My mom overheard me sing this to myself when I was around 7…I had just heard it on the radio. I then heard my first.middle.last name being called. Whenever I heard all three names…it usually wasn’t a good thing. She wasn’t strict on me at all but she didn’t exactly like her 7-year-old kid sing about raising hell.
The song was written by band members Steve Cash and John Dillon and released on their first album. Ozark Mountain Daredevils were from Springfield, Missouri, and sported some of the same attitude of the song.
“If You Wanna Get To Heaven” peaked at #25 on the Billboard 100 and #23 in Canada in 1973; two years later Jackie Blue peaked at #3 on the Billboard 100.
Their two big hits sound like two different bands. You have the rough-edged If You Want To Get To Heaven and the very pop Jackie Blue.
During their peak years, few bands could draw a bigger crowd in Kansas City. The Daredevils were seen by Glyn Johns at Kansas City’s Cowtown Ballroom and then produced them. Glyn worked with about every big name in the business including The Beatles, Stones, Who, Led Zeppelin, and many others.
The band still tours and released an album in 2018.
If You Want To Get To Heaven
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 want to get to heaven
you got to raise a little hell
I never felt it in my feet
I never felt it in my soul
but I heard it the alley
now it’s in my rock and roll
if you want to know a secret
you got to promise not to tell
if you want to 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 want to see an angel
you got to find it where it fell
if you want to get to heaven
you got to raise a little hell
if you want to get to heaven
if you want to get to heaven
if you want to get to heaven
if you want to get to heaven
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 