yeah - rockin' good stuff! And great rock sentiment!
 lexica wrote:
Not high art, but fun to bop around the living room to. {#Dancingbanana}
 
How true.  Just plan fun.

If you want to get to heaven, head for paradise....Radio Paradise that is.
Not high art, but fun to bop around the living room to. {#Dancingbanana}
Cheap midwestern pop circa 1975.  I was there (in Ohio) and didn't get it.  Still don't.
Great Harmonica!!!{#Dancingbanana}
"minus 1"
Ozark Mountain Daredevils was OMD before Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark was OMD. And I still love their music... I can remember listening to them while helping my co-worker swamp out, paint, and move into her first apartment (which probably should have been condemned, but the price was right) - we were up from at least eight P.M. to after three A.M. with the stereo playing, and our music of choice was Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

Good times...{#Bounce}
If you wanna get to heaven, got to raise a little hell!

These guys were fun...an earlier, slightly less sarcastic version of Southern Culture on the Skids.
 mystercy wrote:
Yee Haww! Classic red-neck justification to do whatever you damned well please. Where's my Bible, guns and brains? 
 
There is overwhelming scriptual support for the concept expressed in this song ("the first shall be last, the last shall be first", the prodigal son, etc..), it's not a "hillbilly" notion.   

 Stefen wrote:
Happy music.
 
Yeah, makes me happy when it's done playing and I can turn the volume back up...

At the opening note I know this is going to be fun.
Love these guys...outstanding album!{#Bananajam}
 muse_Kidd wrote:
more redneck forgetable nonsense.
 
But you like the Jayhawks...
This was the first song I ever heard from OMD, and then I heard "Jackie Blue," and after that, I invested in several of their albums. "You Know Like I Know," "It's How You Think," "Watermill," "Colorado Song"....  There's a vast library of really good music from these guys.  Love 'em.
more redneck forgetable nonsense.
never liked this song in the seventies, like it even less now...
some people here have way too much time on their hands, and are way too much in their heads.  it's a wonder they can enjoy music at all.
I love OMD!

Oh wait... wrong OMD.
They just weren't the same when Paul Humphreys left anyway....
An interesting band...  they have a live album that is out of print, It's Alive...  Great stuff on that one... 
vandal wrote:

In now way did my jab even imply that bucolic peoples from geographically dispersed locations within the United States exhibit properties with uniform values along all vectors. That is a gross overstatement.

More dicto simpliciter: My point was that you capriciously aggregated the mode of the "If You Wanna Get to Heaven" commenter sophistication and neatly characterized it as an attribute of urbanites. Nothing more.

Personally, IMHO, I don't have any concerns regarding the tendencies of human beings toward making "expert" assumptions based upon cursory examination - that particular vein of observation, also known as the "first impression" is a visceral reaction and could be considered instinctual rather than intellectual.

As a person who has traveled extensively both inside/outside the US, I have observed that the peculiar attitude you describe as coming from "
insular tower dwellers" can be found in all cultures and settings, both urban and rural.

{#Meditate}

Say what?
Okay, works for me.


 Businessgypsy wrote:
I was commenting on the total body of comments, not yours in particular. I never referenced the term hillbilly, as most of the derisive comments were directed at rural southerners in general. If you maintain that the rural culture of the mountain Northwest is identical to that of the southern US, I won't argue with you - but I might suggest some field research to verify your position. As a South Louisiana native, all of the Ozarks were viewed as "way up north" from our sea level perspective - but the northern diagonal of Arkansas and southern Missouri (where the previous generation of my family originated) hold the overwhelming portion of the Ozark geography and culture.

Does it sit well with you when people who exhibit no ground level knowledge of the place you're from assume they have the skinny on what makes your culture tick, and consider themselves somehow better equipped to exist in the world? Intelligence is often contextual. If you find yourself stranded in the Kalahari, does a PHD in contemporary literature make you smarter than the Bushman who knows how to find water in an arid landscape? Like a lot of folks, I've lived and worked in most of the major regions of the US, city and country (including the northern Rockies). There is a marked difference between the attitude of people with some travel and experience under their feet and insular tower dwellers who assume nothing good can come from beyond the concrete canyons. Yes, urbanites - seriously.

 
In now way did my jab even imply that bucolic peoples from geographically dispersed locations within the United States exhibit properties with uniform values along all vectors.  That is a gross overstatement.

More dicto simpliciter:  My point was that you capriciously aggregated the mode of the "If You Wanna Get to Heaven" commenter sophistication and neatly characterized it as an attribute of urbanites.  Nothing more. 

Personally, IMHO, I don't have any concerns regarding the tendencies of human beings toward making "expert" assumptions based upon cursory examination - that particular vein of observation, also known as the "first impression" is a visceral reaction and could be considered instinctual rather than intellectual. 

As a person who has traveled extensively both inside/outside the US, I have observed that the peculiar attitude you describe as coming from " insular tower dwellers" can be found in all cultures and settings, both urban and rural. 

{#Meditate}

vandal wrote:

". . . urbanites?' Seriously?

I was born in the hills of Idaho pal, and I think I'm qualified to discuss hillbilly customs. You don't have to come from the South to be a hillbilly. In fact, if I check my "urban" atlas, I can see that the Ozarks actually pass through both Oklahoma and Kansas, neither of which is considered to be in the South.

Y'all be careful with yer hasty generalizations. . . now pass me that there jug. . .

I was commenting on the total body of comments, not yours in particular. I never referenced the term hillbilly, as most of the derisive comments were directed at rural southerners in general. If you maintain that the rural culture of the mountain Northwest is identical to that of the southern US, I won't argue with you - but I might suggest some field research to verify your position. As a South Louisiana native, all of the Ozarks were viewed as "way up north" from our sea level perspective - but the northern diagonal of Arkansas and southern Missouri (where the previous generation of my family originated) hold the overwhelming portion of the Ozark geography and culture.

Does it sit well with you when people who exhibit no ground level knowledge of the place you're from assume they have the skinny on what makes your culture tick, and consider themselves somehow better equipped to exist in the world? Intelligence is often contextual. If you find yourself stranded in the Kalahari, does a PHD in contemporary literature make you smarter than the Bushman who knows how to find water in an arid landscape? Like a lot of folks, I've lived and worked in most of the major regions of the US, city and country (including the northern Rockies). There is a marked difference between the attitude of people with some travel and experience under their feet and insular tower dwellers who assume nothing good can come from beyond the concrete canyons. Yes, urbanites - seriously.

 Businessgypsy wrote:
Amazing that urbanites who would never commit the intellectual faux pas of ridiculing African or Indonesian cultural differences suddenly assume an anthropologist's depth when commenting on the customs, motivations and traditions of the rural South. It makes somebody sound dumb and shallow, but not in the way you intend.

 
". . . urbanites?'   Seriously? 

I was born in the hills of Idaho pal, and I think I'm qualified to discuss hillbilly customs.  You don't have to come from the South to be a hillbilly.  In fact, if I check my "urban" atlas, I can see that the Ozarks actually pass through both Oklahoma and Kansas, neither of which is considered to be in the South. 

Y'all be careful with yer hasty generalizations. . . now pass me that there jug. . .

Amazing that urbanites who would never commit the intellectual faux pas of ridiculing African or Indonesian cultural differences suddenly assume an anthropologist's depth when commenting on the customs, motivations and traditions of the rural South. It makes somebody sound dumb and shallow, but not in the way you intend.

FIrst heard this when southern rock was an early rage - Skynrd's first album was out, Allman's were in heavy rotation on AOR, Barefoot Jerry, OMD, Marshall Tucker, and who can forget the triple leads on High Tides and Green Grass Forever?  Drove my wife nuts!    Good times!
If Heaven is a tepid place, they are so already there. This is an anthem totally without conviction. 

Yee Haww! Classic red-neck justification to do whatever you damned well please. Where's my Bible, guns and brains? 
It's just a plain fun song.
{#Whistle}  {#Twisted}
Love, love, love, love this song! Always have, always will!
Too bad the other OMD track in the library (Black Sky) is languishing without airplay for over seven years...
According to Wikipedia it was released as a single in 1974.
Great song man!!{#Bananajam}
The most fun I've ever had playing a tune is this one.  Air guitars all around.
Ahhh, the memories.  Love how he bends the harp notes so perfectly.
 figi wrote:
Brings me back ... "Wanna git to heaven - you gotta raise a little hell!"
 
Hi, neighbor.

Brings me back ... "Wanna git to heaven - you gotta raise a little hell!"
 Misterfixit wrote:
God Bless Bandytown
 
And God Bless Jesco White !
God Bless Bandytown
Growing up in Ohio in the mid 70's I got so completely sick of this country rock horse shit.  Please no more!  this doesn't advance RP one iota.
 vandal wrote:

"Go-olly Sgt. Carter, this here music makes me wanna rope me some goats. . . "

Rope that goat!

 

Go easy on them goats, Gomer.  You've got a twenty mile hike (with full pack) tomorrow at six hundred hours,

Happy music.
JESCO!{#Question}

Always like this for some reason.  7


 FrankMc wrote:
Anybody who can steal a show from Charlie Daniels has done something. Maybe some deep cuts from OMD might jump my rating up a bit. I always thought Wanna Get to Heaven was a bit formulaic. Great musicianship, but no surprises and some of the guitar progressions are just plain old predictable.

 

I've played this tune live and it's the predictability of those big chords that people absolutely love ... air guitars all around.  In many ways a perfect pop tune. 

And I would have loved to see these guys in their heyday.
Anybody who can steal a show from Charlie Daniels has done something. Maybe some deep cuts from OMD might jump my rating up a bit. I always thought Wanna Get to Heaven was a bit formulaic. Great musicianship, but no surprises and some of the guitar progressions are just plain old predictable.

 
LuvWilloughby wrote:

It's 1974 at Alfred Univ. and these guys opened for Marshall Tucker who opened for CDB, all for $10. The best triple bill ever and OMD stole the show....


 


That's "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark" by the way.

 
Tim_in_N_FL wrote:

Orchestral Movements in the Dark was touring back then?  Whoodathunkit? {#Beat}
 


Clllllllassic. Love it.
 vandal wrote:

Too much "down home" cheese in this one. . .

{#Snooty}

 

English is not my "homelanguage" so I just like this comment for the universal meaning of it :-)  
I met this lady once.... her friends all called her Sunshine.... not sure why.... i think she lived at Rochdale College for a while. Anyway, i was living with a bud of mine in a small town when she came to visit. my bud was out, it was up to me to welcome her to our abode and my first instinct was, well, some bud. John Denver was on the turntable. not that there's anything wrong with that... she said "if you like that folk/country stuff, you should listen to this" and she slapped the Ozarks on the 'table. needless to say my mind was blown yet again.

 LuvWilloughby wrote:

It's 1974 at Alfred Univ. and these guys opened for Marshall Tucker who opened for CDB, all for $10. The best triple bill ever and OMD stole the show....


 
Orchestral Movements in the Dark was touring back then?  Whoodathunkit? {#Beat}
loved the album , they were a tight very good band

It's 1974 at Alfred Univ. and these guys opened for Marshall Tucker who opened for CDB, all for $10. The best triple bill ever and OMD stole the show....


There's a remixed version of this on a compilation called Southern Outlaws that sounds a lot better than this one.

LOVE the tune, though ... any version.
 Geecheeboy wrote:
Damnation.  That JessCoe has ruined this song for me.  Or revealed it.
 
