It was the latter brief diversion that got the boy labeled the Singing Milkman at the outset of his career. At 16, his mother entered him in a local talent contest and he won by singing "Love Letters in the Sand." He got to a final round, where he specifically avoided doing the standard Elvis Presley imitations that his competitors presented. This led to an appearance at a variety show on the island, where he was seen by London agent Bunny Lewis, whose wife was performing on the same bill. She, in turn, was impressed with the boy's poise and professionalism. Lewis arranged for singing lessons for the 16-year-old and began grooming him for a career on the stage in London. Lewis gave him the name Craig Douglas after seeing it outside a house in Scotland.
His breakthrough came on The Six-Five Special, then the only real showcase for rock & roll on British television. Douglas was booked on the show the same week that Cliff Richard and Joe Brown appeared, but he made an impression even in their company: A few days later, he was presented with two huge sacks of fan mail from the performance. The Six-Five Special led Douglas to a recording contract and a string of successes. Much of Douglas' career was spent at EMI, for which he had a number one hit with his version of "Only Sixteen," but also charted very high with "A Teenager in Love," "The Heart of a Teenage Girl," "Pretty Blue Eyes," and "When My Little Girl Is Smiling." Douglas wasn't really a rock & roll singer, his diction being too good and his delivery too straight-ahead for that designation.
His early records call up images of Ricky Nelson but, like a lot of young British singers of his era, he quickly aimed for a more mature audience. His singing was very emotive but also very clean. He was obviously more comfortable with dignified pop music, such as "Time," than with the more rocking numbers like "Ring-A-Ding" that he was occasionally called upon to record, with its slurred lyrics, honking saxes, and loud electric guitars (although Douglas acquitted himself well in that setting). He made the usual moves, appearing on film soundtracks (Two and Two Make Six) and in movies (It's Trad, Dad; A Painted Smile), as well as numerous television shows. Douglas' appearance alongside his EMI stablemate Helen Shapiro in It's Trad, Dad (which was Richard Lester's first feature and a dry run for A Hard Day's Night) showed off his strengths and weaknesses. He was charismatic simply based on his good looks, but was rather a stiff on camera as an actor, especially next to the vivacious Shapiro (who was also about five years younger than the then 21-year-old Douglas).
Rock & roll was just another musical genre to Douglas, which is not to say he was wrong, it's just that antique numbers like "It All Depends on You" or "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" done straight will never resonate the same way "Dream Lover" or "Rainbows" will to listeners born after 1945. Douglas' time on the English charts ended in 1962 and his major recording career came to a halt a year later with the advent of the Liverpool sound, but he continues to perform regularly in clubs, on cruises, and in cabarets, as well as international tours. Indeed, well into the 1990s, he had an annual month-long booking in Hong Kong. He's a fondly remembered and talented exponent of England's early flirtation with rock & roll. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
A Hundred Pounds of Clay
Craig Douglas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then He said Hey, listen
Im gonna fix this world today
Because I know whats missin
Then He rolled his big sleeves up
And a brand-new world began
He created old Adam then he made a Woman for the man
Whoa-oh-oh, yes he did.
With just a hundred pounds of clay,
He made my life worth livin.
And I will thank Him every day
For all the joy he's givin.
And I'll thank Him every night
for my world full of beauty and life.
And He did it all with just a hundred pounds of clay.
Whoa-oh-oh Yes he did,
Now cantcha just see Him a-walkin round and round.
Takin the clay up off off the ground?
Makin land and sky and sea
And doing it for you and me.
He rolled His big sleeves up
And a brand-new world began.
He created old Adam Then he made a woman for the man
Whoa-oh-oh, yes he did.
With just a hundred pounds of clay
FADE
People, let me tall ya what He did
With just a hundred pounds of clay
The lyrics of Craig Douglas's song "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" describe the creation of the world by the Creator. The singer describes how the Creator took a hundred pounds of clay, rolled up his sleeves, and set out to make the world right. The Creator started by creating Adam and then made a woman for him. The singer is grateful for the joy and beauty in their world, and they will thank the Creator for it every day.
The lyrics of the song are symbolic and metaphorical. The clay represents the raw materials from which the world was created. The singer suggests that God used minimal resources, a hundred pounds of clay, to create something remarkable. This message is reflective of the Bible's account of creation in that the world was brought into being from nothingness. The song also reflects the idea that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, and that everything around us is a testimony to His greatness.
Line by Line Meaning
He took a hundred pounds of clay
He started with a simple raw material, clay, weighing one hundred pounds.
And then He said Hey, listen
He announced with confidence that he would create something significant with the clay.
Im gonna fix this world today
He had the intention to use the clay to mend the world's problems.
Because I know whats missin
He had identified what was lacking in the world and intended to address it.
Then He rolled his big sleeves up
He got to work, showing that he was prepared to put in the necessary effort.
And a brand-new world began
He began to create something entirely new using the clay, signifying the start of a new era.
He created old Adam then he made a Woman for the man
He formed Adam and Eve, representing the birth of humanity and the creation of gender roles.
Whoa-oh-oh, yes he did.
Expressing joy and gratitude for what he has accomplished.
With just a hundred pounds of clay,
Highlighting the importance of starting small to achieve greatness.
He made my life worth livin.
He is the reason for the singer's existence, giving meaning to his life.
And I will thank Him every day
The singer expresses his intention to be grateful for what has been given to him daily.
For all the joy he's givin.
Gratitude for all the happiness that has been bestowed upon the singer.
And I'll thank Him every night
The singer intends to show appreciation even after the day has ended.
for my world full of beauty and life.
Acknowledging the magnificence of the world and its creator.
Now cantcha just see Him a-walkin round and round.
The songwriter is urging listeners to visualize the creator at work.
Takin the clay up off off the ground?
Visualizing the creation of the world and its elements.
Makin land and sky and sea
The creator's actions of producing the world's fundamental components.
And doing it for you and me.
Emphasizing the creator's intentions to benefit all living beings.
FADE
Marking the end of the song.
People, let me tall ya what He did
The songwriter urges listeners to pay attention to the events being described.
With just a hundred pounds of clay
Reiterating the significance of this simple material in creating remarkable things.
Contributed by Victoria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bobanderson6080
Craig was amazing voice so relaxed, this song makes you think about life,
.Craig Douglas what a voice, and the song is for the human race
@JulieJulieTheRockChickhermiz
This by Craig is my absolute FAVOURITE version of this magnificent tune ๐ฏโค๏ธ
@shalomegoz2708
One of my all time favourites
@aussieagle
Best version for sure.
@anthonywalton8674
Brilliant pop song.
@JulieJulieTheRockChickhermiz
Iโve actually got the album by Craig thatโs showing in this video and itโs fabulous ๐
@stateofmind895
ืฉืืจ ืืคืืคื ืืืืฆืืข ืืืืืง ืืื ืคืขืื. ืืืจ ื ืืืจ.
ื ืืกืืืืื ืืืืืืโค๏ธ
@andrewbrowning9755
This is the best version of this record
@robertstv8045
Huh? Gene killed it.
@JulieJulieTheRockChickhermiz
I AGREE with you. Craig Douglas WINS hands down for the BEST version of this song ever recorded. I love Gene McDaniels and Iโve preferred his versions of songs over other artists but sorry Gene, not this time โค