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.)
Rocky Top
Conway Twitty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down in the Tennessee hills
Ain't no smoggy smoke up on Rocky Top
Ain't no telephone bills
Once I had a girl on ol' Rocky Top
Half-bear, the other half-cat
Wild as a mink but sweet as soda pop
Rocky Top, you'll always be
Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top, Tennessee, Rocky Top, Tennessee
Once two strangers climbed old Rocky Top
Lookin' for a moonshine still
Strangers ain't come down from ol' Rocky Top
Reckon they never will
Corn won't grow at all on Rocky Top
Dirt's too rocky by far
That's why all the folks on Rocky Top
Get their corn from a jar
Rocky Top, you'll always be
Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top, Tennessee, Rocky Top, Tennessee
Rocky Top, you'll always be
Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top, Tennessee, Rocky Top, Tennessee
Rocky Top Tennessee
The lyrics of Conway Twitty's song "Rocky Top" represent his longing for the simple, natural lifestyle of the Tennessee hills. He wishes to be on "ol' Rocky Top" where there is no pollution or modern amenities like telephone bills. The singer reminisces about a girl he once knew on Rocky Top who was wild yet sweet, and those memories continue to haunt him. The song also mentions the infamous moonshine culture of Tennessee, where two strangers once climbed Rocky Top in search of a still but never returned. The fertile soil on the hills is too rocky for corn to grow, which is why they have to get their corn from jars.
The lyrics project a nostalgia for a simpler life that is reminiscent of the rural, traditional ways of living, and Conway Twitty's rendition enhances that emotion with his deep, soulful voice. The song is almost like an ode to the Tennessee hills where nature thrives, and generations coexist in harmony. Twitty’s rendition, therefore, encapsulates life on Rocky Top as wholesome, simplistic, and free from the struggles of modern-day living.
Line by Line Meaning
Wish that I was on ol' Rocky Top
I wish I was on Rocky Top right now.
Down in the Tennessee hills
In the hills of Tennessee.
Ain't no smoggy smoke up on Rocky Top
There is no smog on Rocky Top.
Ain't no telephone bills
There are no telephone bills to worry about.
Once I had a girl on ol' Rocky Top
There was a girl I knew on Rocky Top.
Half-bear, the other half-cat
She was a wildcat and a bear wrapped up in one person.
Wild as a mink but sweet as soda pop
She was crazy, but still so sweet.
I still dream about that
I still have dreams about her.
Rocky Top, you'll always be
Rocky Top will always be.
Home sweet home to me
It's my sweet home.
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top is a great place.
Rocky Top, Tennessee, Rocky Top, Tennessee
Rocky Top is in Tennessee.
Once two strangers climbed old Rocky Top
Two strangers climbed up Rocky Top once.
Lookin' for a moonshine still
They were searching for a place that made moonshine.
Strangers ain't come down from ol' Rocky Top
Those strangers never came down from Rocky Top.
Reckon they never will
They probably never will.
Corn won't grow at all on Rocky Top
Corn can't grow on Rocky Top.
Dirt's too rocky by far
The dirt is too rocky for corn to grow.
That's why all the folks on Rocky Top
That's why everyone gets their corn somewhere else.
Get their corn from a jar
They buy their corn from a store or someplace else.
Rocky Top, you'll always be
Rocky Top will always be.
Home sweet home to me
It's my sweet home.
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top is a great place.
Rocky Top, Tennessee, Rocky Top, Tennessee
Rocky Top is in Tennessee.
Rocky Top, you'll always be
Rocky Top will always be.
Home sweet home to me
It's my sweet home.
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top is a great place.
Rocky Top, Tennessee, Rocky Top, Tennessee
Rocky Top is in Tennessee.
Rocky Top Tennessee
Rocky Top is a place in Tennessee.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Bryant Boudleuaux, Felice Bryant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind