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).

Too Much Alike
Charlie Feathers Lyrics

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You like to cheat and make me blue
I like to do the same to you
We're too much alike to like each other
Like we used to do (like we used to do)
I like to go out and romp and stomp
You like to go to parties and those honky tonks
We're too much alike to like each other
Like we used to do (like we used to do)

I like the way we used to love, but we have changed somehow
We'd see each other all the time, like we should do now
You like to say that I'm to blame
I'd like to say that you're the same
We're too much alike to like each other
Like we used to do (like we used to do)

I like the way we used to love, but we have changed somehow
We'd see each other all the time, like we should do now
You'd like to say that I'm to blame
I'd like to say that you're the same

We're too much alike to like each other
Like we used to do (like we used to do)

Overall Meaning

The song "Too Much Alike" by Charlie Feathers tells the story of a tumultuous and dysfunctional relationship between two people who seem to have a lot in common. The lyrics suggest that the couple likes to cheat on each other and engage in similar behavior that ultimately leads to their downfall. The singer acknowledges that they used to like each other and enjoy each other's company but that they have changed over time.

The song highlights the theme of opposites attracting and then repelling as the couple's similarities become a source of friction and conflict. The lyrics reveal a sense of mutual blame as each person accuses the other of being at fault for their problems. They struggle to move on from their past and return to the way things used to be when they were happy together.

Overall, "Too Much Alike" is a poignant and introspective song that explores the complexities of romantic relationships and the challenges that arise when two people who are too similar try to make things work.

Line by Line Meaning

You like to cheat and make me blue
You enjoy being unfaithful and causing me sadness

I like to do the same to you
I reciprocate the behavior and also find pleasure in causing you sadness

We're too much alike to like each other
Our similarities make it difficult for us to have positive feelings towards one another

Like we used to do (like we used to do)
This has been a consistent issue in our relationship that we have not been able to resolve

I like to go out and romp and stomp
I enjoy going out and having a good time with friends

You like to go to parties and those honky tonks
You prefer socializing at parties and honky tonks

We're too much alike to like each other
Our similarities in social preferences contribute to our issues in getting along

I like the way we used to love, but we have changed somehow
I miss the way our relationship used to be, but something has changed

We'd see each other all the time, like we should do now
We used to spend much more time together and it would be ideal if we could get back to that

You like to say that I'm to blame
You often blame me for the issues in our relationship

I'd like to say that you're the same
I feel that you are also at fault for our problems

We're too much alike to like each other
Our tendency to play the blame game further highlights the difficulty we face in getting along

Like we used to do (like we used to do)
Our problems are ongoing and show no signs of improving

Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLIE FEATHERS, JERRY HUFFMAN, JOE CHASTAIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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