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.
What Can I Do
Bill Haley Lyrics
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I'm sorry sweetheart and yet
Though you shouldn't be lenient with me
I hope you'll forgive and forget
What can I say, dear, after I say I'm sorry?
What can I do to prove it to you, I'm sorry?
I didn't mean to ever be mean to you
I was all wrong but right or wrong I don't blame you
Why should I take somebody like you and shame you
I know that I made you cry, and I'm so sorry dear
So what can I say, dear, after I say I'm sorry?
You made me glad, I made you sad
I made you lonesome and blue
And who ever knew
Who'd ever think that I would be crying to you
What can I say, dear, after I say I'm sorry?
What can I do to prove it to you, I'm sorry?
I didn't mean to ever be mean to you
If I didn't care I wouldn't feel like I do
I was all wrong but right or wrong I don't blame you
Why should I take somebody like you and shame you
I know that I made you cry, and I'm so sorry dear
So what can I say, dear, after I say I'm sorry?
The lyrics of "What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry" express the remorse and regret of the singer towards his lover for hurting her and making her cry. He admits to being all wrong and not blaming her for feeling hurt. He asks for forgiveness and hopes that she will forget his mistake.
The first stanza portrays the uncertainty and guilt of the singer as he does not know why he made his lover cry. He apologizes to her and accepts that she should not be lenient with him. He hopes that she will be able to forgive him for his mistake and move on.
The chorus of the song repeatedly asks the question "What can I say, dear, after I say I'm sorry?" This line highlights the singer's feeling of helplessness and his inability to make things right after hurting his lover. He acknowledges that he was mean to her and did not mean to hurt her. He tells her that his care is why he feels bad about hurting her.
The second stanza is a reflection of how the tables have turned, and the lover who has been hurt has become the person who consoles the one who hurt her. The singer admits to making his lover sad, lonesome, and blue. He never thought that he would be the one in tears, asking for forgiveness from her.
Overall, the lyrics of the song convey the emotional complexity of a relationship, including the fact that even though people can hurt each other, forgiveness and healing are still possible.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know why, I made you cry
I am not sure why my actions caused you to cry
I'm sorry sweetheart and yet
I apologize, my love, but still feel regretful
Though you shouldn't be lenient with me
Despite my wrongdoings, I do not expect you to let me off the hook easily
I hope you'll forgive and forget
My sincere wish is that you can forgive me and move forward
What can I say, dear, after I say I'm sorry?
Expressing my remorse, I wonder what else I can do
What can I do to prove it to you, I'm sorry?
Searching for a way to demonstrate my apology to you
I didn't mean to ever be mean to you
It was never my intention to act cruelly towards you
If I didn't care I wouldn't feel like I do
My strong emotions prove how much I love and care for you
I was all wrong but right or wrong I don't blame you
I made a mistake and take full responsibility, but I do not blame you for my actions
Why should I take somebody like you and shame you
You are too wonderful to be subjected to my wrongdoing and shame
I know that I made you cry, and I'm so sorry dear
I acknowledge that my actions caused you pain, and I am deeply sorry
You made me glad, I made you sad
I brought you joy but also caused you sorrow
I made you lonesome and blue
My actions left you feeling lonely and unhappy
And who ever knew
It is a surprise to me that I find myself in this situation
Who'd ever think that I would be crying to you
I never thought I would be the one crying and seeking comfort from you
Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Walter Donaldson, Abe Lyman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind