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.
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Bill Haley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Track twenty nine, boy you can gimme a shine
I can afford to board a Chattanooga Choo Choo
I've got my fare and just a trifle to spare
You leave the Pennsylvania station 'bout a quarter to four
Read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore
Dinner in the diner, nothing could be finer
When you hear the whistle blowin' eight to the bar
Then you know that Tennessee is not very far
Shovel all the coal in, gotta keep it rollin'
Woo, woo, Chattanooga, there you are
There's gonna be a certain party at the station
Satin and lace, I used to call funny face
She's gonna cry until I tell her that I'll never roam
The lyrics to Bill Haley's classic song Chattanooga Choo Choo tell the story of a man who is about to board a train named after the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The first verse sets the scene as the man asks the porter if the train arriving is indeed the famous 'Chattanooga Choo Choo'. He then gets a shoe shine from the porter and declares that he can afford to board the train, having enough fare and some extra money.
The second verse describes the journey on the train, starting from the Pennsylvania station and passing through Baltimore. The man then has dinner in the diner, enjoying "ham 'n' eggs in Carolina". The following lines mention the whistle blowing and how it signals that they are closer to Tennessee, which is the train's final destination. The last line of the verse, "Chattanooga, there you are", is a declaration of excitement and anticipation as the man arrives at his destination.
The final verse adds some romantic context to the story, as the man talks about a girl who he plans to meet at the station. He describes her as wearing satin and lace and being known by the nickname 'funny face'. The man promises her that he will never leave her, causing her to stop crying.
Overall, the lyrics to Chattanooga Choo Choo capture the excitement and adventure of train travel, as well as some romantic elements. The song has endured for decades and is a beloved classic of American music.
Line by Line Meaning
Pardon me boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?
Excuse me sir, is this train the one that goes to Chattanooga?
Track twenty nine, boy you can gimme a shine
The train track number is twenty nine, young man can you please shine my shoes?
I can afford to board a Chattanooga Choo Choo
I have enough money to purchase a ticket to board the Chattanooga Choo Choo
I've got my fare and just a trifle to spare
I have enough money for my train fare and a little extra
You leave the Pennsylvania station 'bout a quarter to four
The train leaves Pennsylvania station at around 3:45 pm
Read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore
You can pass the time by reading a magazine and soon you will arrive in Baltimore
Dinner in the diner, nothing could be finer
Having dinner in the dining car is a fantastic experience
Than to have your ham 'n' eggs in Carolina
It's especially nice to eat ham and eggs in Carolina
When you hear the whistle blowin' eight to the bar
When the train whistle blows to the beat of eight, it means you're getting close to Tennessee
Then you know that Tennessee is not very far
Once you hear the whistle, it means Tennessee is nearby
Shovel all the coal in, gotta keep it rollin'
The train needs more coal to keep moving, so everyone needs to work together
Woo, woo, Chattanooga, there you are
The train has arrived in Chattanooga
There's gonna be a certain party at the station
There will be a particular person waiting for me at the station
Satin and lace, I used to call funny face
The person waiting for me is wearing nice clothing, and I used to call her 'funny face'
She's gonna cry until I tell her that I'll never roam
She will cry until I reassure her that I will never leave her
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mack Gordon, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bennyjazzful
WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a 73yo Aussie fan.
One of the true musical giants of all time,Bill Haley & His Comets.
@heilvirus
bill haley is absolutly cool
@Hikaru809
gotta love this kind of music, better than what most people my age listen to (18)
@Frates1
Fantastic version of this song-I love it !
@ljiljanacvejic2637
Hit like hit... All says he is cheater... no! Very good Chattanooga choo choo from Glenn miller this is very cool!
@john19751
Great recreation of a Glenn Miller hit
@4001firstdiesel
This has a much stronger beat then Glenn Miller's original. Both are just as good as either.
@colintodd9525
Great version.
@willpn100
"swing music" was a strong influence on Bill´s recordings.
@inkey2
wow....this is a pretty decent version