Arnold was born on May 15, 1918 on a farm near Henderson, Tennessee. His father, a sharecropper, played the fiddle, while his mother played guitar. As a boy Arnold helped on the farm, which later gained him his nickname—the Tennessee Plowboy. Arnold attended Pinson High School in Pinson, Tennessee, where he played guitar for school functions and events. He quit before graduation to help with the farm work, but continued performing, often arriving on a mule with his guitar hung on his back. Arnold also worked part-time as an assistant at a mortuary.
In 1934, at age 16, Arnold debuted musically on WTJS-AM in Jackson, Tennessee and obtained a job there during 1937. He performed at local nightclubs and was a permanent performer for the station. During 1938, he was hired by WMPS-AM in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was one of its most popular performers. He soon quit for KWK-AM in St. Louis, Missouri, followed by a brief stint at WHAS-AM in Louisville, Kentucky.
He performed for WSM-AM on the Grand Ole Opry during 1943 as a solo artist. In 1944, Arnold signed a contract with RCA Victor, with manager Colonel Tom Parker, who later managed Elvis Presley. Arnold's first single was little noticed, but the next, "Each Minute Seems a Million Years", scored No. 5 on the country charts during 1945. Its success began a decade of unprecedented chart performance; Arnold's next 57 singles all scored the Top Ten, including 19 number one scoring successes.
In 1946, Arnold scored his first major success with "That's How Much I Love You". In 1948, he had five successful songs on the charts simultaneously. That year he had nine songs score the top 10; five of these scored No. 1 and scored No. 1 for 40 of the year's 52 weeks. With Parker's management, Arnold continued to dominate, with 13 of the 20 best-scoring country music songs of 1947–1948. He became the host of Mutual Radio's Purina-sponsored segment of the Opry and of Mutual’s Checkerboard Jamboree, a midday program shared with Ernest Tubb that was broadcast from a Nashville theater. Recorded radio programs increased Arnold’s popularity, as did the CBS Radio series Hometown Reunion with the Duke of Paducah. Arnold quit the Opry during 1948, and his Hometown Reunion briefly broadcasted in competition with the Opry on Saturday nights. In 1949 and 1950, he performed in the Columbia movies Feudin’ Rhythm and Hoedown.
Arnold began working for television in the early 1950s, hosting The Eddy Arnold Show. The summer program was broadcast successively by all three television networks, replacing the Perry Como and Dinah Shore programs. He also performed as a guest and a guest host on the ABC-TV show Ozark Jubilee from 1955–60. Arnold featured in the syndicated Eddy Arnold Time from 1955 to 1957. From 1960 to 1961, he hosted NBC-TV's Today on the Farm.
With the rise of rock and roll in the 1950s, Arnold's record sales declined, though he and fellow RCA Victor recording artist Jim Reeves had a greater audience with popular-sounding string-laced arrangements. Arnold annoyed many people of the country music establishment by recording with the Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra at RCA's studios in New York. The pop-oriented arrangements of "The Cattle Call" and "The Richest Man (in the World)", however, helped to expand his appeal beyond its country music base. This style, pioneered by Reeves and Arnold, became known as the "Nashville Sound". During 1953, Arnold and Tom Parker had a dispute, and Arnold dismissed him. From 1954 to 1963, Arnold's performances were managed by Joe Csida; during 1964 Csida was replaced by Jerry Purcell.
Arnold embarked on a second career that brought his music to a more diverse audience. In the summer of 1965, he had his first Number One country song in ten years, What's He Doing in My World and struck gold again six months later with the song that would become his most well-known Make the World Go Away accompanied by pianist Floyd Cramer on piano and featuring the Anita Kerr Singers. As a result, Arnold's rendition became an international success.
Bill Walker's orchestra arrangements provided the lush background for 16 continuous successes sung by Arnold in the late 1960s. Arnold performed with symphony orchestras in New York City, Las Vegas and Hollywood. He performed in Carnegie Hall for two concerts, and in the Coconut Grove in Las Vegas.[9] During 1966, Arnold was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the youngest performer to receive the honor. The following year Arnold was voted the first-ever awarded Country Music Association's Entertainer Of The Year. Two years later, Arnold released an autobiography named It's A Long Way From Chester County.
