Born in Pocahontas, Arkansas, the son of a sharecropper, Riley learned to play guitar from black farm workers. After 4 years in the Army, Riley first recorded in Memphis, Tennessee in 1955 before being lured to Sun Studios by Sam Phillips. He recorded "Trouble Bound" for Jack Clement and Slim Wallace. Sam Phillips obtained the rights and he released "Trouble Bound" b/w ""Rock With Me Baby" September 1,1956 (Sun 245). His first hit was "Flyin' Saucers Rock and Roll" b/w "I Want You Baby" released February 23,1957 (Sun 260) after which he recorded ""Red Hot" b/w "Pearly Lee" released September 30,1957 (Sun 277) both with backing piano by Jerry Lee Lewis.
Riley was drawn to the Memphis area in 1954 on the heels of Elvis Presley's success. Riley began performing on KWEM Radio Station in West Memphis, Arkansas along with another Arkansas native, Johnny Cash, who had his own show on KWEM in 1955.
"Red Hot" was showing a lot of promise as a big hit record, but Sam Phillips pulled the promotion and switched it to "Great Balls Of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis. The record was pulled without a lot of sales. He had other Sun recordings and they, likewise, did not have a lot of sales as his promotion had stopped.
Considered good looking and with wild stage moves, Riley had a brief solo career with his backing band "The Little Green Men". Riley and his Little Green Men were the main Sun studio band. They were Riley, Roland Janes, J.M. Van Eaton, Marvin Pepper, and Jimmy Wilson, later joined by Martin Willis.
In 1960, he left Sun, and started Rita Record label with Roland Janes. They produced the national hit record "Mountain Of Love" by Harold Dorman. He later started two other labels Nita and Mojo.
In 1962, he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a session musician with Dean Martin, the Beach Boys, Herb Alpert, Sammy Davis Jr. and others, as well as recording under various aliases.
In the early seventies, Riley quit music to return to Arkansas to begin his own construction business. In 1978 "Red Hot" and "Flyin' Saucers Rock 'n' Roll" were covered by Robert Gordon and Link Wray respectively, which led to a one-off performance in Memphis in 1979, the success of which led to further recording at Sun Studio and a full-time return to performing.
Rediscovered by Bob Dylan in 1992, who had been a fan since 1956, Riley plays Rock and Roll, Blues and Country-Blues.
His album Hot Damn! (Capricorn, 1997) was nominated for the Grammy.
He was injured falling on a slippery department store floor in 2005 and that has required two surgeries, but he still is performing successfully worldwide in 2007. In 2006, he released a country CD, Hillbilly Rockin' Man.
The sky grew dimmer on Sunday, as another great ray of light from the Sun Records roster, Billy Lee Riley, died. Riley, who'd been battling cancer since May, died August 2, 2009, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro, Ark., after being admitted on Saturday. He was 75.
Red Hot
Billy Lee Riley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Well, she ain't got no money
But man, she's a-really got a lot
Well, I got a gal, six feet four
Sleeps in the kitchen with her feet out the door, but
My gal is red hot
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Well, she ain't got no money
But man, she's a-really got a lot
Well, she walks all night, talks all day
She's the kinda woman who'll have her way, but
My gal is red hot
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Well, she ain't got no money
But man, she's a-really got a lot
Well, she's the kinda woman who louds around
Spreadin' my business all over town, but
My gal is red hot
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Well, she ain't got no money
But man, she's a-really got a lot
Well, she's a one man's woman, that's what I like
But I wish she wasn't gonna change her mind everynight, but
My gal is red hot
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Well, she ain't got no money
But man, she's a-really got a lot
The lyrics to Billy Lee Riley's song "Red Hot" describe the singer's admiration for his girlfriend who he perceives to be superior to the girlfriends of others. He boasts that his girlfriend is "red hot" while others have girlfriends who "ain't doodly squat." He acknowledges that his girlfriend may not have money but claims that she has other qualities that make her special.
The second verse provides more description of the singer's girlfriend. He describes her as a large woman who sleeps in the kitchen with her feet out the door. Despite her unique qualities, the singer still maintains that his girlfriend is the best.
The third verse provides a characterization of the singer's girlfriend as someone who is loud and spreads his business all over town. The singer admits this quality about his girlfriend but still insists that she is better than the girlfriends of others.
Overall, the lyrics of "Red Hot" express the singer's pride and admiration for his girlfriend. He perceives her as superior to the girlfriends of others, despite her flaws.
Line by Line Meaning
My gal is red hot
My girlfriend is very attractive
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Your girlfriend is not very attractive
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Yes, my girlfriend is very attractive
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Your girlfriend is not very attractive
Well, she ain't got no money
My girlfriend doesn't have much money
But man, she's a-really got a lot
But she has a lot of other good qualities
Well, I got a gal, six feet four
I have a girlfriend who is very tall
Sleeps in the kitchen with her feet out the door, but
She sleeps in a strange place
Well, she walks all night, talks all day
She is very active
She's the kinda woman who'll have her way, but
She is assertive and will get what she wants
Well, she's the kinda woman who louds around
She gossips a lot
Spreadin' my business all over town, but
She talks about me to everyone
Well, she's a one man's woman, that's what I like
She is loyal to me
But I wish she wasn't gonna change her mind everynight, but
But I wish she wouldn't change her mind so much
My gal is red hot
My girlfriend is very attractive
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Your girlfriend is not very attractive
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Yes, my girlfriend is very attractive
Your gal ain't doodly squat
Your girlfriend is not very attractive
Well, she ain't got no money
My girlfriend doesn't have much money
But man, she's a-really got a lot
But she has a lot of other good qualities
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILLIAM R. EMERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind