Ray Edward Cochran was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota; however, as his parents were from Oklahoma, he considered himself an Oklahoman, and introduced himself as such in interviews. He took music lessons in school, but eventually quit the band to play drums. Rather than take piano lessons, Cochran began learning guitar, playing the country music he heard on the radio. As time went on, Cochran moved to Los Angeles, California in 1953. Together with Hank Cochran, Eddie formed The Cochran Brothers, though the two shared no relation.
Around the same time, Cochran worked as a session musician, but aspired to be a songwriter and artist in his own right, and recorded a demo with songwriting partner and future manager, Jerry Capeheart. Cochran's first notable foray into the public eye was as one of the many performing artists featured in the musical comedy film The Girl Can't Help It starring Jayne Mansfield, eventually resulting in a recording contract with Liberty. He would follow up on this appearance by appearing in several films of the same genre. He also performed as a support act for such stars as Gene Vincent and Little Richard, who were among Cochran's co-stars in the aforementioned film.
For his recordings, Cochran often used experimental techniques that would later become part and parcel for other recording artists, notably recording numerous overdubs in order to create the rich, distinctive guitar sound for "Summertime Blues" and "C'mon Everybody". "Twenty Flight Rock", the song Cochran performed in The Girl Can't Help It, was the very first song a young Paul McCartney played for John Lennon as his audition for Lennon's group, The Quarrymen, which would later metamorphose into The Beatles.
Cochran was killed in an automobile accident in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England during a tour of Britain with Gene Vincent. Vincent and Cochran's fiancee, who were both in the car, survived the crash. Scholars have noted that, somewhat eerily, Cochran's last single release in his lifetime was "Three Steps to Heaven", although the song's lyrical context has nothing to do with death. Cochran's death occurred little over a year after the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, to whom he paid tribute in his recording of the song "Three Stars", which remained unreleased until 1966.
A majority of Cochran's recorded legacy would be released posthumously; in his lifetime, only one album, Singin' to My Baby (1957), was ever released. Perhaps owing to the brevity of his career, Cochran never attained the same star status as other rockers of the era; however, his lyrical themes of teenage desires and rebellion, being somewhat more morose and raucous than his contemporaries, had a profound influence on many of the greatest artists of the '60s and '70s, such as The Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones.
Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie
Eddie Cochran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I'll teach you every dance from across the sea
Yeah, first we'll hop
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll bop
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll slop, rock and roll, well, do the stroll
Well, Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie, got my blue suede shoes
A pink carnation and my black slacks too
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll bop
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll slop, rock and roll, well, do the stroll
Well, baby baby, you won't have to wait
I'll be ready at eight
I keep a-knockin' at your front door
All the cats are hoppin' at the big five-four
Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie, when we reach the hall
Well, we'll rock around the clock and really have a ball
Yeah, first we'll hop
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll bop
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll slop, rock and roll, well, do the stroll, yeah!
Well, baby baby, you won't have to wait
I'll be ready at eight
I keep a-knockin' at your front door
All the cats are hoppin' at the big five-four
Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie, when we reach the hall
Well, we'll rock around the clock and really have a ball
Well, first we'll hop
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll bop
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll slop, rock and roll, well, do the stroll
The lyrics of "Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie" by Eddie Cochran talk about a man inviting a woman named Jeanie to come dance with him. The lyrics describe how the man will teach her every dance from across the sea, including the hop, bop, slop, rock and roll, and the stroll. The man is excited to dance with Jeanie and wears his blue suede shoes, a pink carnation, and black slacks. He promises Jeanie that he will keep knocking on her front door until she is ready to dance with him.
The lyrics are an invitation and a declaration of love. The man wants to spend time with Jeanie and show her how to dance. He makes sure she knows that he will keep coming back until she is ready to dance with him, emphasizing his strong desire to be with her. The song is upbeat and energetic, perfectly capturing the excitement of young love.
Overall, the song is about the joy of dancing and the excitement of being with the one you love. The lyrics are simple, but the energetic rhythm of the music and Cochran's charismatic delivery make the song a classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie, come and dance with me
The singer invites Jeanie to dance with him and promises to teach her different styles of dancing.
Well, I'll teach you every dance from across the sea
The singer promises to teach Jeanie dances that he has learned from different parts of the world.
Yeah, first we'll hop
The first dance move they will learn is hopping.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll bop
After hopping, the next dance move will be bopping.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll slop, rock and roll, well, do the stroll
They will learn different dance moves, such as slopping, rock and rolling, and strolling.
Well, Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie, got my blue suede shoes
The singer is well-prepared for the dance with his blue suede shoes, pink carnation, and black slacks.
A pink carnation and my black slacks too
In addition to his blue suede shoes, the singer is also wearing a pink carnation and black slacks.
Well, baby baby, you won't have to wait
The singer assures Jeanie that he will be ready at eight.
I'll be ready at eight
The singer confirms that he will be ready to dance with Jeanie at eight.
I keep a-knockin' at your front door
The singer has been persistent in trying to get Jeanie to go dancing with him.
All the cats are hoppin' at the big five-four
Everyone is excited about the upcoming dance at the hall.
Well, baby baby, you won't have to wait
The singer assures Jeanie again that he will be ready at eight.
Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie, when we reach the hall
The singer looks forward to dancing with Jeanie when they arrive at the hall.
Well, we'll rock around the clock and really have a ball
They will enjoy dancing and having a good time.
Yeah, first we'll hop
They will start with the same dance move as before, hopping.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll bop
Then they will move on to bopping.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, then we'll slop, rock and roll, well, do the stroll, yeah!
They will continue learning and enjoying different dance moves, such as slopping, rock and rolling, and strolling.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: George Matola, Rickie Page
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kovachfg
Eddie was one of my favorite singers in the 50s, I've got a lot of his stuff on 45s. Another great one that died too young.