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 a Beatin' Boogie
Bill Haley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Roll, roll, roll, everybody
Rock, rock, rock, everybody
Roll, roll, roll, everybody
Rock, rock, rock, everybody
Rock-a-beatin' boogie beat
You take a rock you take a beat
You take a rock-a-beatin' boogie,
Rock-a-beatin' boogie beat
Well, the rock-a-beatin' boogie, B-O-O-G-I-E
Well, rockin' to the rythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Dancin' to the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Shakin' to the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Jumpin' to the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Rompin' to the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
B-O-O-G-I-E !
You gotta jump you gotta jive
You gotta dance to be alive
You do the rock-a-beatin' boogie,
Rock-a-beatin' boogie beat
Rock-a-beatin' boogie, B-O-O-G-I-E
The lyrics to Bill Haley's "Rock a Beatin' Boogie" capture the essence of the rock and roll genre. The repetitive chorus is an invitation to everyone to participate in the music and dance. By using the words "rock" and "roll," the song emphasizes the rhythm of the beats, while "boogie" indicates the fast-paced movement of the dance floor.
The first few lines set the tone for the song, instructing listeners to "rock" and "roll." The next line, "you take a rock you take a beat / you take a boogie you make it sweet," sets the formula for the song's structure. Haley's lyrics suggest that by mixing different elements of music like rock and boogie, they create a unique sound that makes people want to dance.
The following lyrics emphasize exactly what the title implies, “rock-a-beatin' boogie,” with the chorus repeating the phrase. Haley describes the different ways people move to the music, using dynamic verbs like shaking, jumping, and romping, all to the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie. The song is about having fun and dancing to the beat of rock and roll music, where a beat is everything, and people can feel alive by simply moving in rhythm.
Line by Line Meaning
Rock, rock, rock, everybody
Everyone should rock
Roll, roll, roll, everybody
Everyone should roll
Rock, rock, rock, everybody
Everyone should rock
Roll, roll, roll, everybody
Everyone should roll
Rock, rock, rock, everybody
Everyone should rock
Rock-a-beatin' boogie beat
A dance beat that combines rock, beat and boogie while sounding rhythmic and lively
You take a rock you take a beat
Combine rock and beat elements
You take a boogie you make it sweet
Add sweet music to the boogie’s rhythm
You take a rock-a-beatin' boogie,
Combine rock, beat, and boogie elements
Rock-a-beatin' boogie beat
A dance beat that combines rock, beat and boogie while sounding rhythmic and lively
Well, the rock-a-beatin' boogie, B-O-O-G-I-E
Refers to the specific dance style
Well, rockin' to the rythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Dancing while following the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Dancin' to the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Dancing while following the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Shakin' to the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Shaking the body while following the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Jumpin' to the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Jumping while following the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Rompin' to the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
Having a great time while dancing to the rhythm of the rock-a-beatin' boogie
B-O-O-G-I-E !
Refers to the specific dance style
You gotta jump you gotta jive
You must jump and jive to the music
You gotta dance to be alive
Dancing is essential to feel alive
You do the rock-a-beatin' boogie,
Perform the dance style
Rock-a-beatin' boogie beat
A dance beat that combines rock, beat and boogie while sounding rhythmic and lively
Rock-a-beatin' boogie, B-O-O-G-I-E
Refers to the specific dance style
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
Written by: HALEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@grudgesgalore8666
i knew about ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK then i researched more haley's music he had alot of cool jams , long live bill haley and the comets , YOU HEARD!!!!!!!!!!
@KerryRapid
How can you not like this music, what a fantastic era. So glad I was there ! ! !
@zeemagee4203
Fucking boomer
@PU8698
@@zeemagee4203 damn zoomer. He could have been born before the boomer era you know?
@oughtonoughton2634
Alan i like your comment ,I too was their, what a beno we had , to bop all night was so special , it kept us girls with a lovely figure x lol Jan e 💞💞💞💞
@edelweiss-
so youre 80?
@icismatt
no phone in sight, just vibes. wish there was places like this still
@viatcheslavkalashnikov1397
Bill Haley - Father of Rock n Roll!
@nilzaschroeder8759
Yes!
@darrengeorge5846
Always will be father of rock and roll