[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"
Ole Slew Foot
Claude King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bear tracks bear tracks are lookin' back at me
Better get your rifle boy before it's too late
The bear's got a little big and headed through the gate
He's big around the middle and he's broad across the rump
Doin' ninety miles an hour takin' thirty feet a jump
He ain't never been caught and he ain't never been treed
Some folks say he looks a lot like me
I saved up my money and bought me some bees
They started makin' honey way up in the trees
I cut down my tree and my honey's all gone
Ole Slew Foot's done made himself at home
He's big around the middle...
[ harmonica ]
Winter's comin' on and it's twenty below
The river's froze over so where can he go
We'll chase him up the gully and we'll run him in the well
We shoot him at the bottom and we'll listen to him yell
He's bigger round a middle...
The lyrics to Claude King's song Ole Slew Foot tell the story of a bear that is causing problems for the singer. The singer sees bear tracks on the mountain and realizes that the bear is getting too close for comfort. He warns that the bear is big and fast, making it difficult to catch him. The singer then tells the story of how he had saved up money to buy bees, but the bear had made himself at home in the trees and had eaten all of the honey. The story ends with the singer and some others trying to catch the bear before winter sets in, by chasing him up a gully and trapping him in a well.
Line by Line Meaning
High up on the mountain tell me what you see
Asking someone to observe and report what they can see from a high elevation.
Bear tracks bear tracks are lookin' back at me
Noticing recent footprints of a large bear nearby.
Better get your rifle boy before it's too late
Advising someone to retrieve a gun quickly, implying danger is imminent.
The bear's got a little big and headed through the gate
The bear is growing bigger and approaching the entrance.
He's big around the middle and he's broad across the rump
Commenting on the size and girth of the bear's body.
Doin' ninety miles an hour takin' thirty feet a jump
Exaggerating the bear's speed and leaping ability.
He ain't never been caught and he ain't never been treed
Stating that the bear has never been captured or forced up a tree before.
Some folks say he looks a lot like me
Jokingly comparing oneself to the elusive bear in appearance.
[ harmonica ]
Instrumental break.
I saved up my money and bought me some bees
Investing in beekeeping by purchasing honey-producing insects.
They started makin' honey way up in the trees
Observing bees' production of honey high in the branches.
I cut down my tree and my honey's all gone
Removing the tree where the bees were located, resulting in depletion of the honey supply.
Ole Slew Foot's done made himself at home
Indicating that the bear has moved in and taken over the bee's former habitat.
He's big around the middle...
Repeating and emphasizing the large size of the bear's body.
[ harmonica ]
Instrumental break.
Winter's comin' on and it's twenty below
Recognizing the cold wintertime weather.
The river's froze over so where can he go
Considering the bear's limited options for survival as bodies of water become ice-covered.
We'll chase him up the gully and we'll run him in the well
Deciding to pursue and trap the bear in a confined structure.
We shoot him at the bottom and we'll listen to him yell
Shooting the trapped bear and anticipating its loud vocal response.
He's bigger round a middle...
Reaffirming the bear's significant bulk.
Lyrics © SPIRIT MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLIE DANIELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind