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.
Thirteen Women
Bill Haley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, the bomb went off and I was caught
I was the only man on the ground
There was a-thirteen women and only one man in town
Thirteen women and only one man in town
And as funny as it may be
The one and only man in town was me
Well, thirteen woman and me the only man around
I had two girls every morning
Seeing that I was well fed
And believe you me, one sweetened my tea
While another one buttered my bread
Two girls gave me my money
Two girls made me my clothes
And another sweet thing, bought me a diamond ring
About forty carats I suppose
Well, thirteen women and only one man in town
There was a-thirteen women and only one man in town
It was something I can't forget
Because I think of those thirteen women yet
Well, thirteen woman and only one man around
I had three girls dancing the mambo
Three girls balling the jack
And all of the rest really did their best
Boy, they sure were a lively pack
I thought I was in heaven
And all of these angels were mine
But I woke up and ended the dream
'Cause I had to get to work on time
Well, a-thirteen women and only one man in town
There was a-thirteen women and only one man in town
No, I can't tell you where I've been
'Cause I kind of think that someday I'll go back again
To those thirteen women and me the only man around
Well, a-thirteen women and me the only man around
Well, a-thirteen women and me the only man around
The lyrics of Bill Haley & His Comets' song "Thirteen Women" tell the story of a dream in which the singer appears to be the only man left alive after a nuclear bomb explodes. As a result, he finds himself living in a town inhabited only by thirteen women, who all become his companions. The lyrics describe his experiences with these women, who cater to his every need and desire, performing tasks such as cooking, cleaning, making clothes, and dancing with him. The singer seems to enjoy his newfound status as the sole male in the town, describing it as a form of paradise. However, the dream eventually ends, and the singer returns to reality, where he has to go to work.
Upon closer inspection, the lyrics of "Thirteen Women" can be read as a commentary on popular ideas about gender roles and relationships during the 1950s. The singer is depicted as a privileged figure, enjoying the attention and service of multiple women, who compete for his affections. The lyrics could be seen as a reflection of the patriarchal attitudes prevalent at the time, which viewed women as subservient to men and expected them to perform domestic tasks without question.
Overall, "Thirteen Women" is a song that uses a slightly absurd and dreamlike narrative to explore deep-seated cultural beliefs about gender and power. While it may seem innocent and lighthearted at first glance, closer analysis reveals complex social themes that were relevant not only in the 1950s but continue to be relevant today.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I was dreaming, dreamed about the H-bomb
The singer had a dream about a nuclear bomb
Well, the bomb went off and I was caught
The bomb exploded and he found himself in the middle of the destruction
I was the only man on the ground
He was the sole survivor in the aftermath of the explosion
There was a-thirteen women and only one man in town
After the disaster, he found himself in a town with thirteen women and no other men
And as funny as it may be
Although it may be amusing
The one and only man in town was me
He was the only man in this town of women
I had two girls every morning
Every morning he woke up to the attention of two of the women
Seeing that I was well fed
They were taking care of his meals
And believe you me, one sweetened my tea
One of them added sugar to his tea
While another one buttered my bread
Another one spread butter on his bread
Two girls gave me my money
Two of them provided him with money
Two girls made me my clothes
Two of them made his clothes
And another sweet thing, bought me a diamond ring
One of the women even bought him a large diamond ring
About forty carats I suppose
The ring was around forty carats in size
I had three girls dancing the mambo
He had three women dancing with him to the music style of mambo
Three girls balling the jack
Another three women were gambling with him
And all of the rest really did their best
The other women were lively and fun-loving
Boy, they sure were a lively pack
Overall, the women were quite a lively group
I thought I was in heaven
He felt like he was in paradise
And all of these angels were mine
He had all of these beautiful women to himself
But I woke up and ended the dream
He woke up from the dream
'Cause I had to get to work on time
He had to go to work and couldn't indulge in this fantasy anymore
No, I can't tell you where I've been
He can't share where he has been because it was just a dream
'Cause I kind of think that someday I'll go back again
He thinks he may revisit this dreamland again someday
To those thirteen women and me the only man around
To the fantasy land where he was the only man with thirteen beautiful women
Well, a-thirteen women and me the only man around
The situation of him being the only man surrounded by thirteen women remains unchanged
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DICKIE THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nicholaswiltshire6356
In my humble opinion this is the BEST track Bill did. Dark, moody and mysterious but still rock 'n' roll. Still listening in 2020.
@qbslim
It ain't RnR, it's swing. RnR is a mix of Western Swing and Black Rhythm and Blues ;)
@nicholaswiltshire6356
@@qbslim Really?? To me it will ALWAYS be Rock "n" Roll. I don't need to be pedantic about naming certain genres.
@qbslim
@@nicholaswiltshire6356 yes, really. You can call it what you like but it makes no difference to what it actually is. You can call an apple a fruit and be correct but if you called it an orange you’d be thought of as a bit of an idiot, “humble opinions” included 😉
@nicholaswiltshire6356
@@qbslim I'm so sorry to convey myself as "a bit of an idiot" but I don't necessarily agree with you. I don't think, in my humble opinion of course, that RnR has anything to do with Western Swing. Maybe it's a Jazz thing?? Just saying like, because I love an orange apple.
@qbslim
@@nicholaswiltshire6356 you could educate yourself about it maybe - find out the roots and influences of the music you profess to love. The music would sound the same but your understanding and appreciation would be greater. Once you understand the influences you might discover other Western Swing songs you enjoy and realise just how important those influences were to the rock n rollers who rode on their coattails. You shouldn’t be scared to educate yourself, nor should you be proud of your ignorance.
Your “humble opinion” is neither humble nor an actual opinion, it’s a belief based on a lack of knowledge and understanding. If you have time to debate with strangers on the internet you also have time to use the internet to increase your knowledge and enjoyment. Enjoy the journey, it’s well worth a bit of effort.
@beandipcartography
A rock 'n' roll masterpiece.
The guitarist is a badass.
If you can't dig this, you can't dig nothin'.
@tictac1959
Danny Cedrone, who played guitar on this track was paid $21 and was dead a few weeks later. He never knew of the record's success.
@mournblade1066
Do you want the real thing, or are you just talkin'?
@patgalvez4563
@@tictac1959 Ain't life a bitch?