Bob first gained regional sucess following Elvis' departure as a regular from "The Louisanna Hayride" in 1956. His "Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache" did quite well receiving good radio play in the South. The girls at The Hayride screamed like they had for Elvis!
Early and Classic Bob Luman tracks were backed by the Mac Curtis band. 'Stranger than fiction', 'You're the cause of it all'
The smooth baritone was best-known in non-country circles for his crossover hit, "Let's Think About Living," a novelty song that hit #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #9 on the Billboard country chart in 1960. The Everly Brothers backed Luman on the record with their distinct acoustic guitar playing!
Luman was, however, well-known in the country music world. His 1972 hit, "Lonely Women Make Good Lovers," became his biggest country hit, hitting #4 on the country chart.(Steve Wariner, who had earlier been a member of Luman's band, later covered the song in the 1984, and he, too, took it to #4 on the country charts.)
Luman's other country hits included "Ain't Got Time To Be Unhappy" (1968), "When You Say Love" (1972), "Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)" (1973), "Still Loving You" (1974), "Proud Of You Baby" (1975), and "The Pay Phone" (1977).
Luman died of pneumonia in 1978, at the age of 41.
Big River
Bob Luman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River
Then I′m a gonna sit right here until I die
Well I met her accidentaly in St Paul Minnesota
And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl southern drawl
Then I heard my dream was back downstream cavortin' in Davenport
Then you took me to St Louis later on down the river
A freighter said she′s been here but she's gone boy she's gone
I found her trail in Memphis but she just walked up the block
She raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone
[ Guitar ]
Now won′t you batter down by Boton Rouge River Queen roll it on
Take that woman on down to New Orleans New Orleans
Go on I′ve had enough dump my blues down in the gulf
Cause she loves you Big River more than me
Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry cry cry
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River
And I'm a gonna sit right here until I die
The lyrics of Bob Luman's song "Big River" express the heartache of a man who has lost the love of his life. He begins by claiming that he taught the weeping willow how to cry and showed the clouds how to hide the clear blue sky - a metaphor for his own emotional pain and how it has affected the world around him. The tears that he has shed for his lost love are going to flood the river, which represents a cleansing and purging of his feelings.
He then reflects on the circumstances that led to his separation from his love. He met her accidentally in St. Paul, Minnesota and was enchanted by her southern drawl. However, he later learned that she had returned to her hometown and followed her down the Big River when he heard her call. Along the way, he discovered that she had been to St. Louis and Memphis but had left no trace. The pain of not being able to find her is palpable in the lyrics.
In the end, he resigns himself to the fact that she loves the Big River more than him and chooses to stay where he is, connected to the river and his memories of her. The song is a powerful testament to the enduring pain of lost love and the futility of trying to hold onto something that may be gone forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry
I was so sad that even the trees started to weep.
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky
My sadness was so immense that even the sky became dark and cloudy.
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River
I cried so much for that woman that the river is going to overflow with my tears.
Then I'm a gonna sit right here until I die
I am so devastated that I can't move from this spot until I die.
Well I met her accidentaly in St Paul Minnesota
I met her by chance in St. Paul, Minnesota.
And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl southern drawl
Her southern accent made me feel so emotional and torn up inside.
Then I heard my dream was back downstream cavortin' in Davenport
I heard that the woman of my dreams was downstream having fun in Davenport.
And I followed you Big River when you called
I followed the Big River to find her when it called out to me.
Then you took me to St Louis later on down the river
The river took me to St. Louis further down the river.
A freighter said she's been here but she's gone boy she's gone
A freighter told me that she had been there, but she had already left.
I found her trail in Memphis but she just walked up the block
I found her trail in Memphis, but she just walked a short distance away.
She raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone
She caused a bit of a stir, then continued walking alone.
[ Guitar ]
Now won't you batter down by Boton Rouge River Queen roll it on
Could you please take me to Baton Rouge on the River Queen?
Take that woman on down to New Orleans New Orleans
Take that woman down to New Orleans.
Go on I've had enough dump my blues down in the gulf
I've had enough, just leave me here to dump my sadness in the Gulf of Mexico.
Cause she loves you Big River more than me
She loves the Big River more than she loves me.
Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry cry cry
I was so sad that even the trees started to weep.
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky
My sadness was so immense that even the sky became dark and cloudy.
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River
I cried so much for that woman that the river is going to overflow with my tears.
And I'm a gonna sit right here until I die
I am so devastated that I can't move from this spot until I die.
Writer(s): Johnny Cash
Contributed by Natalie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.