[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"
The Comancheros
Claude King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Comancheros are taking this land
Paul Regret of New Orleans
A fast man with a gun
Didn't want to go, but he had to run
When he shot down the judge's son
Yes, he shot Judge Beaubien's son
With the dark of night he left that town
Never to return again
With a one-way ticket at the end of the line
He was told by a stranger man
"The Comancheros are taking this land"
And then the Comancheros came a-riding through the night
Stealing and a-killing, taking every thing in sight
Nothing left behind but the blood and the sand
The Comancheros are taking this land
The Comancheros are taking this land
I'll cover every inch of the ground where I stand
I'd die before I'd run
I'm not afraid of any living man
And here I'll make my stand
With a gun I'll make my stand
He rode into the Comanchero town
Like a wild man on the run
Before he'd leave they'd all be dead
They'd die by his blazing gun
They died by his blazing gun
And then the Comancheros came a-riding through the night
Stealing and a-killing, taking every thing in sight
Nothing left behind but the blood and the sand
The Comancheros are taking this land
The Comancheros are taking this land
The song "The Comancheros" by Claude King tells the story of Paul Regret, a man from New Orleans who is forced to flee after shooting and killing the son of a judge. He is warned by a stranger that the Comancheros are taking over the land, and they soon come riding through the night, stealing, killing, and leaving nothing behind but blood and sand. Regret rides into the Comanchero town and takes them all down with his blazing gun. The song is a classic Western ballad, filled with action, adventure, and drama.
The lyrics of "The Comancheros" paint a vivid picture of the lawlessness and brutality of the Old West, where justice was often delivered at the end of a gun. The Comancheros were a notorious band of outlaws who roamed the frontier, stealing from settlers and Native American tribes alike. They were known for their brutality and their willingness to kill anyone who got in their way. The song is a warning about the dangers of lawlessness and the need for vigilance in protecting one's home and family.
Line by Line Meaning
The Comancheros are taking this land
The Comancheros are invading and occupying this land, seizing control of everything in sight.
Paul Regret of New Orleans
This is the name of the singer, a man from New Orleans who will become the main character of the song.
A fast man with a gun
Paul Regret is a skilled and quick gunman.
Didn't want to go, but he had to run
Paul Regret was forced to flee to avoid punishment for shooting Judge Beaubien's son.
When he shot down the judge's son
Paul Regret killed Judge Beaubien's son in a gunfight, which led to him having to flee and ultimately encountering the Comancheros.
With the dark of night he left that town
Paul Regret left town secretly under the cover of night to escape the law after the shooting.
Never to return again
He left with the intention of never returning.
With a one-way ticket at the end of the line
Paul Regret bought a one-way ticket to escape and start a new life without any intention of circling back to where he had just come from.
He was told by a stranger man
Paul Regret heard from someone he didn't know about the Comancheros who were occupying the land.
"The Comancheros are taking this land"
This was what the stranger told Paul Regret, warning him about the new danger in the area.
I'll cover every inch of the ground where I stand
Paul Regret is determined to defend his ground, no matter the cost of the battle.
I'd die before I'd run
Paul Regret is steadfast and unyielding, choosing to stand until the end.
I'm not afraid of any living man
Paul Regret is unafraid of any danger or hardship that may come his way.
And here I'll make my stand
Paul Regret is determined to make his stand in this location and fight against any who oppose him.
With a gun I'll make my stand
Paul Regret's weapon of choice for his battle will be his gun.
He rode into the Comanchero town
Paul Regret went to confront the Comancheros, risking everything to take back his land.
Like a wild man on the run
Paul Regret has a fierce and unrestrained determination to fight for his land and see justice served.
Before he'd leave they'd all be dead
Paul Regret intends to fight to the death to defeat the Comancheros.
They'd die by his blazing gun
Paul Regret would fight the Comancheros with his gun blazing, taking down as many as possible.
And then the Comancheros came a-riding through the night
The Comancheros, known for their dangerous night raids, attacked the area.
Stealing and a-killing, taking every thing in sight
The Comancheros indiscriminately killed and robbed the people in their path during the attack.
Nothing left behind but the blood and the sand
After the attack, the only thing left is the carnage and destruction wrought by the Comancheros.
The Comancheros are taking this land
The song repeats its message again, emphasizing the Comancheros' grip on the land.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tillman Franks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
fntime
Chris Yau Chris, thanks for your reply.
I disagree, he stood up for being his 'own
man'. There are times, that a man, must
present himself to the world as someone
who can't be trifled with by another man,
a group of men, government, clans etc
The weak, usually live their life 'weak'.
That is their decision. But, no matter how
strong or big you are, you must decide whether it is acceptable for others to
'control you'. Your name seems Asian.
Most people from Asia that aren't Christians
understand that 'life' is a series of reincarnations.
Sometimes, dying is the correct 'passage'
Don't sacrifice your life for 'shit'. But, there
comes a time in everyone's life, that they have
to make a courageous stand.
Fuck the weak. They lack all of the qualities
that are necessary to advance your 'soul'
through time in space. They are less than
animals. But, in our journey, we have been
there. I love courage, especially when
it is not mindless, like drunks and the crazy.
Ed Wiles
great job. Claude King was very popular when I was growing up in the 60s, especially here in Arkansas. This song, along with Wolverton Mtn. were big hits on the charts and we boys especially loved the ballads he sang. In the late 70s, i was a member of our Sharp County Jacyess and we sponsored an annual canoe race here on Spring River, usually on Memorial Day weekends. One year, a local country music promoter, Gene Williams, paid for Claude to appear at the canoe race festival. He was a smash hit, and I believe that over 10,000 people gathered here on the banks of Spring River, in Hardy, Arkansas to listen to him. Incidentally, he had a great lead guitar player who grew up just south of Hardy, in Williford, Arkansas. I consider Claude King to be a great county star. He and his songs provided us with a lot of enjoyment, growing up in rural America.
John Hood
Loved this song, the guitar and horns, the tone of Mr. King's singing is awesome. The voice was always reminiscent of Chuck Connors. Lord! The country music of the past...illuminated comfort to life.
Daniel Burns
this song went to #7 on the country charts in 1962!!!
Brad Richardson
One of his great ones. RIP Claude King.
738polarbear
This is a real Western song ,bless you Claude.
vernon egolf
rest peace claude king you will be missed you and johnny horton were the best.
Brad Richardson
The album was "Meet Claude King", my mom had it when I was a young kid, and we wore that thing out! Loved it! All of the songs you mentioned, (it's "Pistol Packing Papa" BTW), along with this one are on it. My favorite Claude King tune which was the flip side of this one "I Can't Get Over The Way You Got Over Me" is also on it. Wish I could find it on CD.
Henry Quenin
I was a kid in the early 60s when I bought this 45 rpm at the record store. Good tune.
Bill Herald
This Shreveport-born artist is obviously much more famous for his rendition of "Wolverton Mountain," but about a half-year earlier (in late 1961), he hit the charts with this one, from the movie of the same name.
Roger Dee
Loved this since I first heard it back in 1961.