The 10 Best Jerry Reed Songs of All-Time

Jerry Reed

Jerry Reed Hubbard was a well-known American country music composer, songwriter, guitarist, singer, and actor who was featured in numerous films. Born on 20 March 1937, some of his greatest singles included US Male, Alabama Wild Man, Guitar Man, and When You’re Hot, You’re Hot, which won a Grammy Award for the Best Male Country Vocal Performance. In this post, we will take a closer look at the 10 greatest Jerry Reed songs of all time.

10. The Bird

 

Number 10 on our list is The Bird. Upon the release of The Bird in 1982, Reed established his place as a classic country music artist. This song features a fun little talking parrot with a real future in the music industry. In the song, Jerry Reed attempts to pull off an incredible impression of George Jones and Willie Nelson. It is an upbeat song that fans love to sing along to.

9. The Claw

 

In The Claw from the 1967 single album The Unbelievable Guitar and Voice of Jerry Reed, Reed’s witty acting might overshadow his exceptional skills as a music composer. Though the song is generally described as one of Reed’s better instrumental tracks, not much is known about it, so it is often regarded as a classic song with a mystical origin.

8. You Took All the Ramblin’ Out of Me

 

The song You Took All the Ramblin’ Out of Me was released in 1973 and featured in the country icon’s album Hot a’ Mighty! As evident in the track, Reed repeatedly portrays himself with a bit of a hell-raiser attitude that is reflected in the characters cast on his songs. In this scenario, the right woman is the only one capable of curing the leading man of rambling fever.

7. Lord, Mr. Ford

 

In the song Lord, Mr. Ford in 1973, Reed eagerly longed for the good old days by describing how cars are one of the most causes of inconveniences to modern-day society. Reed’s societal view lies on a very thin line between smart-aleck comedy and political commentary. He believes that you can travel anywhere without the need for public transport or driving your vehicle.

6. She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)

 

The song She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft) was written by Tim Dubois and performed by Jerry Reed to be released in June 1982. The main theme portrayed in the song is divorce, where a casual laborer asks his girlfriend to marry him because he is really poor at cooking. In the song, Reed tries to revive the rich history of humorous country songs while displaying the typical heartbreaking nature of divorces. She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft) comes to an end with a spoken-word epilogue between the blue-collar worker and the judge of the court.

5. Amos Moses

 

The song Amos Moses was released in October 1970 and later featured in Reed’s 4th solo music studio album Georgia Sunshine. It is a perfect blend of regional imagery, storytelling, humor, and Jerry’s signature chicken-scratch guitar-play. The song was commonly used as a line dance taught at the local YMCAs. Moreover, the single Amos Moses was certified gold by the RIAA after approximately a million of its copies were sold globally.

4. Guitar Man

 

The song Guitar Man was written by Jerry Reed himself and peaked at number 53 on the 1967 country music charts. Moreover, Elvis Presley recorded his version of this song, and it performed exceptionally well, peaking at number 1 on the country music charts. There are also other Reed’s songs that were made mainstream by other artists, including; Presley’s rendition of US. Male and Porter Wagoner’s 1962 track, Misery Loves Company.

3. Alabama Wild Man

 

The track Alabama Wild Man was released in July 1972. Though it is often a less popular pick, the song features the amazing vocal performances of the famous Jerry Lee Lewis with the unbelievable guitar skills of Jerry Reed and his mentor Atkins. It is featured in Reed’s solo self-titled album Jerry Reed and peaked at number 12 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart and number 2 on the United States country charts.

2. East Down and Bound

 

The track East Down and Bound is often described as the most famous song from Reed’s album collection. The song was released in August 1977 and recorded by the country icon for the 1937 movie film soundtrack titled ‘Smokey and the Bandit’s.’ It was received extremely well by Reed’s audience and helped the track reach number 2 on the US Country music charts, where it spent a maximum of 16 consecutive weeks. To date, Reed’s East Bound and Down remain synonymous with the supreme legacy of his Hall of Fame music career. Additionally, the song is today remembered as Reed’s first enormous musical impact on the country music industry.

1. When You’re Hot, You’re Hot

 

The song When You’re Hot, You’re Hot was released in 1971. The song charted on the Top 10 pop music charts and rose to the top position on the country music charts, where it remained for 5 consecutive weeks. This song also made history after it peaked at number 9 in the Australian and New Zealand country music charts. Moreover, it was certified gold by RIAA after 1,000,000 of its copies were sold worldwide. As evidenced by its performance, When You’re Hot, You’re Hot is considered the most successful country song ever performed by the late Jerry Reed.

Final Thoughts

Depending on the type of country music you listen to, and when you were born, you might know Jerry Reed from his role as Snowman in Smokey and the Bandit films or these top Jerry Reed songs. The latter is part of his legacy and Hall of Fame career as an impeccable guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Although he left us in 2008, Reed’s work permeates space and time to offer joy, laughter, and solace through his amazing compositions. You cannot go wrong with any of the songs on this list. Enjoy!

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