Songs don’t get no better than this

Charlie Daniels is a longtime fan of rodeo in general, and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in specific. And rodeo, by its Great American West nature, has a lengthy relationship with country music.

So it only made sense that when the PRCA decided the WNFR needed a theme song, the country music legend would be a natural fit to write and perform that tune.

"I asked them the elements they wanted to talk about — animals, roping and riding," Daniels said. "I went home and started writing, taking my God-given talent and getting to work."

Since he had the subject matter, he was able to work through the song in the way he's preferred throughout his long and successful career.

"Most of the time, I work on the tune more than the lyrics," Daniels said. "Once I got the melody and started going, I didn't have to pull the story out of the air. I knew what they wanted to talk about. It didn't take very long at all. I got into the studio and got her done.

"If I'd compressed it, I probably could have done it in a couple days," the 79-year-old Daniels added. "As it was, by the time I finished writing, recording and refining, it was altogether 10 days."

Helping Daniels along was his personal experience with the WNFR. Over the past 31 years, he's been a regular for the annual 10-day event at the Thomas & Mack Center, and like many of his peers in the industry, he schedules Las Vegas concert dates during the rodeo.

"Of course the PRCA knows I'm a big rodeo fan. I'm pretty hip to what's going on in the arena, I'm pretty into what happens," he said. "During the NFR, there is an atmosphere in Vegas that doesn't exist any other time of the year. It's a big old friendly town. That's my impression of Vegas during the NFR.

"So for the song, you've got to put the idea together in an entertaining way. The music, lyrics and the performance need to be exciting, because that's what it's all about. You've got to incorporate all of that."

The title of his work: "It Don't Get No Better Than That."

But there's more to this song than just a theme for the WNFR. Proceeds from downloads of the song will go to, among other causes, the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund, which provides need-based financial assistance to athletes who are injured while competing. Daniels is on the charitable group's board of directors.

Bareback rider Clint Cannon is competing in his fifth WNFR, but he saw leaner days early in his career and knows first-hand how important the crisis fund is.

"I've used it a couple times. It's a huge deal," Cannon said. "Once I made it in rodeo and started making a little better money, I haven't utilized it. But them young guys need it, and when I was starting my pro career, I didn't make that much. I needed that really bad.

"One year, I got hurt and was scrambling to just pay my mortgage. They helped me out, saved my butt, and the next year (2009), I made it to the NFR for the first time."

Having someone as renowned as Daniels not only record the song, but be so active in rodeo means a lot to Cannon and his peers.

"It's huge that somebody of his profile would do that. The Charlie Daniels Band has a huge following," said Cannon, who suffered a concussion in Tuesday's round and had to sit out Wednesday and today. "I admire the guy for taking the time to actually think about rodeo cowboys. Most country music guys couldn't tell you much about rodeo. But Charlie comes to the Finals every year and sings and helps out."

Daniels will see how well the song hits its marks before tonight's eighth go-round of the WNFR. The song will have its live debut, before 18,000 rowdy rodeo fans.

"We're gonna find out how they like it. It's an up-tempo, really moving sort of a song," he said. "It's a piece of rodeo music. It's all about rodeo, all about Vegas. That's all it can be, and that's all it ever will be."

Coming from the man perhaps most famous for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," the WNFR piece will most assuredly get a strong reception.

Speaking of the devil, if I may take a little artistic license with Daniels' biggest hit, after Trevor Brazile extended his record by clinching a 13th all-around world championship Tuesday night:

"Trevor went down to Vegas

He was lookin' for a buckle to win

He'd been really hot, and I'll tell you what

He was fixin' to do it again. …"

What do you think, Charlie?