Born in Texas, Jones first heard country music when he was seven, and was given a guitar at the age of nine. He married his first wife, Dorothy Bonvillion, in 1950, and was divorced in 1951. He served in the United States Marine Corps and was discharged in 1953. He married Shirley Ann Corley in 1954. In 1959, Jones recorded "White Lightning", written by J. P. Richardson, which launched his career as a singer. His second marriage ended in divorce in 1968; he married fellow country music singer Tammy Wynette a year later. Years of alcoholism compromised his health and led to his missing many performances, earning him the nickname "No Show Jones". After his divorce from Wynette in 1975, Jones married his fourth wife, Nancy Sepulvado, in 1983 and became sober for good in 1999. Jones died in 2013, aged 81, from hypoxic respiratory failure.
George Jones has been called "The Rolls Royce Of Country Music" and had more than 160 chart singles to his name from 1955 until his death in 2013. Johnny Cash once said, "When people ask me who my favorite country singer is, I say, 'You mean besides George Jones?'"
Jones tirelessly defended the integrity of country music, telling Billboard in 2006, "It's never been for love of money. I thank God for it because it makes me a living. But I sing because I love it, not because of the dollar signs." Jones also went out of his way to promote younger country singers that he felt were as passionate about the music as he was. "Everybody knows he's a great singer," Alan Jackson stated in 1995, "but what I like most about George is that when you meet him, he is like some old guy that works down at the gas station...even though he's a legend!"
Shortly after Jones' death, Andrew Mueller wrote about his influence in Uncut, "He was one of the finest interpretive singers who ever lifted a microphone...There cannot be a single country songwriter of the last 50-odd years who has not wondered what it might be like to hear their words sung by that voice." In an article for The Texas Monthly in 1994, Nick Tosches eloquently described the singer's vocal style: "While he and his idol, Hank Williams, have both affected generations with a plaintive veracity of voice that has set them apart, Jones has an additional gift—a voice of exceptional range, natural elegance, and lucent tone. Gliding toward high tenor, plunging toward deep bass, the magisterial portamento of his onward-coursing baritone emits white-hot sparks and torrents of blue, investing his poison love songs with a tragic gravity and inflaming his celebrations of the honky-tonk ethos with the hellfire of abandon." In the New Republic essay "Why George Jones ranks with Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday," David Hajdu writes:
"Jones had a handsome and strange voice. His singing was always partly about the appeal of the tones he produced, regardless of the meaning of the words. In this sense, Jones had something in common with singers of formal music and opera, though his means of vocal production were radically different from theirs. He sang from the back of his throat, rather than from deep in his diaphragm. He tightened his larynx to squeeze sound out. He clenched his jaw, instead of wriggling it free. He forced wind through his teeth, and the notes sounded weirdly beautiful."
David Cantwell recalled in 2013, "His approach to singing, he told me once, was to call up those memories and feelings of his own that most closely corresponded to those being felt by the character in whatever song he was performing. He was a kind of singing method actor, creating an illusion of the real." In the liner notes to Essential George Jones: The Spirit of Country Rich Kienzle states, "Jones sings of people and stories that are achingly human. He can turn a ballad into a catharsis by wringing every possible emotion from it, making it a primal, strangled cry of anguish". In 1994, country music historian Colin Escott pronounced, "Contemporary country music is virtually founded on reverence for George Jones. Walk through a room of country singers and conduct a quick poll, George nearly always tops it." In the wake of Jones's death, Merle Haggard pronounced in Rolling Stone, "His voice was like a Stradivarius violin: one of the greatest instruments ever made." Emmylou Harris wrote, "when you hear George Jones sing, you are hearing a man who takes a song and makes it a work of art - always," a quote that appeared on the sleeve of Jones' 1976 album The Battle. In the documentary Same Ole Me, several country music stars offer similar thoughts. Randy Travis: "It sounds like he's lived every minute of every word that he sings and there's very few people who can do that"; Tom T. Hall: "It was always Jones who got the message across just right"; and Roy Acuff: "I'd give anything if I could sing like George Jones". In the same film, producer Billy Sherrill states, "All I did was change the instrumentation around him. I don't think he's changed at all."
