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.
C.C. Rider
Bill Haley Lyrics
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well now see, see what you have done.
Well now see, C. C. Rider,
well now see, see what you have done.
Well you made me love you woman,
Now your man has come.
So I'm going away now baby
I'm going away now baby
And I won't be back till fall,
Just might find me a good girl
Might not be coming back at all.
Well now see, C. C. Rider,
See now the moon is shining bright,
Well now see, C. C. Rider,
See now the moon is shining bright,
Just might find me that good girl
And everything would be alright.
The lyrics of Bill Haley's rendition of "C.C. Rider" reveal a man who is lamenting the loss of a woman he loves--C.C. Rider. He calls out to her, telling her to see what she has done. He states that she made him love her, and now her man has come, suggesting that she has left him for another man. He then conveys his intention to leave and not come back until fall, possibly to escape the pain of the heartbreak. He says he might find a good girl while away and perhaps not return at all. The chorus describes the brightness of the moon and how he might find a good girl, and everything would be alright.
The song presents a narrative of a man who is not afraid to express his heartbreak and disappointment. The lyrics suggest that he is leaving not only to cope with the pain of losing C.C. Rider but to find a way forward. He has faith that the future holds something for him, and hopefully, a brighter future with a good girl. The lyrics reflect the power dynamic within romantic relationships, with one partner leaving the other for someone else. The lyrical style showcases Bill Haley's unique rock and roll sound that is full of life and energy.
Line by Line Meaning
Well now see, C. C. Rider,
Hey there, C.C. Rider, I've noticed you.
well now see, see what you have done.
Look at what you did, you made me fall for you.
Well you made me love you woman,
You've captured my heart, my love.
Now your man has come.
But unfortunately, I'm not the only one who noticed you.
So I'm going away now baby
I'm planning to leave soon
And I won't be back till fall,
And I'm not going to come back until the autumn season.
Just might find me a good girl
I might find someone special while I'm gone
Might not be coming back at all.
I'm not sure if I'll come back if I do find someone good.
See now the moon is shining bright,
The night is clear and bright.
Just might find me that good girl
I might meet that special someone today.
And everything would be alright.
If I do find that good girl, everything will fall into place.
Lyrics © BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARCIA BALL, JAMES GLEN CROKER, JOHN FAULK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind