Lee was a musical prodigy and by the time she was two she would hear songs on the radio once and be able to whistle the complete tune. She was five years old when she started to gain wider attention when she won a local singing contest sponsored by the elementary schools. At age 11, she was offered a recording contract with Decca Records and released the song “Dynamite,” leading to her lifelong nickname, “Little Miss Dynamite.”
Lee was popular in the UK very early in her career, and her 1961 rockabilly release “Let’s Jump the Broomstick” did not chart in the US, but went to #12 in the UK. Her biggest hits during this time include a rockabilly version of the country classic “Jambalaya (On the Bayou),” “Sweet Nothin’s,” “I Want to Be Wanted,” “All Alone Am I,” and “Fool #1.”
In 1960, she recorded her signature song, “I’m Sorry,” which hit number one on the Billboard pop chart and was her first gold single. Her last top-10 single on the pop charts was 1963’s “Losing You,” while she continued to have other chart songs such as her 1966 song “Coming On Strong” and “Is It True?” in 1964.
During the early 1970s, Lee re-established herself as a country music artist, and earned a string of Top 10 hits on the country charts. Her biggest selling track of her career is, oddly enough, a Christmas song: “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” It was released in 1958, but it sold only 5,000 copies. However, it eventually sold over five million copies and remains a perennial radio favorite each December. In December 2023, Lee became the oldest artist to ever top the Hot 100, when "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" topped the chart 65 years after its release.
Over the ensuing years, Lee has continued to record and perform all around the world, previously cutting records in four different languages. She is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. In 1992, she recorded a duet with Willy DeVille; Chuck Berry also wrote a song about her. Lee has been married to Ronnie Shacklett since 1963, and they have two daughters and three grandchildren. She is the second recipient of the Jo Meador-Walker Lifetime Achievement award.
Throughout her career, Brenda Lee has released 41 studio albums, 12 compilation albums, and over 100 singles. She has had numerous top twenty hits on the Billboard Hot 100, Country, and AC charts in the US, UK, and Canada.
Johnny One Time
Brenda Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That your the dream
That he's been searching for
And he told you
That he'd never met
Anyone like you before
And I can hear him telling you
Your lips taste just
But did he tell you
That he's known as
Johnny One Time?
Did he tell you that your heart
Would soon become another trinket on his bracelet
Of broken hearts?
Did he tell you that the morning sun
Would find you patching up your shattered pride and
Searching for the missing part
Did he tell you that the special love your saving
Will disappear in flames of shame like mine
Did he tell you
That he's known as
Johnny One Time?
So, he told you
That he'd never lead
Your heart astray
And he told you
That he'd love you
Forever and a day
And I can hear him telling you
That he's the shy and bashful kind
But did he tell you
That he's known as
Johnny One Time?
Oh, Did he tell you that your heart
Would soon become another trinket on his bracelet
Of broken hearts
And did he tell you that the morning sun
Will find you patching up your shattered pride
And searching for the missing part
Did he tell you that the special love your saving
Will disappear in flames of shame like mine
Oh, Did he tell you
That he's known as
Johnny One Time?
Did he tell you that your heart
Would soon become another trinket on his bracelet
Of broken hearts?
Did he tell you that the morning sun
Will find you patching up your shattered pride
And searching for the missing part
Oh, did he tell you that the special love your saving
Will disappear in flames of shame like mine
Did he tell you that he's known as
Johnny One Time?
The song "Johnny One Time" by Brenda Lee is about a man who goes by the name of Johnny One Time, who is deceitful and has a reputation for breaking women's hearts. In the first verse, the singer questions whether he told his new love interest that he is called Johnny One Time. She asks if he warned her about his history of leaving women heartbroken, or if he only told her what she wanted to hear. The second verse illustrates the consequences of falling for Johnny One Time's charms. He promises his love forever, but eventually leaves her heartbroken, just like the rest of the women he has encountered.
The chorus is a repetition of the first verse, highlighting the singer's skepticism towards Johnny One Time's intentions. She wonders if he has been truthful with his new love interest or if he has already set his sights on his next victim. The song's message is cautionary, warning women to beware of men who flatter and deceive. The song becomes an allegory for the life of a single woman who falls for players who don't value relationships and leave a trail of broken hearts everywhere they go.
Line by Line Meaning
So he told you
The guy you're dating said something to you
That your the dream
He said you're the perfect girl that he's been dreaming of
That he's been searching for
He's been actively looking for someone just like you
And he told you
He said something else to you
That he'd never met
He claims that he's never encountered anyone like you before
Anyone like you before
You stand out to him in a unique way
And I can hear him telling you
I can sense that he's saying something to you
Your lips taste just
He thinks your kisses have a particular flavor
Like cherry wine
He compares the taste of your lips to the sweet, fruity taste of cherry wine
But did he tell you
Did he mention something else to you?
That he's known as
He has a reputation as
Johnny One Time?
A man who comes into a woman's life only once, breaking her heart and leaving her alone
Did he tell you that your heart
Did he share with you this warning
Would soon become another trinket on his bracelet
He'll treat your love as just another addition to his collection of damaged hearts
Of broken hearts?
A collection of the hearts he has shattered
Did he tell you that the morning sun
Did he forewarn you of the inevitable outcome
Will find you patching up your shattered pride
You will be left picking up the pieces of your heart and restoring your self-respect
And searching for the missing part
You'll be left with a feeling of incompleteness and wanting the love that will never be returned
Did he tell you that the special love your saving
Did he reveal to you the fate of your pure love
Will disappear in flames of shame like mine
The love you have been withholding and saving for that special someone will fade away in a shameful and heartrending experience like mine
Did he tell you
Did he let you know about this last bit of information
That he's known as
He has a name and that is
Johnny One Time?
The man with a single chance to truly love that he has wasted away
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DALLAS FRAZIER, ARTHUR OWENS SR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
brenda blount
@Larry Coker
You know I believe you're right about that.
I really hadn't thought about it in those terms before.
My mindset was that it's such a great song why wouldn't someone want to
re- record it.
Maybe it's just me wanting see/hear it being played again. I'm a sucker for the older music.
But you are right, perfection can't be topped.
Thank you for being kind about showing me another way to look at this.
Have a great weekend Larry!
randomguy1882
For the rest of career, after the "Johnny One Time" song was released, Brenda went on to record 17 more hit songs to make it to the top 40 (all on the country charts). And 9 of those songs reached the top 10. She was a powerhouse singer!
Rasheed Muhammad
Great song. Brendas voice gave me wood growing up. Great singer
Jeff H
One of Brenda’s best songs. This song was also recorded by Willie Nelson, Henson Cargill, and Johnny Duncan in superb versions that sound different from Brenda’s and were released around the same time in 1968-69. 😊
Jeff H
@Cathy Berry You're welcome. ☺
Cathy Berry
Wow? Had no idea another about the other artists? Thanks for sharing!
brenda blount
She did such a Beautiful job with this song.
I'm truly surprised that it's not been Re-recorded by any of our Powerhouse female country artists.
It's a jewel of a song that's just as meaningful today as it was in 1969.
Jim West
Crystal Gayle did a version of this song you will find on YOU TUBE...
Larry Coker
@brenda blount You are more than welcome Brenda and I'm glad you took my comment the way I intended! There are a few songs here and there that I liked better than the originals, but not very many. There have been movies in the past that have been remade as well that shouldn't have been and they almost always have made me wonder if originality has just about dried up! For example, could you imagine if some movie studio tried to remake "Titanic" or "The Godfather", e.g.? I can't see any way possible that either of those could get any better than they are now. Anyway, I hope you have a great weekend too and take care!
brenda blount
@Larry Coker
You know I believe you're right about that.
I really hadn't thought about it in those terms before.
My mindset was that it's such a great song why wouldn't someone want to
re- record it.
Maybe it's just me wanting see/hear it being played again. I'm a sucker for the older music.
But you are right, perfection can't be topped.
Thank you for being kind about showing me another way to look at this.
Have a great weekend Larry!
Larry Coker
Hey Brenda, IMO it goes back to the old saying, "if it ain't broke don't fix it". I don't mean that in a wiseguy way either, it's just that I don't think that Brenda's version can be topped, so why should anybody try?