In 1969, Ray Benson and Lucky Oceans (Reuben Gosfield) co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and soon after they found themselves opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, DC.[1] A year later, they moved to East Oakland, California at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. After being mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Van Morrison, they landed a record deal with United Artists. In 1973, their debut album, Comin' Right At Ya was released by United Artists. At the request of Willie Nelson, they left Oakland for Austin in 1974.
Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been presented numerous awards throughout their career. Most recently, the 16th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Award for the making of "A Ride With Bob", recognition by Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas, and the Darrel K. Royal Music Patron Award by The Texas Heritage Songwriters' Association. In 2007, The Austin Chronicle recognized Asleep at the Wheel for Band of the Year, Best Country Band, and into their Hall of Fame. Benson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2002, was given The Texas Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and recognized as an Outstanding Producer by the National Academy of Recording Arts in 1988. He has also been given numerous Citations of Achievement by Broadcast Music, Inc. for his work in the country music field. Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been one of the strongest names in Country Music for the last forty years.
Roly Poly
Asleep at the Wheel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eatin' corn and taters
Hungry every minute of the day
Roly Poly
Gnawin' on a biscuit
As long as he can chew it it's okay
He can eat an apple pie
He likes anything from soup to hay
Roly Poly
Daddy's little fatty
I bet he's gonna be a man someday
Roly Poly
Scrambled eggs for breakfast
Bread and jelly twenty times a day
Roly Poly
He eats a hearty dinner
He needs lots of strength to sing and play
He's up at dawn to do the chores
And he runs both ways through all the stores
He works up an appetite that way
Roly Poly
Daddy's little fatty
Fatty's gonna be a man someday
The song "Roly Poly" by Asleep At The Wheel paints a humorous picture of a character named "Daddy's little fatty", who is constantly hungry and eats anything he can get his hands on. The lyrics describe how he eats corn, taters, biscuits, soup, hay, apple pie, scrambled eggs, bread, jelly, and even has a hearty dinner, but never seems to get full. The singer notes that despite consuming all this food, the character never seems to lose his appetite, and is always ready for more.
The song portrays Daddy's little fatty as a hardworking individual who wakes up at dawn to do chores and runs around town all day, which works up his appetite. It is clear that he enjoys food and is not concerned about his weight or health, and the singer remarks that he will likely grow up to be a big, strong man.
The song's lighthearted tone and catchy melody make it an enjoyable listen, and it is easy to imagine the character of Daddy's little fatty as a lovable, larger-than-life figure. The lyrics celebrate the joy of eating and the pleasures of a hearty appetite, without taking things too seriously or dwelling on the potential health consequences of overindulgence.
Line by Line Meaning
Roly Poly
Introducing the titular character of the song.
Eatin' corn and taters
The character is currently eating corn and potatoes.
Hungry every minute of the day
The character is always hungry.
Roly Poly
Repeating the introduction of the character.
Gnawin' on a biscuit
The character is now eating a biscuit.
As long as he can chew it it's okay
The character will eat anything he can chew.
He can eat an apple pie
The character can eat an entire apple pie.
And never even bat an eye
Eating that much food doesn't faze the character.
He likes anything from soup to hay
The character enjoys a wide range of foods.
Roly Poly
Reiterating the character's name.
Daddy's little fatty
The character is affectionately called 'Daddy's little fatty.'
I bet he's gonna be a man someday
Despite his weight, the character will grow up to be a man.
Roly Poly
Beginning the chorus again.
Scrambled eggs for breakfast
The character has scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Bread and jelly twenty times a day
The character eats bread and jelly a lot throughout the day.
He eats a hearty dinner
The character has a large, satisfying dinner.
He needs lots of strength to sing and play
The character needs to eat a lot to have the energy to sing and play music.
He's up at dawn to do the chores
The character wakes up early to do his chores.
And he runs both ways through all the stores
The character is active and runs around a lot while shopping.
He works up an appetite that way
All of his running around makes him even hungrier.
Roly Poly
Repeating the chorus one final time.
Daddy's little fatty
Ending the song with the affectionate nickname for the character.
Fatty's gonna be a man someday
Reiterating that despite his weight, the character will grow up to be a man.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, O/B/O DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Fred Rose
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
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Ben - Moderator
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Eddie
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Tom Johnson
Thank God for Ray Benson keeping western swing alive. I've had the the pleasure of meeting him at several different gigs and I will tell you he is a total class act. Thanks for all you have done ray.
victotronics
Amazing music, amazing musicians. That's Texas culture for you.
Hans-Jürgen Thiel
Je öfter ich es mir anhöre, umso schöner finde ich es = einfach SUPER Klasse !!
Timothy Stewart
Fantastic! Ray Benson's Asleep at The Wheel with four of the original Bob Wills Band members steel guitarist Leon McAuliffe, Johnny Gimble on the mandolin, Eldon Shamblin sitting down on guitar, and Leon Rausch singing lead vocals with Ray Benson!
XOkie
That's Herb Remington on steel. Brother Leon had passed by this time.
David Gerber
Git' down, kick-ass western swing done right! I had no idea Ray Benson used to be so young!
Tommy Davis
Along with its