Molly Hatchet is one of the all-time great southern rock bands.
Their story goes back a ways. In 1971, guitarist Dave Hlubek and drummer Skip Lake started the band in Jacksonville, Florida, bringing in bass player Tim Lindsey, lead singer Bobby Maddox, and guitar player Steve Holland. The name of the band came indirectly from Maddox; Dave Hlubek told the story later:
Finally, we said, 'We need to come up with a name for the group.' We took a John Deere Tractor hat and everybody came up with three names apiece and put them in the hat. We did it like the lottery. We said that whatever name was pulled out of the hat, by God, was going to be the name of the band and that's it. Well, the eighteenth name, the only one left, was Molly Hatchet! We said, ‘What the hell is that'? Everyone was asking, ‘Who's the girl in the band'? The people of Jacksonville took it upon themselves to start making bumper stickers. We just kept the name. Molly was an axe murderess. Her name was Abigail something. The history books called her Hatchet Molly. She was some passion killer.
The band was a quick success, first in Florida, then on radios nationwide. They’re widely known for their distinctive album cover art, with covers done by Frank Frazetta (including the infamous 1978 Death Dealer), Boris Vallejo, and Paul Gregory. The band had a hammering, hard-rock style with southern rock themes, a style that was all their own.
Here are six of my favorites.
Dreams I’ll Never See (1978): This rollicking tune is actually sort of a cover, of the Allman Brothers song Dreams, from their 1970 debut album, written by Buddy Miles. The thing was that the Allman Brothers didn’t really see a lot of commercial success until their album Fillmore East in 1971, so Dreams wasn’t that much of a much, but Molly Hatchet’s take on it went quite a bit further.
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Gator Country (1978): This is a long one, coming in at 6 minutes, 17 seconds, which wouldn’t matter much unless you were a cat burglar from New Jersey timing your heist with a song. The title, of course, refers to Florida, and the song is about how great a place Florida is, gators and all. The tune was written by Dave Hlubek and Steven Holland, with bass player Banner Thomas penning the lyrics. About that, Danny Joe Brown later said:
Gunsmoke (1979): Not one of the band’s better-known pieces, but I’ve always liked it. From the album Flirtin’ With Disaster, this is a song that leaves Florida for a dusty, southwestern Wild West town, where a lone rider comes to town looking for some action – and ends up finding rather more than he bargained for. The song even refers to the famous Dead Man’s Hand, aces and eights, reportedly held by Wild Bill Hickock when he was killed. Bounty Hunter (1979): This one, again, conjures scenes of the old west, including another old-fashioned match between hardened gunslingers; the lyrics tell that tale very plainly:Banner was not a real drinker, but one night he got together with ol' Jack Daniel's. He came out of his rack on the bus the next morning and he had written all the lyrics to 'Gator Country.' He pretty much said what was on his mind that night. I think Banner should've got drunk a little more often.
Blue steel flashing, hot lead flying
I wonder what they feel like when they're dying.
Someday soon it might be my turn
Is it worth the money I earn?
And it seems to me this is one hell of a way
For a man like me to earn that pay.
Outlaws on the loose,
Running, running from the noose.
I'm a bounty hunter, I'll hunt you down, yeah, I will.
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Flirtin’ With Disaster (1979): The title cut from the album of the same name, of course, this was the band’s most popular song by far, remaining on the Billboard Top 100 for 10 weeks. This one has been on more television shows and movies than Ted McGinley, having been featured in The Dukes of Hazzard, Straw Dogs, My Name is Earl, Supernatural and King of the Hill. When most people who were around in 1979 think of Molly Hatchet, this is the first song that comes to mind.
What’s The Story, Old Glory (1989): I like this song even though it’s from a later incarnation of the band. This was the first album where guitarist Bobby Ingram replaced founding member Dave Hlubek. It would also be the last album before the band went on an extended hiatus in 1999. It weaves a rather sad tale of an American obsessed with money over the better things in life that have always been free, and while for the time it was on the pessimistic side, it was still an America-first tune.
Sadly, all of the original members of this band are dead, the last being Steve Holland, who died in 2020. There is still a band named Molly Hatchet; they are still touring, but it can’t be the same as the originals.Do you have any Molly Hatchet favorites I missed? The comments, once more, are all yours.
