Apart from her solo career, singer Bonnie Owens is well known for the work … Read Full Bio ↴Apart from her solo career, singer Bonnie Owens is well known for the work she did with her former husbands, Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Born Bonnie Campbell on October 1, 1932, in Oklahoma City to a pair of sharecroppers and one of eight children, she first met Buck in the mid-'40s when he had a local daily 15-minute radio show. Once Buck discovered that Bonnie could sing, he helped her get a job with him on another radio show in 1947. The following January, Buck and Bonnie married, but the union was short-lived. By 1951, after giving birth to two sons, the marriage was over. Since neither could afford a divorce, they stayed legally married, but separated, for several years. Bonnie and the two boys left for Bakersfield, where she worked as a cocktail waitress. It was during this period that Bonnie met Fuzzy Owen and guitarist Roy Nichols, who would be instrumental in the career of Haggard.

By the late '50s Bonnie was recording on the Mar-Vel label with Fuzzy and his band, the Sun Valley Playboys. She cut a well-received duet album with Fuzzy, her sometime boyfriend, on Tally Records, which would later be re-released on Capitol Records as "Just Between the Two of Us." In 1961, Bonnie saw Haggard singing for the first time at a Lefty Frizzell concert. At the time, Haggard was just a few months out of San Quentin prison for breaking and entering. By 1964 Fuzzy was managing Haggard and suggested that Bonnie and Haggard re-record "Just Between the Two of Us." Taking Fuzzy's advice paid off; the song hit the top of the country charts but not for long. It was replaced by "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers," Haggard's breakthrough single.

In 1965 Haggard signed with Capitol Records, married Bonnie, and signed the Strangers (including Bonnie) with a booking agency owned in part by Buck. Bonnie's marriage to Haggard lasted until 1978, but the two had already separated in 1975. Eventually Bonnie resumed touring with the Strangers in the late '70s and remarried for the final time to Fred McMillenher. She continued to tour regularly with Haggard and the Strangers. While Bonnie released half a dozen albums and numerous singles on Capitol Records in the mid- to late '60s, she remained satisfied singing backup as a member of the Strangers.

Number One Heel
Bonnie Owens Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh you're the number one heel in the country
You're the top of the list it's plain to see
And I'm the number one fool that still loves you
Yes you'll always be number one with me

I gave you my love with no reservation your every wish with my every command
I built dreams of our future together my broken heart wasn't part of my plan
Oh you're the number one heel

You make such beautiful speeches and the pictures you painted seemed real
Crazy me I had no way of knowing that you'd turn out to be such a heel
Oh you're the number one heel

Yes you'll always be number one with me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bonnie Owens's song Number One Heel are about a woman who continues to love a man despite his cruel and deceptive behavior toward her. The first verse establishes him as the "number one heel in the country," meaning he is the worst or most dishonest person around. Despite this, the woman still loves him, making her the "number one fool" for doing so. She acknowledges that he will always hold the top spot in her heart.

The second verse delves further into the woman's sacrifices for this man. She gave him everything he wanted, even at the expense of her own desires. She built a future with him, envisioning a happy life together. However, this man betrayed her trust and broke her heart, leaving her with nothing but hurt and regret. The woman admits that she had no way of knowing he would turn out to be "such a heel."

Line by Line Meaning

Oh you're the number one heel in the country
You are the most deceitful and heartless person in the entire country.

You're the top of the list it's plain to see
It is clear to everyone that you are at the very top of the list of untrustworthy and cruel people.

And I'm the number one fool that still loves you
I am the biggest fool of all for still loving someone as terrible as you.

Yes you'll always be number one with me
Despite all of the pain and heartbreak you have caused me, you will always be the most important person in my heart.

I gave you my love with no reservation your every wish with my every command
I loved you completely and without hesitation, doing everything you asked of me without question.

I built dreams of our future together my broken heart wasn't part of my plan
I envisioned a future with you and we made plans, but I never anticipated that you would break my heart so completely.

You make such beautiful speeches and the pictures you painted seemed real
You are very convincing with your words and the future you promised me seemed like a beautiful reality.

Crazy me I had no way of knowing that you'd turn out to be such a heel
I was foolish to believe your lies and promises, and I never imagined you would be as cruel as you turned out to be.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BONNIE OWENS, BUCK OWENS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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