He was born in Glasgow, Kentucky, where his father was a barber who loved music and inspired Billy to teach himself to play the mandolin at age 3, while suffering a case of the measles. He went on to learn a number of other instruments.
In 1941, Vaughn joined the United States National Guard for what had been planned as a one-year assignment, but when World War II broke out, he was sent abroad till the war ended in 1945. He decided to make music a career when he was discharged from the army at the end of the war, and attended Western Kentucky State College, now known as Western Kentucky University, majoring in music composition. He had apparently learned barbering from his father, because he did some while studying at Western Kentucky to support himself financially, when he was not able to get jobs playing the piano at local night clubs and lounges. While he was a student there, three other students, Jimmy Sacca, Donald McGuire and Seymour Spiegelman, who had formed a vocal trio, The Hilltoppers, recruited Vaughn to play the piano with them. He soon added his voice to theirs, converting the trio to a quartet. As a member of the group, he also wrote their first hit song, Trying, which charted in 1952.
In 1954 he left the group to join Dot Records in Gallatin, Tennessee as music director. He subsequently formed his own orchestra, which had a big hit in that same year with Melody of Love. He went on to have many more hits over the next decade and a half, and based purely on chart successes, was the most successful orchestra leader of all time.
Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Billy Vaughn Lyrics
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Tumbleweeds around me sing their lonely song.
Nights underneath the prairie moon,
I ride along and sing this tune.
See them tumbling down
Pledging their love to the ground
Lonely but free I'll be found
Cares of the past are behind
Nowhere to go but I'll find
Just where the trail will wind
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds.
I know when night has gone
That a new world's born at dawn.
I'll keep rolling along
Deep in my heart is a song
Here on the range I belong
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds.
The song Tumbling Tumbleweeds by Billy Vaughn tells the story of a cowboy who spends his days on the range, accompanied only by the sound of the wind and the lonely chorus of the tumbleweeds. He cherishes his freedom, unencumbered by the cares of the past and unburdened by any sense of responsibility or obligation. At night, under the prairie moon, he sings his song and contemplates the mysteries of life.
The magic of this song lies in the way it captures the essence of the cowboy lifestyle and the vast, open spaces of the American West. The tumbleweeds symbolize the transience of existence and the unending cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The cowboy is a drifting, transient figure, never tied down to any one place or person. Yet, he finds meaning in his wanderings and feels a deep connection to the land he traverses.
Overall, Tumbling Tumbleweeds is a hauntingly beautiful ode to the beauty of the American West and the rugged individualism that lies at the heart of the cowboy ethos.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a roaming cowboy riding all day long,
I am continuously travelling as a cowboy, riding on my horse all day.
Tumbleweeds around me sing their lonely song.
The dry plants rolling around me make a sound that conveys their solitude.
Nights underneath the prairie moon,
During the night, under the moonlight of the prairie, ...
I ride along and sing this tune.
... I calmly ride my horse and sing this particular melody.
See them tumbling down
Watch the tumbling tumbleweeds descent.
Pledging their love to the ground
They show their loyalty as they roll endlessly.
Lonely but free I'll be found
I may be alone, but my freedom cannot be challenged.
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds.
I move with them, wandering without purpose.
Cares of the past are behind
I have released my past regrets and concerns.
Nowhere to go but I'll find
Although I do not know where I am headed, I will eventually discover my path.
Just where the trail will wind
The path will probably be unpredictable.
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds.
I float aimlessly, similar to the wandering twigs.
I know when night has gone
I am confident that after the night passes...
That a new world's born at dawn.
... a new day will bring a new world.
I'll keep rolling along
I will continue to drift without purpose.
Deep in my heart is a song
But deep within me, there exists a cheerful rhythm that resonates with me.
Here on the range I belong
Out here, on the wide-open space, is where I belong.
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds.
I move aimlessly, spinning with the carefree tumbleweeds.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB NOLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind