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.
Seventh Son
Bill Haley Lyrics
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In the whole wide world, there's only one
And I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
Oh, I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
Yeah, I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call seventh son
I can tell your future from the past
Do things to you and make your heart feel gladLook in the sky, predict rain
Tell when a woman's got another man
Yes I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
Yeah, I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
Yeah, I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call seventh son
And he can talk these words, and it sound so sweet
Even make your little heart skip a beat
He can heal the sick and raise the dead
Make the little girls talk out of their heads
I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
Yes, I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
You know I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call seventh son
They're ever gonna talk about the seventh son
In the whole wide world there's only one
And I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
Oh yeah, I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call seventh son
Hey I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
Yeah, I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
Oh yeah (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call seventh son
The song "The Seventh Son" by Bill Haley and His Comets tells the story of someone who claims to be the seventh son, the only one in the entire world. The chorus repeats this declaration over and over and reinforces the singer's belief that he is unique and special. He boasts about his abilities, saying he can predict the future by reading people's pasts, make people happy, and even tell when someone is cheating on their partner. However, the song also hints at his spiritual abilities, suggesting he has the power to heal the sick and even bring the dead back to life, and can make girls go crazy for him.
The song is about power and self-belief, and the idea that some people are simply extraordinarily gifted, with abilities that make them stand out from the crowd. It is also about the mystical and magical qualities that some people possess, which can't be explained by science. The upbeat tempo and catchy chorus encourage listeners to tap their feet, and revel in the singer's self-confidence and talent.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's talking 'bout the seventh son
There is a lot of chatter about the seventh son
In the whole wide world, there's only one
There is only one seventh son in the entire world
And I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
I am the seventh son and I know it (and I'm trying to impress you)
Oh, I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
I am the seventh son and I know it (and I'm trying to impress you)
Yeah, I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call seventh son
I am the seventh son and that's my title
I can tell your future from the past
I have the ability to predict your future based on your past
Do things to you and make your heart feel glad
I have the power to make you happy, to do something that inspires positive feelings in your heart
Look in the sky, predict rain
I can tell when it's going to rain, by reading the sky
Tell when a woman's got another man
I have the ability to sense if a woman is seeing another man, perhaps even a psychic ability
And he can talk these words, and it sound so sweet
I have a way of speaking that is very charming and pleasing to the ear
Even make your little heart skip a beat
The way I talk can make your heart race with excitement
He can heal the sick and raise the dead
I have the ability to perform miraculous healings and even bring people back to life
Make the little girls talk out of their heads
I have a way of charming young girls and making them swoon and talk gibberish
You know I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call seventh son
I am the seventh son and that's what people call me
They're ever gonna talk about the seventh son
People will always be talking and wondering about the seventh son
Hey I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
Once again, I want to remind you that I am the seventh son (and maybe impress you a bit more)
Oh yeah (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
I want to emphasize again that you are the one I'm singing to, but also that I am the seventh son
I'm the one (yes, pretty baby, you're the one)
I am the seventh son and you are the one I'm singing to (in case you forgot)
I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call seventh son
For the final time, I want to emphasize that I am the seventh son and that's my name
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Willie Dixon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind