[edit] Career
At a young age, he was interested in music but his primary interest was athletics. He purchased a guitar at the age of 12 and although he learned to play it, most of his time was devoted to sport. This eventually resulted in being offered a baseball scholarship to the University of Idaho at Moscow.
King later returned to Shreveport and joined the Louisiana Hayride, a popular TV and radio show broadcast in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, produced in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Louisiana Hayride ranked second only to the Grand Ole Opry in terms of television and radio importance in the early 1950s to the 1960s and King was frequently billed on the same shows with other famous legends such as Elvis Presley, John Ritter's father, Tex Ritter, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Kitty Wells, Jimmie Davis, Slim Whitman, Faron Young, Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves, George Jones and Lefty Frizzell, among many others who became big music stars in the 1960s.
King recorded a few songs for Gotham Records, although none were successful. In 1961, he became more serious about a musical career and signed with the Nashville, Tennessee division of Columbia Records. He struck immediately, cutting "Big River, Big Man", a country Top 10 and even a small pop crossover success. He soon followed with "The Comancheros" inspired by the movie of the same title, starring John Wayne. It was a Top 10 country hit in late 1961, also crossing over to the pop charts.
King made his "career" recording in the spring of 1962. "Wolverton Mountain", written with Nashville veteran Merle Kilgore, was based on a real character, Clifton Clowers, who lived on Wolverton Mountain in Arkansas. The song became an immediate hit, going to No.1 for nine weeks during its 26-week run on the Billboard Country charts. It was also a pop Top 10.
King followed up that year with an American Civil War song, "The Burning Of Atlanta" which also went Top 10 on the country charts and again generated a lot of interest on the pop lists. In late 1962, he recorded "I've Got The World By The Tail" which narrowly missed the country Top 10.
He had another good year in 1963, scoring three solid country hits with "Sheepskin Valley", "Building a Bridge" and "Hey Lucille!". The hits continued in 1964 with "Sam Hill" and in 1965 he was back in the Top 10 with "Tiger Woman", co-written by Merle Kilgore. King also did well that year with "Little Buddy". His smooth country style continued to find a flavor throughout the decade, especially songs like "Catch a Little Raindrop" and the Top 10 "All For The Love Of A Girl" in 1969. His singles continued to hit the country charts through 1972. He left the label in 1973 after having accomplished 29 hits.
Besides a successful career recording and touring, King also performed as an actor in several movies, and like his nephew, Chris Aable, King is also among a minority of actors who are members in both the Screen Actors Guild and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He appeared in the 1982 television miniseries The Blue and the Gray and appeared in several feature films. King is no relation to another actor by the same name, born in 1875 in England.
In 1981, Arkansas Governor Frank D. White paid tribute to King and his big 1962 hit by declaring August 7 "Wolverton Mountain Day". By that time, King had almost retired from recording.
After being absent from recording for over 20 years, King recently released a new CD called Cowboy in the White House. Most of the songs were written or co-written by him. Elvis Presley's guitarist, James Burton performed guitar for the release.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_King"
Almost Persuaded
Claude King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Met a girl with a drink in her hand.
She had ruby red lips, coal black hair
And eyes that would tempt any man.
Then she came and sat down at my table,
And as she placed her soft hands in mine,
I found myself wanting to kiss her
For temptation was flowing like wine.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride.
Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
Then we danced and she whispered, "I need you!"
"Take me away from here and be my man."
Then I looked into her eyes and I saw it:
The reflection of my wedding band.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on.
Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
Last night all alone in a barroom
Met a guy with a drink in his hand.
He had bay blue eyes, coal black hair
And a smile that a girl understands.
Then he came and sat down at my table,
And as he placed his hands over mine,
I found my self wanting to kiss him
For temptation was flowing like wine.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride.
Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
Then we danced and he whispered, "I need you!"
"Let me take you away and be your man."
Then I looked into his eyes and I saw it:
The reflection of my wedding band.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on.
Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
"Almost Persuaded" by Claude King tells the story of two separate encounters in a barroom, each involving a temptation to pursue a fleeting romantic connection. In the first verse, the singer describes meeting a woman with enticing physical features and a charm that captivates any man. As they interact, he starts feeling a strong desire to kiss her, as the allure of the moment becomes overpowering. However, just as he is about to give in to temptation, he notices the reflection of his wedding band in her eyes. This realization serves as a reminder of his commitment to his spouse and prompts him to resist the temptation and return home.
The second verse shifts perspective to the singer as a married woman encountering a captivating man. She is drawn to his appearance, smile, and understanding nature. Similar to the first verse, the temptation becomes intense, and she is tempted to give in to the moment. Nonetheless, when she looks into his eyes, she sees the reflection of her own wedding band, reminding her of her marital commitment. This reflection compels her to resist the temptation and go home to her loving partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night all alone in a barroom
Yesterday evening, I found myself in a bar, feeling lonely and isolated.
Met a girl with a drink in her hand.
I encountered a woman who was holding a beverage.
She had ruby red lips, coal black hair
Her lips were vibrant red, and she had dark black hair.
And eyes that would tempt any man.
Her eyes possessed an alluring quality that could allure any man.
Then she came and sat down at my table
She approached and took a seat at my table.
And as she placed her soft hands in mine
As she tenderly placed her hands in mine
I found myself wanting to kiss her
I experienced a desire to kiss her.
For temptation was flowing like wine.
The feeling of temptation was pervading strongly.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride.
I was nearly convinced to let go of my arrogance.
Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
Nearly convinced to ignore my moral principles.
Then we danced and she whispered, "I need you!"
We proceeded to dance, and she quietly expressed her longing for me.
"Take me away from here and be my man."
"Take me to a different place, and become my partner."
Then I looked into her eyes and I saw it:
At that moment, I gazed into her eyes and realized.
The reflection of my wedding band.
I noticed the reflection of my wedding ring.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on.
I nearly succumbed to temptation and allowed unfamiliar lips to guide me astray.
Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
Despite being very close to giving in, your affectionate love prevented me from doing so, and I decided to return home.
Met a guy with a drink in his hand.
Encountered a man who was holding a beverage.
He had bay blue eyes, coal black hair
He possessed striking blue eyes and black hair.
And a smile that a girl understands.
Additionally, he had a smile that could be comprehended by a woman.
Then he came and sat down at my table
He approached and took a seat at my table.
And as he placed his hands over mine
While he covered my hands with his own
I found my self wanting to kiss him
I felt a desire to kiss him.
For temptation was flowing like wine.
Because the feeling of temptation was strong and overpowering.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride.
I came close to giving up my pride and ego.
Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
Nearly convinced to ignore my moral principles.
Then we danced and he whispered, "I need you!"
We proceeded to dance, and he softly uttered, "I require you!"
"Let me take you away and be your man."
"Allow me to whisk you away and become your partner."
Then I looked into his eyes and I saw it:
Then, I gazed into his eyes and realized.
The reflection of my wedding band.
I noticed the reflection of my wedding ring.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on.
I nearly succumbed to temptation and allowed unfamiliar lips to lead me astray.
Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
Despite being very close to giving in, your affectionate love prevented me from doing so, and I decided to return home.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Billy Sherrill, Glenn Sutton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Samandrosa jones
Great song, always is one of my favorites. Thanks Brent
Brent E.
+Samandrosa jones Glad you enjoyed it Rosa. One of my all time favorite songs too. Thanks for listening.