LOL...yeah, being from West Virginia I can't hear this song WITHOUT thinking of Jesco White the Dancing Outlaw....

If you don't know who he is, google him and....come on down to WVa y'all.....

 laroue wrote:
sorry, I live in the South, so I just can't bring myself to enjoy this song. Nope {#Snooty}
 
I'm farther south than you are, and I LOVE it!!!  {#Lol}
Jesco White

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc3SEBA-9nU
Oh ya - now this brings back a lot of fun memories.  Play that harmonica!
 bindi wrote:
Great album...too bad nothing else gets air time from it.
 

Too right, awesome album, fantastic band!
sorry, I live in the South, so I just can't bring myself to enjoy this song. Nope {#Snooty}
 macadavy wrote:
"If ya wanna get to heaven,
 you've gotta raise a little hell!"

Yep - that's what my union job steward always told me!  {#Wink}
 
Your steward was right!

"If ya wanna get to heaven,
 you've gotta raise a little hell!"

Yep - that's what my union job steward always told me!  {#Wink}


Stretching into the 70's are we?.....Nothing but a memory.
 bindi wrote:
Great album...too bad nothing else gets air time from it.
 
No kidding!

Although the harp on this is pretty incredible.

Foot... tapping... can't... stop...
Damnation.  That JessCoe has ruined this song for me.  Or revealed it.
Generic hippie classic rock.  blurgh.

I have not heard this song in DECADES!  Thanks!


 Xeric wrote:
Gimme "Jackie Blue" any day. . . .
  Second that ^


Gimme "Jackie Blue" any day. . . .
The cymbal needs to be replaced with a cowbell.
greatness! bill i have not heard this in a long, long time.....excellent thanks endofworld.net
Great album...too bad nothing else gets air time from it.
Great!
horstman wrote:
Okay. If you are driving, slowly pull over to the side of the road and find peace with yourself. Try not to focus on any one thing. Keep an open mind. If your not driving, do the same without the car part. If you are presenting in front of a large group of people, grab your hair (or your skull if you are bald), start screaming that the demons have finally gained possession and run out of the building!
Phoenix4357 wrote:
Oh my God! Flashback!Flashback!Flashback!Flashback!Flashback!Flashback! A little help pleeze!
Okay. If you are driving, slowly pull over to the side of the road and find peace with yourself. Try not to focus on any one thing. Keep an open mind. If your not driving, do the same without the car part. If you are presenting in front of a large group of people, grab your hair (or your skull if you are bald), start screaming that the demons have finally gained possession and run out of the building!
Ahhhh, good memories and I recognized it in 3 notes...
Love the harmonica, not so keen on the singing.
venus_df wrote:
in loving memory of D. Ray White... *gone but not forgotten*
Dancing Outlaw > (click here)
darkhorse53 wrote:
I used to listen to OMD quite a bit.
Me too, but this sounds nothing like the Pretty in Pink soundtrack!
in loving memory of D. Ray White... *gone but not forgotten*
I used to listen to OMD quite a bit.
Phoenix4357 wrote:
Oh my God! Flashback!Flashback!Flashback!Flashback!Flashback! A little help pleeze!
Am,en. This song reminds me of my Dad. Grooooovy baby!
Oh my God! Flashback!Flashback!Flashback!Flashback!Flashback!Flashback! A little help pleeze!
I didn't like it back then, but it's kinda cool now.vandal wrote:
Never really cared for this one. . .
Never really cared for this one. . .
Jesco White is a friend of mine.....this song will live forever
smilestoomuch wrote:
Nice follow-up to Cake's "Sheep Got to Heaven"!
Sure is ... this one doesn't suck.
JESCO ROCK!!! keep dancin' Outlaw!!! (click here)
Nice follow-up to Cake's "Sheep Got to Heaven"!
I forgot these guys existed!
I haven't heard this in forever. I actually saw them in comcert in 1974, I think it was.
I am still amazed at how the harmonica player can bend those notes so perfectly....