Having been with RCA Victor since his debut during 1944, Arnold left the company in 1973 for MGM Records, for which he recorded four albums, which included several top 40 successes. He returned to RCA in 1976.
During the 1980s, Arnold declared himself semi-retired; however, he continued recording. In 1984, the Academy of Country Music awarded Arnold its Pioneer Award. His next album, You Don't Miss A Thing wasn't released until 1991. Arnold performed road tours for several more years. By 1992, he had sold nearly 85 million records, and had a total of 145 weeks of No. 1 songs, more than any other singer.
In 1996, RCA issued an album of Arnold's main successes since 1944 as part of its 'Essential' series. Arnold, then 76 years old, retired from active singing, though he still performed occasionally. On May 16, 1999, the day after his 81st birthday, he announced his final retirement during a concert at the Hotel Orleans in Las Vegas. That same year, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences inducted the recording of "Make The World Go Away" into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. In 2005, Arnold received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy, and later that year, released a final album for RCA entitled After All These Years.
Eddy Arnold died from natural causes at 5:00 a.m. Central Time on May 8, 2008 in a nursing home in Nashville, exactly one week before his 90th birthday. His wife of 66 years, Sally Gayhart Arnold, had preceded him in death by two months. They were survived by two children (Richard E. Arnold, Jr., and JoAnn Arnold Pollard), two grandchildren (K. Michelle Pollard and R. Shannon Pollard, Jr.), and four great-grandchildren (Katie E. Pollard, Sophie Pollard, Rowan Pollard and Ben Johns).
On May 31, 2008, RCA released "To Life", as a single from the album After All These Years. It debuted at No. 49 on the Hot Country Songs charts, Arnold's first entry in 25 years and the recording by the oldest person to chart in Billboard magazine. It set the record for the longest span between a first chart single and a last: 62 years and 11 months ("Each Minute Seems Like a Million Years" debuted on June 30, 1945), and extended Arnold's career chart history to seven decades.
Casey Jones
Eddy Arnold Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The story 'bout a brave engineer
Casey Jones was the rounder's name
On a 68 wheeler, boys, he won his fame
The caller called Casey at a half past four
He kissed his wife at the station door
Mounted to the cabin with his orders in his hand
Casey Jones mounted to the cabin
Casey Jones with the orders in his hand
Casey Jones mounted to the cabin
And it took his final trip to the Promised Land
Put in your water and shovel your coal
Put your head out the window watch the drivers roll
I'll run her till she leaves the rails
'Cause I made hours late with the western mail
He looked at his watch but the watch was slow
He looked at the water and the water was low
He looked at the fireman and then he said
"We're gonna reach Frisco Buffalo'd be dead"
Casey Jones gonna reach Frisco
Casey Jones Buffalo'd be dead
Casey Jones we're gonna reach Frisco
We're gonna reach Frisco Buffalo'd be dead
Casey pulled up that Reno hill
He whistled for the crossing with an awful shrill
The switchman knew by the engine's moan
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones
He pulled up within two miles of the place
There number four stared him straight in the face
He turned to his fireman, said, "Boy, you'd better jump
'Cause there's two locomotives that are going to bump"
Casey Jones two locomotives
Casey Jones that's going to bump
Casey Jones two locomotives
There's two locomotives that's going to bump
Casey said just before he died
"There're two more roads that I'd like to ride"
The fireman said, "Would that be
The Northern Pacific and the Santa Fe"
Mrs. Jones sat at on her bed a sighin'
Just to see the message that Casey was dyin'
Go to bed children and stop your cryin'
'Cause daddy's still a ridin' that heavenly line
Casey Jones mounted to the cabin
Casey Jones with the orders in his hand
Casey Jones mounted to the cabin
And it took his final trip to the Promised Land
The song "Casey Jones" by Eddy Arnold pays tribute to the railroad engineer of the same name who became a folk hero after his tragic death in an accident in 1900. The lyrics describe Casey Jones as a brave and skilled rounder who was known for his speed and efficiency in driving trains. He was called to work at a half past four in the morning and after kissing his wife goodbye, he mounted the cabin with his orders in hand. He was determined to make up for lost time and maintain his schedule, which led to his fatal collision with another train. The lyrics also touch upon the legacy that Casey Jones left behind, as his wife and children mourn his loss but also take pride in his legendary status as a railroad engineer.
The lyrics of "Casey Jones" not only celebrate the life and legacy of the famous engineer but also capture the energy and excitement of the railroad era. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy melody make it a popular tune for country music fans and railroad enthusiasts alike. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Johnny Cash, Pete Seeger, and Grateful Dead. It has also been featured in several movies, TV shows, and commercials.
Line by Line Meaning
Come all you rounders, if you wanna hear
Calling all those who want to hear the story of a brave train driver named Casey Jones
The story 'bout a brave engineer
This song is about the story of Casey Jones, a fearless train engineer
Casey Jones was the rounder's name
The engineer in this song was known as Casey Jones
On a 68 wheeler, boys, he won his fame
Casey Jones drove a 68-wheeler train and became famous for his bravery
The caller called Casey at a half past four
Casey received a call at 4:30am summoning him to work
He kissed his wife at the station door
Casey said goodbye to his wife before heading off to work
Mounted to the cabin with his orders in his hand
Casey climbed aboard the train with his instructions for the trip
And it took his final trip to the Promised Land
Unfortunately, this would be Casey's last trip as he would not return
Put in your water and shovel your coal
The train driver and his assistant are getting ready for the journey by stoking the engine and preparing coal for the fire
Put your head out the window watch the drivers roll
The driver can see the wheels turning from his window
I'll run her till she leaves the rails
Casey is determined to keep the train moving at full speed
'Cause I made hours late with the western mail
Casey is trying to make up for lost time with the mail train he is carrying
He looked at his watch but the watch was slow
Casey checked the time but his watch was running slow
He looked at the water and the water was low
The train's water supply was running low
He looked at the fireman and then he said
Casey spoke to his assistant and mentioned a nearby city
"We're gonna reach Frisco Buffalo'd be dead"
Casey predicts they will reach San Francisco before the scheduled time or else they'll die trying
Casey pulled up that Reno hill
The train had to climb up a hill and Casey was driving it
He whistled for the crossing with an awful shrill
Casey signaled a nearby crossing with a loud whistle
The switchman knew by the engine's moan
The switchman heard the train approaching by the sound it made
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones
The switchman knew that Casey Jones was driving the train
He pulled up within two miles of the place
The train was within two miles of its destination
There number four stared him straight in the face
Another train, Number Four, was coming right at them
He turned to his fireman, said, "Boy, you'd better jump
Casey tells his assistant to jump off the train to avoid the collision
'Cause there's two locomotives that are going to bump"
The number four train and the train Casey is driving are going to crash
"There're two more roads that I'd like to ride"
As Casey was dying, he expressed a desire to drive on two other railways
The fireman said, "Would that be
Casey's assistant asks him which railway he would like to drive on
The Northern Pacific and the Santa Fe"
Casey mentions two railways he would like to have driven on
Mrs. Jones sat at on her bed a sighin'
Casey's wife was sitting on her bed crying
Just to see the message that Casey was dyin'
Mrs. Jones received news that Casey had been fatally injured
Go to bed children and stop your cryin'
Mrs. Jones tells their children to stop crying and go to bed
'Cause daddy's still a ridin' that heavenly line
Mrs. Jones consoles her children by telling them that Casey is now in heaven driving trains
Casey Jones mounted to the cabin
This line is repeated to emphasize the importance of Casey Jones as the central figure in the song
And it took his final trip to the Promised Land
This line once again mentions that Casey Jones died during his final train ride
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: LAWTON, NEWTON, SEIBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind