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.
Rock Around the Clock
Bill Haley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One, two, three o'clock, four o'clock, rock
Five, six, seven o'clock, eight o'clock, rock
Nine, ten, eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock, rock
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
Put your glad rags on and join me, hon'
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight
We're gonna rock, gonna rock, around the clock tonight
When the clock strikes two, three and four
If the band slows down we'll yell for more
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight
We're gonna rock, gonna rock, around the clock tonight
When the chimes ring five, six and seven
We'll be right in seventh heaven
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight
We're gonna rock, gonna rock, around the clock tonight
When it's eight, nine, ten, eleven too
I'll be goin' strong and so will you
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight
We're gonna rock, gonna rock, around the clock tonight
When the clock strikes twelve, we'll cool off then
Start a rockin' round the clock again
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight
We're gonna rock, gonna rock, around the clock tonight
The song "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley is a classic 1950s rock and roll song that celebrates the joys of dancing and revelry. The lyrics are straightforward and encourage the listener to join in the fun and rock out until dawn. The verses are structured around the progression of time, with each verse summing up a time period in the evening and early morning.
The first verse sets the scene for the action, with the singer cajoling the listener to put on their "glad rags" and come along for an evening of dancing and music. The second verse encourages the listener to demand more from the band if they start to slow down, and to keep the energy high throughout the night. The third verse describes the joy of being caught up in the moment and feeling like you are in "seventh heaven". The fourth verse reassures the listener that the energy will not wane as the night wears on, and the final verse promises that even when the clock strikes midnight, the party will continue.
What makes the song so effective is the way it captures the spirit of youthful rebellion that was emerging in the 1950s. The lyrics encourage the listener to forget their worries and embrace the moment, and the music – with its driving beat and catchy melody – is the perfect accompaniment to an evening of wild abandon.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three o'clock, four o'clock, rock
Counting out the hours until it's time to rock.
Five, six, seven o'clock, eight o'clock, rock
More hours pass, but the anticipation for rockin' only grows.
Nine, ten, eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock, rock
The wait is almost over and excitement is building up.
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
It's finally time to rock!
Put your glad rags on and join me, hon'
Dress up and get ready to have fun! Let's do this together.
We'll have some fun when the clock strikes one
The clock has struck 1, it's time to have some fun.
When the clock strikes two, three and four
The night is still young, and we're not ready to stop yet!
If the band slows down we'll yell for more
If the energy starts to dip, we'll demand more from the band!
When the chimes ring five, six and seven
We're still going strong, reaching a state of bliss.
We'll be right in seventh heaven
We're experiencing pure joy and feeling amazing!
When it's eight, nine, ten, eleven too
Time keeps moving forward, but we're still rockin' hard!
I'll be goin' strong and so will you
We're still going strong, and nothing can stop us now!
When the clock strikes twelve, we'll cool off then
It's finally ending, and we'll take a break before we do it all again.
Start a rockin' round the clock again
We'll repeat this cycle over and over because we love to rock!
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight
We're going to keep rocking hard until the sun comes up.
We're gonna rock, gonna rock, around the clock tonight
We're going to keep rocking non-stop all night long!
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Max Freedman, James Myers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@abrahampalmer1153
do any young people under 40 like this type of music.
@Danidiva21
Abraham Palmer yup
@icebomb1119
Yup I'm 15
@torym6401
I'm 17 and I do 😂
@FreeTheAndroids
Yep,I'm 14.
@elodiemaffessoli
For sure !
@FaerieCrone
Thank heavens that young people are listening to these oldies and enjoying them. It's reassuring to know that it wasn't in vain and all is not lost after all! Where would we be without good old YouTube?
@nadeemafzal5409
This music will.never die
@melissa8140
This song was number one in the country the day my mom was born, and now I'm listening to it to celebrate her on the first birthday without her. I love and miss you mom. ♥
@OnsideHaddock72
❤