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed George Jones among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
Finally Friday
George Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know I ought to save it, but it's burnin' a hole
Right through my pocket and into my skin
Come Monday morning I'll be broke again
It's finally Friday, I'm free again
I got my motor running for a wild weekend
It's finally Friday, I'm out of control
I got a little sugar baby down the road
She's sittin' on a radio and rockin' on roll
We'll dance up a storm, and later, all night
We'll be workin' on a doin' all the wrong things right
It's finally Friday, I'm free again
I got my motor running for a wild weekend
It's finally Friday, I'm out of control
Forget the workin' blues and let the good times roll
Monday, I'll be hurtin' with my head in a vice
Tuesday, I'll be wonderin' if I'll ever survive
Wednesday and Thursday, I'll be slowly tunin' in
Friday, I'll be revvin' up my motor again
Finally Friday, I'm free again
I got my motor running for a wild weekend
It's finally Friday, I'm out of control
Forget the workin' blues and let the good times roll
Finally Friday
I got my motor running for a wild weekend
It's finally Friday
Forget the workin' blues and let the good times roll
"Finally Friday" by George Jones is a song about the joy and freedom of the upcoming weekend after a long week at work. The first verse sets the tone as the singer acknowledges the need to save money but is compelled to spend it anyway, indicating his carefree attitude. The chorus expresses the excitement of finally being free from the monotony of work and letting loose over the weekend. The second verse describes the singer's plans with his sweetheart, indicating that they will dance, stay up late, and do things that they wouldn't typically do during the workweek. Finally, the third verse describes the inevitable drop in energy and motivation that the singer will experience next week as a result of the weekend's activities. The song ends on the same note of excitement as the chorus repeats, emphasizing the joy of the weekend.
The lyrics of "Finally Friday" reflect the American working class's spirit in the 1980s and their desire for a break from the daily grind. The song's upbeat melody and catchy lyrics make it an instant classic and a popular Friday anthem for generations. George Jones' unique voice gives the song its character, making it an excellent representation of country music's roots.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a hundred dollars smokin' in my billfold
I have one hundred dollars in my wallet that I should probably save, but the temptation to spend it is too strong.
I know I ought to save it, but it's burnin' a hole
I am aware that I should save the money, but the desire to spend it is intense and difficult to resist.
Right through my pocket and into my skin
The urge to spend the money is so strong that it feels like it is physically burning through my pocket and into my skin.
Come Monday morning I'll be broke again
If I spend the money, by Monday morning I will be financially destitute and facing the same financial woes as before.
It's finally Friday, I'm free again
Finally, the weekend has arrived, and I am free from the constraints of work and able to enjoy myself.
I got my motor running for a wild weekend
My excitement for the weekend is palpable, and I am eager to engage in some wild and adventurous activities.
Forget the workin' blues and let the good times roll
Put the worries of work and stress behind you and embrace the opportunity to have fun and enjoy oneself.
I got a little sugar baby down the road
I have a romantic partner who lives nearby and who I plan to spend time with over the weekend.
She's sittin' on a radio and rockin' on roll
My partner is listening to music and dancing with enthusiasm and energy.
We'll dance up a storm, and later, all night
We will dance energetically and enthusiastically for an extended period, well into the night.
We'll be workin' on a doin' all the wrong things right
We will engage in activities that may not be considered appropriate or wise, but will ultimately feel good and invigorating.
Monday, I'll be hurtin' with my head in a vice
By the time Monday morning arrives, I will likely be suffering from the consequences of my wild weekend, possibly with a hangover or other physical discomfort.
Tuesday, I'll be wonderin' if I'll ever survive
The aftermath of the wild weekend may make me feel exhausted and overwhelmed, leading me to believe that I may not be able to successfully navigate future challenges.
Wednesday and Thursday, I'll be slowly tunin' in
As the days of the workweek progress, I will gradually recover from the effects of the weekend and start preparing for the next one.
Friday, I'll be revvin' up my motor again
As the next weekend approaches, my excitement and anticipation will begin to build once again.
Finally Friday
At last, the workweek is over, and the weekend has arrived.
Forget the workin' blues and let the good times roll
Put aside any negative feelings or concerns related to work and embrace the opportunity to have a good time and enjoy oneself.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Bobby K Boyd, Dennis Robbins, Dewayne Mize, Warren Haynes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Codeman
My local radio station plays this every Friday at 5pm on the dot. When it comes on you know it's time to pack up and the weekend has begun!
Roxanne Moser
Ours used to, but it's like they only want to play the stupid "pop country" songs. 🙄
Sandy Cakes
Do he's
noah williams
Wish mine did that
Anthony Adams
@Masa Allen P⁰
salty2024
That's why I'm here I missed it in the radio
Kyle Amidon
This song NEVER gets old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr_Nugget
Ong bro
ed
This song always plays on Fridays at 7:30 am, while I'm on my school bus. Love it, only thing I look forward to every week.
xmike925x
You ain’t from America unless this played on Fridays in your school bus