Charles Arthur "Charlie" Feathers (June 12, 1932 – August 29, 1998) was an … Read Full Bio ↴Charles Arthur "Charlie" Feathers (June 12, 1932 – August 29, 1998) was an influential American rockabilly and country music performer.

Feathers was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and recorded a string of popular singles like "Peepin' Eyes," "Defrost Your Heart," "Tongue-Tied Jill," and "Bottle to the Baby" on Sun Records, Meteor and King Records in the 1950s.
Feathers was known for being a master of shifting emotional and sonic dynamics in his songs. His theatrical, hiccup-styled, energetic, rockabilly vocal style inspired a later generation of rock vocalists, including Lux Interior of The Cramps.
He studied and recorded several songs with Junior Kimbrough, whom he called "the beginning and end of all music". His childhood influences were reflected in his later music of the 1970s and 1980s, which had an easy-paced, sometimes sinister, country-blues tempo, as opposed to the frenetic fast-paced style favored by some of his rockabilly colleagues of the 1950s.
He started out as a session musician at Sun Studios, playing any side instrument he could in the hopes of someday making his own music there. He eventually played on a small label started by Sam Phillips called Flip records which got him enough attention to record a couple singles for Sun Records and Holiday Inn Records. By all accounts the singer was not held in much regard by Phillips, but Feathers often made the audacious claim that he had arranged "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" for Elvis Presley and recorded "Good Rockin' Tonight" months before Presley. He also claimed that his "We're Getting Closer (To Being Apart)" had been intended to be Elvis' sixth single for Sun. He did, however, get his name on one of Elvis' Sun records, "I Forgot To Remember To Forget" when the writer Stan Kesler asked him to record a demo of the song.
He then moved on to Meteor Records and then King Records where he recorded his best-known work. When his King contract ran out he still continued to perform, although Feathers—perhaps typically—thought there was a conspiracy to keep his music from gaining the popularity it deserved.
In the mid-1980s, he performed at times at new music nightclubs like the Antenna Club in Memphis, Tennessee, sharing the bill with rock-and-roll bands like Tav Falco's Panther Burns, who, as devoted fans of Feathers, had introduced him to their label's president. During this time, rockabilly icon Colonel Robert Morris played drums for Charlie. Charlie said "Robert tore up a brand new set of drums, but the crowd was dancing on the tables".
He released his New Jungle Fever album in 1987 and Honkey Tonk Man in 1988, featuring the lead guitar work of his son, Bubba Feathers. These later albums of original songs penned by Feathers were released on the French label New Rose Records, whose other 1980s releases included albums by cult music heroes like Johnny Thunders, Alex Chilton, Roky Erickson, The Cramps, The Gun Club, and others.
Charlie Feathers died on August 29, 1998.

Feathers' song, "That Certain Female" was featured on the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's 2003 film, Kill Bill Vol. 1. His "Can't Hardly Stand It" was featured on the follow-up Kill Bill Vol. 2 soundtrack.
Charlie Feathers' pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Bob Dylan has featured Charlie Feathers on the second season of his XM satellite radio show Theme Time Radio Hour, playing Feathers' records "One Hand Loose" (on the "Countdown" show, Dec. 12, 2007) and "Defrost Your Heart" (on the "Cold" show, April 2, 2008).

''That Certain Female''
Charlie Feathers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well
Ah huh-uh-uh-huh, oooow!

Yeah!

Well I'm a just a single fella
With a lot on my mind
And I'm a lookin' for me a woman

But she's mighty hard to find

Oh, I asked my country cousin
Check the hottest spots in town
Oh that little-bitty woman
Well she just ain't around

Ooww! Hey, hey, ho!

Oh I'm lookin'
Lookin'
Searchin' high and low
Don't want to miss a spot
Keep it on the go

Waitin'
Watchin'
This woman's gotta show

I need this little bitty woman
How much you'll never know

OOOOOOWW!!

Yes!
Do it!
Do it twice!
Woo!

Well I'm a just a single fella
With a lot on my mind

I said I'm lookin' for me a woman
She's mighty hard to find
I asked my country cousin
Where's she hangin' out

Lost this little bitty woman, she's just outta sight

Oh ho ho Ho!

Oh I'm lookin'
Lookin'
Checkin' high an'low
Don't want to miss'a spot
Keep it on the go

Waitin'
Watchin'
That woman, she's gonna show

I need this little bitty woman
How much you'll ever know...

Ooohhh... Now...

I just need a simple
Where she's hanging out
I promise to make it worth your while
If you mark her out
Name your price and make it fast
Waited much too long
Got that woman on the mind
I'm gonna bring her home

OH YEAH!

Oh I'm lookin'
Lookin'
Searchin' high and low
OW!
Don't want to miss a spot
Keep it on the go

Waitin'
Watchin'
This woman, she gonna show

I need this little bitty woman
How much you'll ever know

Baby, I need you...
How much you'll never know

Lord, I need this little bitty woman
How much you'll never know!

Owww!

