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.
Rocket
Bill Haley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You heard the noise they make,
Let me introduce you to my Rocket '88.
Yes it's great, just won't wait,
Everybody likes my Rocket '88.
Gals will ride in style,
Movin' all along.
My convertible top and the gals don't mind
Sportin' with me, ridin' all around town for joy.
Blow your horn, Rocket, blow your horn!
Step in my Rocket and-a don't be late,
We're pullin' out about a half-past-eight.
Goin' on the corner and-a havin' some fun,
Takin' my Rocket on a long, hot run.
Ooh, goin' out,
Oozin' and cruisin' along.
Now that you've ridden in my Rocket '88,
I'll be around every night about eight.
You know it's great, don't be late,
Everybody likes my Rocket '88.
Gals will ride in style,
Movin' all along.
The lyrics of Bill Haley's song Rocket '88' refer to a car, described as a modern technological wonder that is fast and stylish, providing an exciting ride for its passengers. The car is compared to old jalopies, which were noisy and slow, emphasizing the automotive superiority of the Rocket '88.' The V-8 motor and modern design of the car are highlighted, as well as the convertible top that allows the passengers to ride in style. The singer encourages everyone to hop in the car and enjoy the ride, which involves cruising around town and having fun, honking the horn to announce their presence. The overall tone of the lyrics is one of excitement and pleasure, representing the joy of riding in a cool car.
Line by Line Meaning
You may have heard of jalopies,
Perhaps you are familiar with old and decrepit cars
You heard the noise they make,
You are well aware of the loud sounds they produce
Let me introduce you to my Rocket '88.
Allow me to introduce you to my new and impressive car
Yes it's great, just won't wait,
It is indeed magnificent and no one can deny it
Everybody likes my Rocket '88.
Everyone who has seen my car is fond of it
Gals will ride in style,
Attractive ladies are happy to be seen riding in it
Movin' all along.
It moves elegantly down the road
V-8 motor and this modern design,
It boasts a powerful engine and stylish appearance
My convertible top and the gals don't mind
The ladies enjoy the open-air feel of the convertible top
Sportin' with me, ridin' all around town for joy.
We enjoy driving around together purely for the pleasure of it
Blow your horn, Rocket, blow your horn!
The car's horn is strong and we enjoy hearing it
Step in my Rocket and-a don't be late,
Join me in my car without delay
We're pullin' out about a half-past-eight.
We will be departing at approximately 8:30pm
Goin' on the corner and-a havin' some fun,
We will be driving around the neighborhood and enjoying ourselves
Takin' my Rocket on a long, hot run.
We will be taking a long drive, likely in good weather
Ooh, goin' out,
We are venturing out, likely for entertainment or leisure
Oozin' and cruisin' along.
We are driving smoothly and easily down the road
Now that you've ridden in my Rocket '88,
After experiencing a ride in my car
I'll be around every night about eight.
I will be available to ride in the car every evening around 8pm
You know it's great, don't be late,
You are aware of how great the car is, so don't be tardy
Everybody likes my Rocket '88.
It seems everyone is a fan of my car
Gals will ride in style,
Women will enjoy riding in it stylishly
Movin' all along.
It continues to move gracefully down the road
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Spirit Music Group
Written by: JACKIE BRENSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind