Born in Tioga, Texas, Autry was raised in Texas and Oklahoma. Discovered by humorist Will Rogers, in 1929 Autry was billed as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy" at KVOO in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He gained a popular following, a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1929, and soon after, performed on the "National Barn Dance" for radio station WLS in Chicago. Autry first appeared on screen in 1934 and up to 1953 popularized the musical Western and starred in 93 feature films. In 1940 theater exhibitors of America voted Autry the fourth biggest box office attraction, behind Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable, and Spencer Tracy.
While best known today as the singer of such holiday fare as Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane), Frosty The Snowman, Peter Cottontail, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the second all-time best selling Christmas single of all time, Autry made 640 recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by him. His records are reputed to have sold more than 100 million copies. His recording of That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine is reputed to have sold more than 5 million copies. Autry's other significant recordings include:
* You Are My Sunshine (1931)
* A Face I See at Evening (1931)
* The Last Roundup (1933)
* Cowboy's Heaven (1934)
* South of the Border (1934)
* Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935)
* Mexicali Rose (1935)
* Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle (1935)
* Gold Mine in the Sky (1937)
* Back in the Saddle Again (1939)
* Blueberry Hill (1941)
* Be Honest With Me (1946)
* Ghost Riders in the Sky (1949)
* Nobody's Darlin' but Mine (1957)
From 1940 to 1956 Autry hosted the weekly Melody Ranch radio show over the CBS Radio Network, featuring Autry's trademark theme song Back In The Saddle Again. In addition, Autry's popularity was apparent during his personal appearance tours. Claimed to have been the first performer to sell out Madison Square Garden, his concert and rodeo appearances throughout the United States and Europe served as a model for other performers. Autry often did two shows a day, seven days a week, for 65 to 85 days at a stretch.
In 1950, Autry became one of the first major movie stars to turn to television. For the next five years he produced and starred in 91 half-hour episodes of The Gene Autry Show for CBS Television. This success lead him to produce such popular TV series as Annie Oakley, The Range Rider, Buffalo Bill Jr., The Adventures Of Champion as well as the first 39 episodes of Death Valley Days.
He carried his love for entertaining and sharp business sense into broadcasting, where, under the Golden West Broadcasters banner, he owned a chain of radio and television stations throughout the Western United States, including KMPC and KTLA in Los Angeles and KSFO in San Francisco until the late 1980's. His other business interests included the Gene Autry Hotel in Palm Springs, and several other properties. He ranked for many years on the Forbes magazine list of the 400 richest Americans, before he fell in 1995 to the magazine's "near miss" category with an estimated net worth of $320 million.
Autry's broadcasting interests that led him in 1960 to acquire the then expansion Los Angeles Angels American League baseball franchise (later the California Angels). After his retirement from performing in the mid-1960's, much of Autry's time was spent unsuccessfully attempting to win a World Series' championship for his Angels. When he became the first country musician to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he said that there's "only one day that will be bigger than this one for me, and that's when we win the World Series." Autry was a fixture at Angels' games for the rest of his life.
Autry's long-cherished dream came true with the opening in November 1988 of the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, since acclaimed as one of the finest museums on the history and mythology of the West.
Among the many hundreds of honors and awards Autry has received were induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame; the American Academy of Achievement Award, the Los Angeles Area Governor's Emmy from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; and the Board of Directors Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Achievement in Arts Foundation. Autry was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, The National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and he received The Songwriters Guild Life Achievement Award. He was also honored by his songwriting peers with a lifetime achievement award from ASCAP.
Gene Autry died at his home in Studio City, California on October 2, 1998 at the age of 91.
Joy to the World
Gene Autry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yet every year on Christmas day, we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of our Father in Heaven
The power and the glory, for ever and ever
Joy to the world, the Lord has come
Let earth receive her king
Let every heart prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing)
And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing)
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her king
Let every heart prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing)
And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing)
And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing)
The lyrics of Gene Autry's "Joy to the World" express the joy and celebration of Jesus Christ's birth, which happened almost 20 centuries ago. Despite the long passage of time, the Christian world marks this occasion every year on Christmas day, when they come together to remember this special event. The song avows that our Father in Heaven is the King of Kings, and His power and glory will shine forever.
The chorus of the song urges the people of Earth to welcome their King, and make room in their hearts for his love and goodness. The title of the song "Joy to the World" mirrors the words of the angels who heralded the coming of the Messiah with the joyful proclamation, "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, goodwill toward men."
Overall, Gene Autry's "Joy to the World" is a reverent and uplifting song that calls on listeners to celebrate the magic and joy of Christmas by opening up their hearts to the Holy Spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
That was almost twenty centuries ago
It's been almost 2000 years since the birth of Jesus Christ
Yet every year on Christmas day, we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of our Father in Heaven
Although it's been a long time, on Christmas day we still celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who represents our Heavenly Father
The power and the glory, for ever and ever
The greatness and majesty of Jesus Christ will last forever
Joy to the world, the Lord has come
Happiness and rejoicing because Jesus Christ has arrived
Let earth receive her king
The world should accept Jesus Christ as its ruler and leader
Let every heart prepare him room
Everyone should make space in their hearts for Jesus Christ
And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing)
Even the heavens and the natural world acknowledge the arrival of Jesus Christ and join in the celebration
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Happiness and rejoicing because Jesus Christ has arrived
Let earth receive her king
The world should accept Jesus Christ as its ruler and leader
Let every heart prepare him room
Everyone should make space in their hearts for Jesus Christ
And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing)
Even the heavens and the natural world acknowledge the arrival of Jesus Christ and join in the celebration
And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing)
Even the heavens and the natural world acknowledge the arrival of Jesus Christ and join in the celebration
And heaven and nature sing (and heaven and nature sing)
Even the heavens and the natural world acknowledge the arrival of Jesus Christ and join in the celebration
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, FRED BOCK MUSIC CO.,INC.
Written by: Isaac Watts
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind