[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"
Beertops and Teardrops
Claude King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I've been here so long nobody seems to want to
In this very room another man took the place of me
A room filled with beertops covered with teardrops that's where you'll find me
Beertops covered with teardrops in every corner of the room
Barstools and drunken fools and the spell keep with you
This old smoky room so filled with bloom has got the best of me
A room filled with beertops covered with teardrops that's where you'll find me
I wonder how long it's really been now since I seen the sunshine
Do the flowers bloom do the birds sing how they did one time
If your new love ever leaves you you can come and visit me
In a room filled with beertops covered with teardrops that's where you'll find me
Beertops covered with teardrops...
The Claude King's song "Beertops and Teardrops" is a story of a man who has been stuck in a room for a long time, where he's surrounded by beertops and teardrops. The man says that anyone can find him in the room anytime they want to, but nobody seems to want to, probably because he's been there for so long that he's become a permanent fixture. The room is filled with beertops covered with teardrops, and it's a metaphor for the man's life, which is full of sadness and desperation.
The song talks about another man who came and took the place of the singer in the room, implying that the man has probably been there for so long that he's lost all sense of time. The room is described as being old, smoky, and full of drunken fools, which shows that the man's life is not going anywhere. He wonders how long it's been since he's seen the sunshine, and he wonders if the flowers still bloom and if the birds still sing as they did before. The singer offers the girl he's addressing that if her new love ever leaves her, she can always come and visit him in the room filled with beertops and teardrops, implying that he's not really living or doing anything besides staying in that room.
Overall, the song is a bleak and sad picture of a man's life who has lost all hope and purpose. The beertops and teardrops represent the man's despair and loneliness, and the smoky room filled with drunken fools represents his inability to escape his situation.
Line by Line Meaning
You can find me anytime that you want to
I'm always here and available, waiting for someone to come and visit me.
But I've been here so long nobody seems to want to
Despite my availability, no one seems interested in visiting me because I've been here for so long.
In this very room another man took the place of me
Someone else has taken my place in your heart and in this room.
A room filled with beertops covered with teardrops that's where you'll find me
I spend my time in this room, surrounded by empty beer cans and my own tears.
Beertops covered with teardrops in every corner of the room
The room is in disarray, with empty beer cans and my tears scattered everywhere.
Barstools and drunken fools and the spell keep with you
The room is filled with bar patrons and the atmosphere is heavy with sadness.
This old smoky room so filled with bloom has got the best of me
The room is old, smoky, and has a heavy atmosphere that has taken a toll on me.
A room filled with beertops covered with teardrops that's where you'll find me
I'm always in this room, surrounded by the remnants of empty beer cans and my own tears.
[ steel ]
I wonder how long it's really been now since I seen the sunshine
I can't remember the last time I saw the sun, it's been so long.
Do the flowers bloom do the birds sing how they did one time
I wonder if things outside this room are still as beautiful and lively as they once were.
If your new love ever leaves you you can come and visit me
If things don't work out with your new partner, I'll still be here waiting for you in this room.
In a room filled with beertops covered with teardrops that's where you'll find me
No matter what happens, I'll still be here in this room, surrounded by empty beer cans and my own tears.
Beertops covered with teardrops...
The room is always filled with empty beer cans and my tears, no matter what happens.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CLAUDE KING, GEORGE RICHEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind