“Dang Me” by Roger Miller and Its Success Story in the Music Industry

“Dang Me” is a 1964 song by American country music artist Roger Miller. In the same year, the Grammy’s recognized it as the Best Country & Western Song. For Miller, it was two of his firsts: chart-topping country hit and Top Ten pop music hit. Considered as a novelty song, “Dang Me” had this “jazzy instrumental section”. Being such, it helped Roger make the track “the quintessential example of his lighthearted humor, which brought him many more hits”.

When Kennedy started work on many other of that sessions’ songs before, he eventually brought the recording of “Dang Me” to his home. Upon playing it, he recalled that his kids came screaming down the stairs every time he played it. They thought, he continued, that it was the greatest thing they had ever heard. From then on, he started playing it over and over and over again. In the long run, it led for Kennedy and Mercury Records to choose “Dang Me” as the first single of his May 1964 Roger and Out. Shortly after, the label re-titled and re-released the album, Dang Me. Editor’s Note: Check out Another Sure Fire from Alabama: “(There’s A) Fire in the Night” for another interesting read!

As part of its success, the song was on the Billboard country music chart for 25 weeks. It soared to the top of the Billboard and peaked at number seven on the magazine’s pop chart. Also, it became a part of several Miller compilations. On either film or tape, Roger Miller performs it with other songs. He also sang “Dang Me” in the 1966 concert film The Big T.N.T. Show. Lastly, it was part of a closing-number medley on season three, episode #21, of The Muppet Show in 1979.

“Dang Me” has appeared on recordings by at least eight other performers as differently as Buck Owens’. Johnny Cash covered it on his 1999 album Folsom Prison Blues. Thirdly, Johnny Rivers recorded it live in 1964 on Here We à Go Go Again!. Sammy Davis, Jr. had it on his live album That’s All in 1967. Then, Sweet G.A. Brown revived the track on his Miller Time album in 2011. The Hollies with Graham Nash in the band, the 6^th, performed it live on tour in 1968. Seventh, singer-songwriter Buddy Miller sang it on his album Majestic Silver Strings in 2011. Finally, on February 11, 2012, Widespread Panic covered the tune as an encore during their acoustic tour.