Southern Culture on the Skids – Firefly

I can thank CB for mentioning this band. What a fun band they are! They have a quirky and humorous style that reflects elements of Southern culture and kitsch. They have listed their influences as The International Submarine Band, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, the Byrds, the Seeds, and the Chocolate Watchband. That is a cool mixture!

This band is out of North Carolina and they cover a wide area of music and also mash it up. They sometimes merge Americana, surf, rockabilly, and swamp garage rock. The band was formed in 1983 by guitarist Rick Miller, Mary Huff on bass and vocals, and Dave Hartman on drums. They have appeared on Conan O’Brien (my favorite modern talk show host) and The Tonight Show. This song combines surf and rockabilly…it has a faint sixties sound. Miller plays fantastic and smart licks throughout this song and album.

This song came out in 1995 on the album Dirt Track Date. It was distributed by Geffen Records. Firefly was written by Rick Miller. Michael Lipton played Steel Guitar on this album, and The Soul City Singers provided backing vocals. This was their 4th album. They have 19 albums so far and they last released one in 2021 called At Home With Southern Culture on the Skids.

Rick Miller on where the name came from: ‘We were just art students who liked bands like The Cramps (an American punk band), blues, R&B and rockabilly but everyone else was into bands like R.E.M., It was weird, people were saying that was the new sound of the south and we said “If that’s the new south, it sure don’t rock ‘n’ roll like it used to, guess we liked the music better when Southern culture was on the skids” so that’s where our name comes from!’

Rick Miller plays a Danelectro guitar (check the video below). They are cheaper guitars but I have two of them and they have a unique sound. Jimmy Page used one in Kashmir. They are fun guitars. What I did with my electric 12-string Danelectro is to put better Seymour Duncan pickups and a bone nut (the original nut is metal) and now it sounds close to a Rickenbacker…and around $1500 dollars cheaper. Sorry, I got sidetracked!

Danelectro

Entire Concert

Firefly

I was at a party it was late one night
Moon was hitting i was sitting alright
Two ugly girls on both sides of me
I was praying for you firefly

I say firefly won’t you shine some light
Let me see what’s happening tonight
Firefly won’t you shine some light
Let me see what’s happening tonight

Little girls followed me all the way home
They say don’t leave me out here in the
Dark all alone by myself
Reach into my pocket trying to find my keys
I was praying for you firefly

I say firefly won’t you shine some light
Let me see what’s happening tonight
Firefly won’t you shine some light
Let me see what’s happening tonight

I was at a party it was late one night
Moon was hitting i was sitting alright
Two ugly girls on both sides of me
I was praying for you firefly

I say firefly won’t you shine some light
Let me see what’s happening tonight
Firefly won’t you shine some light
Let me see what’s happening tonight

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

27 thoughts on “Southern Culture on the Skids – Firefly”

  7. Cool looking guitar! I assume the photo is yours? Awesome too that you were able to modify it to sound Rickenbacher-like.
    The song…it does sound old. Could easily have come from the late-50s I think. I like the guitar on it.

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    1. Yea that is mine…I love it… it does sound a lot like a Rick. Cool looking also lol… yea they combine all kinds of styles

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  8. I love the mash up on this. Newepicauthor picked up the CCR vibe. More prominent on other tunes. Yeah when you said fun you hit it. Kinda what it’s all about. Enjoyed the personal touch with the guitar sidebar.

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    1. Thanks CB… I enjoyed listening to them and he is a hell of a guitar player… Danelectro or not. It’s cool those three are still together.

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      1. The creativity in people amazes me. They take all that music that they’ve heard and put their spin on it. Having a wicked guitar player doesnt hurt. Again like your info on the guitar. Both your cuts today helped put me in a good mood.

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      1. Observe, give the album ‘Dirt Track Date’ a spin, not a bad track and yes lots of humor. I still spin it regular when i get the itch.
        ” I met my baby in a used car lot. A drinkin’ cheap wine and a throwin’ rocks”. How’s that for a marrying type?

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  9. Based on “Firefly”, Southern Culture on the Skids surely look fun. I also agree guitarist Rick Miller sounds great.

    I take it that Danelectro in the photo is yours. Looks like you got a neat music room. I see a semi-hollow to the right, which looks a bit like Gibson 330 or perhaps an Epiphone? Can’t figure out what’s on the left. Wild guess: an SG? 🙂

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    1. Oh that is a Gower guitar…my family made them for country stars…but not many electrics. I love it…it screams…I have two humbucking pickups on it. It will get away from you… here is a pic of it

      Gower Guitars

      Oh that yellow one is a 1976 Fender Musicmaster Duo Sonic.

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      2. It’s odd dude…that green…but it’s a f’ing monster…I saw a Gower on sale on Ebay for 5,999 dollars…of course I would never sell mine but it’s a cool deal.

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  10. Good fun well played stuff. They obviously have a weird and wonderful way about them . What a title for the album too- ’Dirt Track Date.’ (Sorry, all the posts I follow got short shrift from me yesterday- real life intruded on my usual H’appy Days’ vibe. But all good now.

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    1. Oh I figured that obbverse…you were late so I figured real life intervened…damn real life…always pokes it’s ugly head in!
      Their album titles are classic.

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