Origin of Jenkins Stage Name--------- Jenkins felt that his real name wasn't marketable, and he changed his show business name in 1957. (Harold Lloyd Jenkins would always remain his legal name, however). Looking at a road map, he spotted Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas. Thus, he went with the professional name of "Conway Twitty".[citation needed]
Alternatively, Jenkins met a Richmond, VA, man named W. Conway Twitty Jr. through Jenkins' manager in a New York City restaurant. The manager served in the army with the real Conway Twitty. Later, the manager suggested to Jenkins that he take the name as his stage name because it had a ring to it. The Richmond Conway Twitty subsequently recorded the song, "What's in a Name But Trouble," in the mid-1960s, lamenting the loss of his name to Jenkins. The flip side of the 45 RPM record was "The Purple, Purple People Eater, Eater." (The more well known version of Purple People Eater, however, now having sold over 100,000,000 copies, was recorded by Sheb Wooley.)
Platinum High School
Conway Twitty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a waitin' for the guys like me
Oh on this island is a crazy school
And there's where I learned the golden rule.
Twenty-one fellas and one little girl
She looks like just an angel with a platinum curle
Ooh, wee oh, me, oh my
I saw her walkin' just a platinum high
Nearly lost my mind when she walked by
Oh I never met a gal looked like this before
That's why I found myself a knockin' on her door.
I said what you're doin' home on a night like this
Come on my pretty baby give your daddy a kiss
Ooh, wee oh, me, oh my
Kiss my baby on a platinum high.
Asked my cutie if she'd like to go
To the house at party or a movie show
She said big daddy I don't care what we'd do
It doesn't matter just as long as I'm with you.
I stepped into her room and I closed the door
Sat on a TV set and I turned the lights down low
Ooh, wee oh, me, oh my
Just me and my baby on a platinum high.
The song "Platinum High School" by Conway Twitty tells a story of a young man who finds himself on an island where there exists a peculiar school. This school is made up of a group of 21 boys and one little girl, who appears to be an angel with platinum curls. The singer is immediately drawn to her and describes how he has never seen anyone like her before. He finds himself smitten with her, even going to her room and spending time with her in the dark with only the television for light.
The song touches on themes of young love and the recklessness and naivety that can come with it. The singer is willing to do whatever it takes to be with this girl, including breaking curfew to see her. The lyrics paint a picture of a carefree, youthful romance that takes place in a school that seems to operate outside of normal rules and expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
There's an island out in the sea
There exists an island somewhere in the sea
Just a waitin' for the guys like me
The island is eagerly anticipating a specific group of individuals, including myself
Oh on this island is a crazy school
There is a school on the island that is quite erratic
And there's where I learned the golden rule.
It was at this school on this island where I acquired a valuable principle for life
Twenty-one fellas and one little girl
The student body consisted of twenty-one males and a solitary female
She looks like just an angel with a platinum curle
The aforementioned female student possessed an ethereal appearance, with a hairstyle the color of the valuable metal 'platinum'
Ooh, wee oh, me, oh my
An exclamation of excitement upon viewing her
I guess that's why they called her platinum high.
Her nickname was coined in relation to her attendance at this specific school
I saw her walkin' just a platinum high
I spotted her on the island, strutting like she owned the place
Nearly lost my mind when she walked by
Her presence was so captivating that I almost became unhinged
Oh I never met a gal looked like this before
I had never before encountered a woman with such a distinct appearance
That's why I found myself a knockin' on her door.
Given how taken I was with her, I felt compelled to pay her a visit at home
I said what you're doin' home on a night like this
I inquired as to why she was inside for the evening
Come on my pretty baby give your daddy a kiss
In a flirtatious manner, I requested affection from her
Ooh, wee oh, me, oh my
Another excited exclamation
Kiss my baby on a platinum high.
I received a kiss from her while we were both under the influence of the elevated vibes of the island and its school
Asked my cutie if she'd like to go
I inquired as to whether or not she was interested in accompanying me somewhere
To the house at party or a movie show
I suggested either attending a raucous soirée or a cinematic presentation
She said big daddy I don't care what we'd do
She indicated that the activity was irrelevant, as long as we were together
It doesn't matter just as long as I'm with you.
Being in one another's company is the only thing that matters
I stepped into her room and I closed the door
Upon arriving at her abode, I entered her bedroom and ensured privacy
Sat on a TV set and I turned the lights down low
Making ourselves at home, we sat atop a television set and lowered the lighting
Ooh, wee oh, me, oh my
Yet another excited expression
Just me and my baby on a platinum high.
Together, we enjoyed the elevated state of being provided by the island and its school
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CONWAY TWITTY, JACK NANCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeff Campbell
This is the title song for one of the three 1960 movies that Conway Twitty was in. The others were "College Confidential" and "Sex Kittens Go To College". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054187/