Starting off singing at the local Optimist Club, Young was discovered by Webb Pierce, who brought him to star on the Louisiana Hayride radio program on KWKH in 1951.
He was drafted into the Army in late 1952, just after he was signed to Capitol Records. Nicknamed "The Hillbilly Heartthrob" and "The Singing Sheriff," he had many hits including:
"Young Love"
"If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')"
"Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young"
"Sweet Dreams"
"Alone With You"
"Hello Walls" (written by Willie Nelson)
"It's Four in the Morning" (written by Jerry Chesnut).
"Here I Am In Dallas"
"I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night"
Young made several appearances during the late 1950s on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee.
His #1 country hit "It's Four in the Morning" was written at his request as he was recuperating from a serious automobile accident in which he suffered head injuries. His tongue had been partly severed in the accident, and it took him several months before he could regain normal speaking ability. He had particular trouble with the "s" sound in most words, so he asked for a song which largely avoided that sound as his comeback effort.
Faron Young's band, the Country Deputies, was one of country music's top bands, and toured with him for many years.
Young co-founded, with Preston Temple, the Nashville trade newspaper, The Music City News.
Young died at the age of sixty-four of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had been in failing health when he took his own life.
Legacy and influence
A performance video clip of "It's Four In The Morning" was the first video to air on CMT when it first launched on March 5, 1983.
In 1985, the country singer inspired homage from British rock group, Prefab Sprout, whose multimillion-selling album, "Steve McQueen" contains the song "Faron Young." The song has the refrain: You give me Faron Young four in the morning / Forgive me Faron Young four in the morning..."
In 2000, he was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame
In the comic strip Peanuts, Frieda's cat was named "Faron" after Faron Young, of whom Charles Schulz was a fan.
Worked with Webb Pierce on the Louisana Hayride in 1951. First recorded with Tillman Franks & his Rainbow boys in 1951. Went solo in 1952. Appeared in the 1956 movie "Hidden Guns" and got his nickame "The Young Sheriff", and his band name, "Country Deputies" from that movie. Also appeared in the movies, Stampede, Daniel Boone, Raiders Of Old California, and That's Country. Founder and one-time publisher of the Music City News in Nashville. First charted song "Going Steady went to #2 on the Country Charts in 1953. Put 79 songs into the top 40 of the country charts from 1953-1978. Had 5 #1s. Last # 1 was It's Four In the Morning in 1971. During the '90s, Young was stricken with a debilitating emphysema. Depressed by his poor health, he shot himself on December 9, 1996, and passed away the next day Source Joel Whitburn's Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country
Heartache for a Keepsake
Faron Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What a tragic souvenir
Now I know how it feels
When people's dreams all disappear
I'm looking out my window
Watching her just walk away
A heartache for a keepsake
A picture fades with time
But will a heartache do the same
Years from now, will I still
Wake up nights and call her name?
Oh, it hurts to love somebody
Then to see her walk away
A heartache for a keepsake
It became mine just today
A picture fades with time
But will a heartache do the same
Years from now, will I still
Wake up nights and call her name?
Oh, it hurts to love somebody
Then to see her walk away
A heartache for a keepsake
It became mine just today
In Faron Young's song "Heartache for a Keepsake," the artist reflects on the emotional aftermath of a failed love affair. He laments the fact that he is left with nothing tangible to remember her by, except for the pain in his heart. The opening lines of "a heartache for a keepsake, what a tragic souvenir" suggests that he regrets investing his emotions in a relationship that was not fruitful. He comes to terms with the fact that the dreams they shared have faded away, leaving him with nothing but a sad reminder of what could have been.
As he watches his lover walk away, Faron realizes that the heartache he feels is the only thing he has remaining after the end of his relationship. He ponders whether the heartache will fade with time as pictures do or if it will linger and continue to affect his life even years from now. He acknowledges that the pain of losing someone we love is magnified by the memory of the joy we had together, leading to the line "oh, it hurts to love somebody, then to see her walk away." For Faron, the heartache he feels will remain with him indefinitely, becoming a keepsake that reminds him of what he lost.
Overall, the song explores the themes of love and loss, the pain of unfulfilled dreams, and the memories that can be painful to hold onto. The lyricist uses the metaphor of a heartache as a keepsake to suggest that emotions and memories can be as permanent as physical objects and can influence our life and the decisions we make for years to come.
Line by Line Meaning
A heartache for a keepsake
Feeling immense emotional pain is a precious reminder of the love that was once shared.
What a tragic souvenir
This anguish is a dreadful memento that one is left with.
Now I know how it feels
Having experienced this sadness, I can understand how others must feel in similar situations.
When people's dreams all disappear
This heartbreak shows how easily dreams can vanish and crumble into nothingness.
I'm looking out my window
From my vantage point, I am watching her walk away from me.
Watching her just walk away
Observing her leave is a distressing and painful experience.
A heartache for a keepsake
This tremendous ache inside my heart has become a symbol of the love that is now lost.
It became mine just today
The realization of the depth of my despair has only hit me recently.
A picture fades with time
A physical photograph may lose its clarity and color as time passes.
But will a heartache do the same
Can emotional pain become less intense and fade away with time?
Years from now, will I still
Even in the future, long after this heartbreak has occurred.
Wake up nights and call her name?
Will I still wake up in the middle of the night, plagued by memories of her and calling out her name?
Oh, it hurts to love somebody
The pain of loving someone is indescribable and all-consuming.
Then to see her walk way
Watching her leave is gut-wrenching and makes the pain even worse.
It became mine just today
This agony has only just become a part of me and my life today.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind