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).
Mound Of Clay
Charlie Feathers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why didn′t you take me away?
So I could have been there beside her
All alone beneath that lonely mound of clay.
I stay here beside you little darling
And I promise I'll never go away
Until my life down here is over
Oh Lord, why did you take her from me?
Why didn't you take me away?
So I could have been there beside her
All alone beneath that lonely mound of clay
All alone beneath that lonely mound of clay.
The lyrics to Charlie Feathers's song "Mound Of Clay" depict a grieving man who has lost his beloved to death. The singer expresses his sorrow and frustration towards God, questioning why he took her away from him and why he wasn't taken instead. The idea of being buried next to his lover is also present, as he promises to stay by her side until the end of his life so that they can be together beneath the mound of clay.
The verses suggest a deep sadness and yearning for the lost love, emphasizing the loneliness of the mound of clay which serves as a reminder of the finality of death. The song portrays the fragility of human life and the emotional impact that such a loss can have on an individual.
Overall, "Mound Of Clay" is a touching and mournful song which deals with themes of grief, loss, and longing for a departed loved one. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the singer's emotional turmoil and his desire to be reunited with his beloved in death.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Lord, why did you take her from me?
Expressing regret and mourning about the death of a loved one and questioning why it had to happen.
Why didn't you take me away?
Wishing that the singer could have joined their loved one who had passed away.
So I could have been there beside her
Expressing a desire to be with the deceased and regret that the singer was not able to be there in their final moments.
All alone beneath that lonely mound of clay.
Referring to the grave of the deceased and acknowledging that the person is now alone and buried there.
I stay here beside you little darling
Stating that the singer will remain close to the deceased, even after death.
And I promise I'll never go away
Making a vow to always be with the deceased, even in death.
Until my life down here is over
Stating that the singer will remain with the deceased until the end of their own life.
Then I'll be with you beneath that mound of clay.
Reiterating the desire to be buried alongside the deceased.
All alone beneath that lonely mound of clay.
Repeating the imagery of loneliness and isolation at the gravesite of the deceased loved one.
Writer(s): Charlie Feathers, Roy Acuff
Contributed by Nathaniel T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.