[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"
Tiger Woman
Claude King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tiger woman I heard that you were back in town (tiger woman)
Just like a tiger woman girl you're still puttin' puttin' around
Tiger woman I wonder why I love you still (tiger woman)
Tiger woman I wonder why I love you still (tiger woman)
Just like a tiger woman I guess you come back home for the kill
Well you tore me up in little bitty pieces you dragged me all over the ground
I was a big man but now I ain't nothin' you sure know how to put a good man down
Tiger woman put your long short claws out of me (tiger woman)
Just like a tiger woman what you leave ain't so good to see
[ guitar ]
Well you tore me up...
Tiger woman well you better just keep movin' on (tiger woman)
Tiger woman I said you better just keep movin' on (tiger woman)
Just like a tiger tamer I'm gonna put you where you belong
(Hey looky here woman I don't like the way you come slink around me
I don't like that look you've got in your eye nor neither...)
The first verse of Claude King's Tiger Woman opens with the singer acknowledging the return of this woman who seems to possess Tiger-like qualities. He compares her to a prowling tiger, indicating that she is a powerful and destructive force in his life. He states that she's still puttering around, which suggests that she hasn't changed much since she left the first time. The second verse reveals that the singer is confused about his feelings towards her. He wonders why he still loves her despite the destruction she's caused in his life in the past. He then suggests that she's returned to finish what she had started before.
In the third verse, the singer talks about how she has completely broken him down and made him feel like nothing. Here, he acknowledges that she knows how to put a good man down. He also says that what she has left behind is not good to see, hinting at the damage she's caused in his life. In the last verse, the singer is now taking back control of the situation. He tells her that she needs to keep moving on and that he will put her where she belongs. He compares himself to a tiger tamer, indicating that he is now in control of the situation and will not let her walk all over him anymore.
Overall, the song portrays a complicated and dangerous relationship in which the woman has a lot of control and power over the man. The man is torn between his love for her and the destruction she has wrought on his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Tiger woman I heard that you were back in town
The singer has heard that Tiger Woman has returned to town and is addressing her as Tiger Woman.
Just like a tiger woman girl you're still puttin' puttin' around
The singer compares Tiger Woman to a tiger woman and suggests that she is still around causing trouble.
Tiger woman I wonder why I love you still
The singer expresses confusion over why they still have feelings for Tiger Woman despite her actions.
Just like a tiger woman I guess you come back home for the kill
The artist suggests that Tiger Woman has returned with ill intentions, like a predator returning for its prey.
Well you tore me up in little bitty pieces you dragged me all over the ground
The artist recounts the harm that Tiger Woman has caused them in the past, both physically and emotionally.
I was a big man but now I ain't nothin' you sure know how to put a good man down
The singer laments that Tiger Woman's actions have caused them to feel diminished and defeated.
Tiger woman put your long short claws out of me
The singer addresses Tiger Woman and implores her to stop hurting them.
Just like a tiger woman what you leave ain't so good to see
The artist warns Tiger Woman that the consequences of her actions are not pleasant to witness.
Tiger woman well you better just keep movin' on
The artist advises Tiger Woman to leave town and move on from their past hurtful interactions.
Just like a tiger tamer I'm gonna put you where you belong
The artist compares themselves to a tiger tamer and suggests that they will take charge and put Tiger Woman in her place.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CLAUDE KING, MERLE KILGORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind