About the song
“Dang Me” is a song by American country music artist Roger Miller that won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Song in 1964. This track was a significant milestone in Miller’s career, marking his first chart-topping country hit and his first Top Ten pop music hit. The song’s distinctive “jazzy instrumental section” and lighthearted humor became quintessential elements of Miller’s style, which would bring him many more hits in the following years.
The recording of “Dang Me” took place shortly after Miller signed with the Mercury Records subsidiary Smash Records. On January 10–11, 1964, Miller gathered with music producer Jerry Kennedy, music arranger Bill Justis, and session musicians Ray Edenton and Harold Bradley (guitars), Hargus “Pig” Robbins (piano), Bob Moore (bass), and Buddy Harman (drums) at the Bradley Studios on Nashville’s Music Row. The final version of the song, released to radio, was essentially a run-through with Miller giving rehearsal directions, capturing the spontaneous and energetic essence of the track.
Miller’s songwriting process for “Dang Me” is the stuff of legend. According to Miller’s official biography, he wrote the song in just four minutes in a Phoenix, Arizona hotel room. However, Johnny Cash, in his last major interview, claimed that Miller wrote the song at Joshua Tree in California. Cash recounted that Miller stepped out of the car with pen and paper to write the song and told Cash, “I’m writing a song. You can’t come look.” Regardless of the exact location, the speed and ease with which Miller penned the song are a testament to his remarkable talent.
Producer Jerry Kennedy immediately recognized the song’s potential. After bringing the recording of “Dang Me” home, his children’s enthusiastic reaction convinced him of the song’s appeal. Kennedy and Mercury Records chose “Dang Me” as the first single from Miller’s May 1964 LP “Roger and Out,” which was shortly retitled and rereleased as “Dang Me.”
The song’s infectious rhythm and humorous lyrics resonated with audiences, leading to its 25-week run on the Billboard country-music chart, where it reached number one. It also peaked at number seven on the magazine’s pop chart, showcasing its crossover appeal. “Dang Me” went on to appear on numerous Miller compilations, further cementing its status as a classic.
Miller’s performances of “Dang Me” have been captured on film and television, including the 1966 concert film “The Big T.N.T. Show” and a closing-number medley on season three, episode 21, of “The Muppet Show” in 1979. These performances helped to maintain the song’s popularity and introduced it to new generations of fans.
In 1998, Roger Miller’s 1964 version of “Dang Me” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, solidifying its place in music history. The song remains a beloved classic, emblematic of Miller’s unique blend of humor and musicality that continues to delight audiences to this day.
Video
Lyrics
Well, here I sit high, gettin’ ideas
Ain’t nothing but a fool would live like this
Out all night and runnin’ wild
Woman sittin’ home with a month-old child
Dang me, dang me
They oughta take a rope and hang me
High from the highest tree
Woman, would you weep for me?
Just sittin’ around drinkin’ with the rest of the guys
Six rounds bought, and I bought five
And I spent the groceries and half the rent
Like 14 dollars and 27 cents
Dang me, dang me
They oughta take a rope and hang me
High from the highest tree
Woman, would you weep for me?
One more time
Roses are red and violets are purple
Sugar is sweet and so is maple syrup
Well, I’m the seventh out of seven sons
My pappy’s a pistol, I’m a son-of-a-gun
Well, dang me, dang me
They oughta take a rope and hang me
High from the highest tree
Woman, would you weep for me?