Haley was blinded in his left eye as a child due to a botched operation. According to biographer John Swenson, Haley later adopted his distinctive spit-curl hairstyle to distract attention from his blind eye. The spit-curl caught on as a 50's style signature, although Haley and others had worn the hairstyle much earlier.
In 1946, Haley joined his first professional group, a Pennsylvania-based western swing band called The Down Homers run by Kenny Roberts. It has often been reported in musical reference works that Haley's first professional recordings were made with the Down Homers on a pair of singles released in 1946 by Vogue Records. This was later debunked by Roberts and others, stating Haley had already left the group by the time the singles were made. In the early 2000s, however, a set of 1946 radio recordings by the Down Homers were discovered and Haley is definitely present as he is identified by name and sings a solo number "She Taught Me to Yodel"; these recordings were commercially released for the first time in 2006.
After gaining experience with the Down Homers, Haley set out on his own, forming several groups such as the Range Drifters and the Four Aces of Western Swing. With the Four Aces, he made a number of regionally successful country music singles in the late 1940s for Cowboy Records while working as a touring musician and later a radio DJ at WPWA. (Many of Haley's early recordings from this period would not be released until after his death.) After disbanding the Four Aces and briefly trying a solo career using the names Jack Haley and Johnny Clifton (as chronicled in the biography Sound and Glory), Haley formed a new group called The Saddlemen in either 1949 or 1950 (sources vary as to the exact year); this new group recorded for several labels, including one single for Atlantic Records, Haley's first exposure to a major national record company. In 1951, Haley was signed to Dave Miller's Philadelphia-based Holiday Records and began to change musical styles, recording cover versions of "Rocket "88"" (previously recorded by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats), and in, 1952, "Rock the Joint", previously recorded by several bands including Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians. (By the time of "Rock the Joint", Haley had graduated from Holiday Records to Miller's larger Essex label.) The relative success of these recordings (both sold in the 75,000-100,000 copy range in the Pennsylvania-New England region) convinced Haley that his new and as-yet officially unnamed hybrid of country and rhythm and blues could be a commercial success.and some of his family lives in oklahoma and there is a road named after his family.
Alabamy Bound
Bill Haley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There'll be no heebie jeebies hangin' round.
Just gave the meanest ticket mam on earth
All I'm worth,
To put my tootsies in an upper berth.
Just hear that choo-choo sound,
I know that soon we're gonna cover ground,
The world will know;
Here I go!
I'm Alabamy bound!
I can hear that choo-choo whistle blow,
Watch that engine when we start to go!
Now we're in Baltimore,
Knockin' at Dixie's door!
What's that bill?
Louisville!
We passed that before!
Field o' cotton, tell me where I am;
Hear that fella yellin', "Alabam!".
Mammy!
Mammy!
Get your kisses ready for your honey lamb!
I'm Alabamy bound,
There'll be no heebie jeebies hangin' round.
Just gave the meanest ticket mam on earth
All I'm worth,
To put my tootsies in an upper berth.
I'm just a lucky lucky hound
To have someone to put my arms around!
That's why I'm shoutin' for the world to know,
Here I go!
I'm Alabamy bound!
In "Alabamy Bound," Bill Haley sings about his excitement and anticipation as he prepares to travel to Alabama. He has paid for a ticket to ride the train and is grateful to have an upper berth. As the train departs, he revels in the sound of the whistle and the sensation of traveling at high speed. He notes the passing of various landmarks, including Baltimore and Louisville, and finally arrives in Alabama.
The song is filled with energy and enthusiasm, reflecting the joy that Haley associates with travel and discovery. The lyrics also highlight the importance of having someone to share these experiences with, as Haley notes his good fortune in having "someone to put my arms around."
Line by Line Meaning
I'm Alabamy bound,
I am traveling to Alabama
There'll be no heebie jeebies hangin' round.
I won't feel nervous or uneasy
Just gave the meanest ticket mam on earth
I just paid for an expensive ticket
All I'm worth,
I paid all the money I have
To put my tootsies in an upper berth.
To get a place to sleep in the top part of the train
Just hear that choo-choo sound,
I hear the sound of the train
I know that soon we're gonna cover ground,
I know we'll be making progress soon
And then I'll holler so
And then I'll shout so loud
The world will know;
Everyone will know
Here I go!
I am leaving on this journey!
I can hear that choo-choo whistle blow,
I can hear the train whistle blowing
Watch that engine when we start to go!
Watch the engine when we start moving
Now we're in Baltimore,
We are now in Baltimore
Knockin' at Dixie's door!
We are approaching the southern states
What's that bill?
What is the name of the place we are passing by?
Louisville!
The place we passed was Louisville
We passed that before!
We already passed that place
Field o' cotton, tell me where I am;
I can see a field of cotton and wonder where I am
Hear that fella yellin', 'Alabam!'
I can hear someone shouting 'Alabama!'
Mammy!
A term of affection for one's mother or sweetheart
Mammy!
A term of affection for one's mother or sweetheart
Get your kisses ready for your honey lamb!
Get your kisses ready for your sweetie
I'm just a lucky lucky hound
I feel very lucky
To have someone to put my arms around!
To have someone to hug
That's why I'm shoutin' for the world to know,
That's why I'm yelling for everyone to hear
Here I go!
I am leaving on this journey!
I'm Alabamy bound!
I am traveling to Alabama
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAY HENDERSON, BUD DE SYLVA, BUD GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind