Copas was born in 1913 in Blue Creek, Ohio, in Adams County. He began performing locally at age 14, and appeared on WLW-AM and WKRC-AM in Cincinnati during the 1930s. In 1940 he moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he performed on WNOX-AM with his band, the Gold Star Rangers.
In 1943, Copas achieved national fame when he replaced Eddy Arnold as a vocalist in the Pee Wee King band and began performing on the Grand Ole Opry. His first solo single, "Filipino Baby", released by King Records in 1946, hit No. 4 on the Billboard country chart and sparked the most successful period of his career.
While continuing to appear on the Opry, Copas recorded several other hits during the late 1940s and early 1950s, including "Signed Sealed and Delivered", "The Tennessee Waltz", "Tennessee Moon", "Breeze", "I'm Waltzing with Tears in My Eyes", "Candy Kisses", "Hangman's Boogie", and "The Strange Little Girl". Copas' 1952 single, "'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered", reached No. 8 on the Billboard country chart, but it was his final top 40 hit for eight years.
Although Copas didn't maintain his stellar popularity of the late 1940s through the next decade, he continued to perform regularly at the Grand Ole Opry and appeared on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee. After a lackluster partnership with Dot Records, Copas surged to the top of the charts again in 1960 with the biggest hit of his career, "Alabam", which remained number one for three months. Other major hits during his successful period with Starday Records in the early 1960s, including "Flat Top" and a remake of "Signed, Sealed And Delivered", held promising implications for the future of his career.
On March 3, 1963, Copas, Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins and others performed at a benefit concert at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas for the family of disc jockey Cactus Jack Call, who had died the previous December in an automobile accident.
On March 5, they left for Nashville in a Piper Comanche piloted by Copas' son-in-law (and Cline's manager), Randy Hughes. After stopping to refuel in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the craft took off at 6:07 p.m. CT. The plane flew into severe weather and crashed at 6:20 p.m. in a forest near Camden, Tennessee, 90 miles from the destination. There were no survivors. A stone marker, dedicated on July 6, 1996, marks the location of the crash.
Copas was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Goodlettsville, Tennessee in "Music Row" with Hawkins and other country music stars.
Tennessee Waltz
Cowboy Copas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When an old friend I happened to see
I introduced her to my loved one and while they were dancin'
My friend stole my sweetheart from me
I remember the night and the Tennessee Waltz
Now I know just how much I have lost
Yes, I lost my little darlin' the night they were playin'
The lyrics of Cowboy Copas's Tennessee Waltz tells the story of a man who was dancing with his beloved to the melody of the song "Tennessee Waltz." During the dance, he bumps into an old friend and introduced her to his lover, leaving her with the two to dance along. After the dance, he realized that his friend had stolen his sweetheart away from him. The song continues to lament the loss of his lover and how the memory of dancing with her to the beautiful tune will forever remain etched in his heart.
It is a mournful rendition of love that has been lost, and the sadness of the experience is heightened with the use of a slow waltz melody. The Tennessee Waltz itself is a popular ballroom dance that was popularized in the 19th century in the Southern United States. Its slow, lilting melody has been the soundtrack to many memorable moments of romantic experiences. Cowboy Copas's lyrics capture the pain of lost love in a way that makes listeners empathize with the singer's emotional state.
Line by Line Meaning
I was dancin' with my darlin' to the Tennessee Waltz
I was dancing with my beloved partner to the sweet, romantic melody of the Tennessee Waltz
When an old friend I happened to see
At that moment, I coincidentally saw an old acquaintance of mine
I introduced her to my loved one and while they were dancin'
I introduced my old friend to my beloved partner and observed as they took to the dance floor together
My friend stole my sweetheart from me
To my dismay, my friend managed to snag my significant other away from me while we were amidst the dance
I remember the night and the Tennessee Waltz
My memory holds onto the vivid images of that fateful night and the hauntingly beautiful sound of the Tennessee Waltz
Now I know just how much I have lost
Reflecting back, I understand how significant of a loss it was to have my precious beloved taken from my side
Yes, I lost my little darlin' the night they were playin'
I am certainly aware that I have lost my dear lover on that very night the Tennessee Waltz was playing
The beautiful Tennessee Waltz
The loving, soulful Tennessee Waltz made for the perfect backdrop to the unforgettable experience of my lover being stolen away from me
Contributed by Anna S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Karen Lewis
I remember my mother and daddy dancing to this song when I was a little girl. I am 76 now and still love this song.
Tony F.
Wow, Karen, same here! I'm 77. Yes, I was very young, maybe 4 or 5 and I remember my mom and dad dancing slowly to this. wow, what a memory.
Aloise Mason
Always a legend and solo singer playing guitar ..a song writer and producer of many sensational songs ..
Ed The Red
Always brings a tear to my eye for some reason. I'm only 24 but I can just picture the couples dancing and the band playing, transports me back to an era I never lived. Guess I'm just a softie at heart. I'm gonna practice this one
Jesse Green
I got to dance with my grandmother to this song.Iam 64
T4TEXASTOM JOHNNYCAT
Jesse Green
How sweet. I miss both of my Grandmothers. My most cherished thing of the things I own is a bible my Mother's Mother gave me when I was 7 years old.
M. Evers
‘Guess I’m just a softie at heart’.....you’re now 29...I really do hope that you have stayed soft at heart....these days it’s really a compliment Ed!!
Paula LadyBGoodWI
I was thinking along those lines. I hope he stayed true to himself … anyone that is a "softie at heart" means they have a great, loving & caring heart! @M. Evers
Markie Mark ☹
It's a sad scenario beyond the era
Julie Witt
There are so many versions to this song. I loved my father's version. As he once said, "I can sing, a little." Lovely song.