Gibson was born in Shelby, North Carolina into a poor working-class family, he dropped out of school in the second grade.
Gibson's first band was called Sons of the Soil, with whom he made his first recording in 1948. Among his greatest hits were "Oh Lonesome Me" (later recorded by both Ray Charles and Neil Young) and "Blue Blue Day" (both No. 1 hits in 1958); "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" (1959); "Sea of Heartbreak" (1961); "Lonesome No. 1" and "I Can Mend Your Broken Heart" (1962); and "Woman (Sensuous Woman)" (a No. 1 hit in 1972).
Gibson recorded a series of successful duets with Dottie West in the late 1960s, the most successful of which were the No. 2 country hit "Rings of Gold" (1969) and the top 10 hit "There's a Story Goin' Round" (1970). In 1957, Gibson travelled back to Nashville to record "Oh Lonesome Me" for RCA. He and producer Chet Atkins decided to abandon the traditional steel guitar and fiddle and use a new sound featuring only guitars, a piano, a drummer, upright bass, and background singers. It became one of the first examples of what would be called the Nashville Sound and won Gibson a #1 hit; it also set the pattern for a long series of other RCA hits, including “Blue Blue Day” (1958).
A talented songwriter, Gibson was nicknamed "the sad poet" because he frequently wrote songs that told of loneliness and lost love. He wrote and sang "I Can't Stop Loving You", a song that would be recorded by more than 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles with a pop version in 1962. He also wrote and recorded "Sweet Dreams" that would become a major 1963 crossover hit for Patsy Cline. A great fan, in 1967 Roy Orbison recorded an album of his songs simply titled: Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson.
Don Gibson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and in 2001 into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
On his passing in 2003, he was interred in the Sunset Cemetery, in his hometown of Shelby, North Carolina.
Foggy River
Don Gibson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Flowing over a heart of stone
You left me stranded on this foggy river
Drifting helpless and alone
Can't escape this broken heart of mine
There's no freedom anymore
Oh Heaven help me on this foggy river
There's no tomorrow on this foggy river
Only memories linger on
A mist of sorrow chills this foggy river
Everything I love is gone
Always knew some day you'd let me down
I've got troubles on my mind
I guess I'm doomed to sail this foggy river
'Till I leave your love behind
The song "Foggy River" by Don Gibson tells a story of a lover left stranded on a cold foggy river, drifting helpless and alone. The imagery of the foggy river serves as a metaphor for the emotional state of the singer, who feels lost and unable to escape the pain of a broken heart. The line "Your love is colder than a foggy river" highlights the sense of abandonment and detachment the singer feels from his lover. The river represents the emotional distance that has grown between them.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of resignation and acceptance that the singer is unable to shake off the memories of his past love. He knows that there is no tomorrow on this foggy river and that he is doomed to sail this river until he is able to leave the love of his past behind. The line "Can't escape this broken heart of mine, There's no freedom anymore," indicates that the singer is still holding on to the pain and the past, and that he is unable to move on from the past experiences.
In conclusion, "Foggy River" is a poignant and emotive song that captures the feelings of a broken heart. The metaphor of the foggy river serves as a powerful symbol of the singer's emotional state, while the lyrics suggest a sense of resignation and acceptance that the past cannot be changed.
Line by Line Meaning
Your love is colder than a foggy river
Your affection has become dispassionate and uncaring so as to be compared to the frigid temperatures of a river blanketed in fog.
Flowing over a heart of stone
It affects me and my emotions that have been fortified and hardened to become unresponsive as they are overwhelmed with it.
You left me stranded on this foggy river
You abandoned me adrift in an unclear and uncertain situation with no way of finding a resolute course.
Drifting helpless and alone
Without a sense of direction, I am inclined to wander aimlessly without any assistance or company.
Can't escape this broken heart of mine
The pain I feel in my shattered inner self cannot be resolved or eliminated, despite my wishes to escape it.
There's no freedom anymore
The state of being liberated from this painful experience is unattainable.
Oh Heaven help me on this foggy river
I implore a benevolent force above to aid me in traversing the confusing and uncertain situation I am stuck in.
Help me find the distant shore
Assist me in discovering the solution to my problems that appears to be far away and out of reach.
There's no tomorrow on this foggy river
The future seems bleak and is shrouded in a foggy haze that obscures it from view.
Only memories linger on
All that remains of our good times together are the recollections that I cannot escape from.
A mist of sorrow chills this foggy river
A persistent feeling of overwhelming sadness permeates the foggy river, weighing down on me without relief.
Everything I love is gone
All that I held dear is now absent from my life.
Always knew some day you'd let me down
From the beginning, I was convinced I would be disappointed by you at some point in my life.
I've got troubles on my mind
My thoughts and emotions are burdened with issues that are difficult to resolve.
I guess I'm doomed to sail this foggy river
It seems that I am fated to spend my days drifting hopelessly in this confusing situation.
'Till I leave your love behind
Until I am capable of moving on from my affection for you and letting it go, I will continue struggling in the foggy river.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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