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.
Let's Think About Living
Bob Luman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some fellow gets shot
And his baby and his best friend both die with him
As likely as not
In half of the other songs
Some cat's crying or ready to die
We've lost most of our happy people
And I'm wondering why
Let's think about living (think about living)
Let's think about loving (think about loving)
Let's think about the whoopin' and hoppin' and boppin' and the lovie, lovie dovin'
Let's forget about the whinin' and the cryin' and the shooting and the dying
And the fellow with a switchblade knife
Let's think about living
Let's think about life
We lost old Marty Robbins
Down in old El Paso a little while back
And now Miss Patti Page or one of them
Is a-wearing black
And Cathy's Clown has Don and Phil
Where they feel like a-they could die
If we keep on a-losin' our singers like that
I'll be the only one you can buy
Let's think about living (think about living)
Let's think about loving (think about loving)
Let's think about the whoopin' and hoppin' and boppin' and the lovie, lovie dovin'
Let's forget about the whinin' and the cryin' and the shooting and the dying
And the fellow with a switchblade knife
Let's think about living
Let's think about life
Let's think about living (think about living)
Let's think about loving (think about loving)
Let's think about the whoopin' and hoppin' and boppin' and the lovie, lovie dovin'
Let's forget about the whinin' and the cryin' and the shooting and the dying
And the fellow with a switchblade knife
Let's think about living
Let's think about life
Let's think about living
Let's think about life
Let's think about living
Let's think about life
Let's think about living
Bob Luman's song "Let's Think About Living" is a poignant commentary on the state of popular music in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Luman observes that many songs of that era dealt with violent and tragic themes, such as murder and death. He notes that many of the songs mourned the loss of loved ones, often in a tragic and violent way. Luman suggests that this focus on tragedy is misguided and that people should instead focus on the joys of life.
The song's lyrics achieve this message through a clever blend of humor and sincerity. On the one hand, Luman's invocation of "whoopee," "hopping," and "lovie, lovie dovin'" is definitely meant to be comical. Conversely, his repeated refrain of "Let's think about living" carries a serious message. By encouraging listeners to focus on the positive rather than the negative, Luman suggests that we can all enjoy a richer, more fulfilling life.
Overall, "Let's Think About Living" is a beautifully crafted song with a powerful message. It demonstrates the ability of popular music to serve as a catalyst for social change and encourages listeners to look on the bright side of life.
Line by Line Meaning
In every other song that I've heard lately
The vast majority of songs I hear deal with depressing or violent topics.
Some fellow gets shot
Many songs describe someone being shot or killed.
And his baby and his best friend both die with him
These violent incidents often result in the deaths of the victim's loved ones.
As likely as not
This kind of violence is very common in modern music.
In half of the other songs
Almost half of the songs I hear are about crying or dying.
Some cat's crying or ready to die
Many songs feature someone crying or expressing a desire to die.
We've lost most of our happy people
It seems like most of the joyful people who used to feature in music have disappeared.
And I'm wondering why
I'm curious as to why this is the state of modern music.
Let's think about living (think about living)
Instead of dwelling on negative topics, let's focus on enjoying life.
Let's think about loving (think about loving)
Love is a positive theme that we should embrace.
Let's think about the whoopin' and hoppin' and boppin' and the lovie, lovie dovin'
We should concentrate on upbeat and joyful activities, including dancing and expressing love.
Let's forget about the whinin' and the cryin' and the shooting and the dying
Negative themes have dominated music for too long, and we should move away from them.
And the fellow with a switchblade knife
Violent individuals and their weapons should not be glamorized in music.
Let's think about living
Once again, we should focus on enjoying life.
Let's think about life
We should think about the positive aspects of life rather than the negative.
We lost old Marty Robbins
Marty Robbins, a notable musician, has recently passed away.
Down in old El Paso a little while back
His death occurred in El Paso not too long ago.
And now Miss Patti Page or one of them
Patti Page or someone similar has also recently passed away.
Is a-wearing black
As is customary when mourning someone's death.
And Cathy's Clown has Don and Phil
Don and Phil, the musicians behind the song 'Cathy's Clown,' are also mourning a recent loss.
Where they feel like a-they could die
They are so distraught that they feel like they might die from sadness.
If we keep on a-losin' our singers like that
If this trend of musicians dying continues,
I'll be the only one you can buy
I will be one of the only remaining musicians left for people to listen to.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bryant Boudleaux
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rody692
In every other song that I've heard lately
Some fellow gets shot
And his baby and his best friend both die with him
As likely as not
In half of the other songs
Some cat's crying or ready to die
We've lost most of our happy people
And I'm wondering why.
Let's think about living
Let's think about loving
Let's think about the whoopin'
And hoppin' and boppin' and the lovie, lovie dovin'
Let's forget about the whinin' and the cryin'
And the shooting and the dying
And the fellow with a switchblade knife
Let's think about living
Let's think about life.
We lost old Marty Robbins
Down in old El Paso a little while back
And now Miss Patti Page or one of them
Is a-wearing black
And Cathy's Clown has Don and Phil
Where they feel like a-they could die
If we keep on a-losin' our singers like that
I'll be the only one you can buy'
@girlgeorgeberk
Let's Think About Living..By Bob Luman
In every other song that I've heard lately
Some fellow gets shot
And his baby and his best friend both die with him
As likely as not
In half of the other songs
Some Cat's crying or ready to die
We've lost most of our happy people
And I'm wondering why.
Chorus:]
Let's think about living
Let's think about loving
Let's think about the whoopin' and hoppin and boppin'
And the lovie, lovie dovin'
Let's forget about the whinin' and the cryin'
And the shooting and the dying
And the fellow with a switchblade knife
Let's think about living
Let's think about life.
We lost old Marty Robbins
Down in El Paso a little while back
And now Miss Patti Page or one of them
Is a-wearing black
And Cath's Clown has Don and Phil
Where they feel like a they could die
If we keep on a-losin' our singers like that
I'll be the only one you can buy'.
@henrythompson7595
I'm 79 yrs old, I remember when this came out in 1960 - great then, greater now!
@gomist2018
I just turn 79, danced to it at 15.
@icooper5236
Very underrated, most people probably haven't heard of him. Some youngsters don't know of Elvis,one day all the good music will be gone😭
@gmbulldog1
Who is listening to this song during COVID? We should all take his advice. 2 years later everyone is still scared of dying. Think about living! Never mind the rest
@edwiles5258
i was in jr. high when this came out...it was very popular in rural Arkansas....a very innocent time for us kids...just a few years before we were shocked out of our idealistic world by uncle sam and sent off
to a war whch none of us were prepared for...the message of this song is still vaild today....i hope today's and tomorrow's generations are more aware of what is happening in this world
@kathleenking47
After JFK assassination 😢
@deanrideout1275
Very wise words indeed
@jerrykibbe6363
I too was in HS at the time & this song was popular in Ct.
Seems like it would be a great song today to play the way we’re living
@edwiles5258
@@jerrykibbe6363 amen
@AgentKeshav
Kaleidoscope - Educating us on 60's Gold