Overall Meaning

"That Certain Female" is a classic rockabilly song by Charlie Feathers that is all about a man searching high and low for a woman he can't seem to find. The track begins with Feathers crooning about his desire for a woman but how hard it is to find her. He then recruits his country cousin to help him find her, but she is nowhere to be found. The desperation in his voice is palpable as he sings of waiting and watching for this woman to show up. The chorus repeats this search, indicating that Feathers will stop at nothing until he finds this woman, who he promises will be more than worth the effort. His yearning for this "little bitty woman" is all-consuming, and he will do whatever it takes, including offering a reward, to find her.

The song was released in 1956 and is considered one of the classic rockabilly tracks from the era. The tune was released as the B-side to "Tongue Tied Jill," but it became a hit in its own right. The song was famously covered by actress Uma Thurman in the 1994 film "Pulp Fiction," where it played over the opening credits. The song, with its raw energy and Feathers' distinctive voice, perfectly captured the intensity of the film, and it has since become one of the most recognizable tunes in movie history.

Line by Line Meaning

Well
The beginning of the song, no specific meaning

Ah huh-uh-uh-huh, oooow!
Exclamation to express enthusiasm and get the listener excited

Yeah!
Exclamation to show agreement or approval

Well I'm a just a single fella
Introduction of the singer's status as single and looking for love

With a lot on my mind
The singer is preoccupied with thoughts of finding a woman

And I'm a lookin' for me a woman
Reiterating that the singer is searching for a woman to love

But she's mighty hard to find
Acknowledging the difficulty of finding a suitable woman

Oh, I asked my country cousin
The singer has sought help from friends and family

Check the hottest spots in town
The singer's cousin has scouted popular areas to find eligible women

Oh that little-bitty woman
The singer is looking for a particular type of woman

Well she just ain't around
The singer's specific ideal woman is not available

Ooww! Hey, hey, ho!
Exclamation to show excitement and keep the energy of the song going

Oh I'm lookin'
The singer is constantly searching for love

Lookin'
Repeating the previous line for emphasis

Searchin' high and low
The singer is not limiting their search to specific areas or types of women

Don't want to miss a spot
The singer is determined to leave no stone unturned in their search for love

Keep it on the go
Continuing to search tirelessly

Waitin'
The singer is also waiting for love to happen naturally

Watchin'
Paying attention to potential romantic interests

This woman's gotta show
Expressing hope that the ideal woman will make an appearance soon

I need this little bitty woman
The singer is fixated on finding this particular type of woman

How much you'll never know
The depth of the singer's desire for this woman is immeasurable

OOOOOOWW!!
Exclamation to show intense emotion and keep the energy high

Yes!
Exclamation of agreement or excitement

Do it!
Encouragement to take action

Do it twice!
Repeating the previous line for emphasis

Woo!
Exclamation to show excitement and enthusiasm

I said I'm lookin' for me a woman
Reiteration of the singer's goal to find a woman

She's mighty hard to find
Acknowledging the difficulty of finding a suitable partner

Where's she hangin' out
Asking someone to help locate the ideal woman

Lost this little bitty woman, she's just outta sight
The ideal woman is currently unavailable or difficult to locate

Oh ho ho Ho!
Exclamation to show excitement and keep the energy high

Checkin' high an'low
Continuing to search in all areas and among all types of women

Don't want to miss'a spot
Reiterating the importance of leaving no stone unturned

I need this little bitty woman
The singer's fixation on finding this particular type of woman intensifies

How much you'll ever know...
Expressing the depth of the singer's desire for this woman

Ooohhh... Now...
Transitioning to a new section of the song

I just need a simple
The singer is asking for a simple favor

Where she's hanging out
The singer needs help locating the ideal woman

I promise to make it worth your while
The singer is willing to offer compensation or a reward in exchange for help

If you mark her out
Asking for specific details about the location of the ideal woman

Name your price and make it fast
The singer is willing to pay a high price for this information and needs it quickly

Waited much too long
The singer is growing impatient in their search for love

Got that woman on the mind
The singer is fixated on finding the ideal woman

I'm gonna bring her home
Expressing determination to find the woman and make her a partner

OH YEAH!
Exclamation of excitement and confidence

OW!
Exclamation to show excitement and keep the energy high

Baby, I need you...
Direct address to the ideal woman the singer seeks

How much you'll never know
Reiterating the significance of the singer's desire for the ideal woman

Lord, I need this little bitty woman
The singer's fixation on the ideal woman intensifies, addressing a higher power in their desperation

How much you'll never know!
The depth of the singer's desire for the ideal woman is impossible to articulate

Owww!
Exclamation to show intense emotion and keep the energy high

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHARLIE FEATHERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Francesco

40w↑2

@Lunes Negro 😃👍Yes Longsome Train
ist a big Rockabilly Sound, but Charlie Feathers have the perfekt souther Style.
Mac Curtis, Andy Star, Roy Campi, jack Scott
and Bill Haleys first recording for essex Label " rockin Chair on the monn , rockin 88" i can never Stop listen thats Songs 💪

Mv Favorit is;
Elvis -Mystery Train
Charlie- one Hand loose
Frome Europe great wisches👍