Born John Henry Kendricks in Detroit, Michigan, Ballard along with his brother, Dove Ballard, grew up and attended school in Bessemer, Alabama after the death of their father. He lived with his paternal aunt and her husband, and began singing in church. His major vocal inspiration during his formative years was the "Singing Cowboy", Gene Autry, and in particular, his signature song, "Back in the Saddle Again". Ballard returned to Detroit in his teens and later worked on the assembly line for Ford.
In 1953, Ballard joined doo-wop group The Royals, which had previously been discovered by Johnny Otis and signed to Federal Records, (a division of King Records), in Cincinnati. Ballard joined Henry Booth, Charles Sutton, Sonny Woods and Alonzo Tucker in the group, replacing previous singer Lawson Smith.
The Royals released "Get It" (1953), an R&B song with possibly sexually oriented lyrics, which some radio stations refused to play, although it still made it to number 6 on the Billboard R&B chart.
The group then changed its name to The Midnighters to avoid confusion with The "5" Royales. In 1954, Ballard wrote a song called "Work with Me, Annie" that was drawn from "Get It". It became The Midnighters' first major R&B hit, spending seven weeks at number 1 on the R&B charts and also selling well in mainstream markets, along with the answer songs "Annie Had a Baby" and "Annie's Aunt Fannie"; all were banned by the FCC from radio air play. Their third major hit was "Sexy Ways", a song that cemented the band's reputation as one of the most risqué groups of the time.
They had four other R&B chart hits in 1954–55, but no others until 1959, by which time the group was billed as "Hank Ballard and The Midnighters" with their label changed from Federal to King, the parent label. Between 1959 and 1961 they had several more both on the R&B and Pop charts, starting with "Teardrops on Your Letter", a number 4 R&B hit in 1960 that had as its B-side the Ballard-written song "The Twist". A few months later, Chubby Checker's cover version of the song went to number 1 on the pop charts. It would return to the top of the charts again in 1962–the only song in the rock'n'roll era to reach number 1 in two different years.
Ballard & the Midnighters had several other hit singles through 1961, including the Grammy-nominated "Finger Poppin' Time" and "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" which hit number 7 and number 6, respectively, on the Billboard pop charts. They did not reach the charts again after 1962 and dissolved in 1965.
After the Midnighters disbanded, Ballard launched a solo career. His 1968 single, "How You Gonna Get Respect (When You Haven't Cut Your Process Yet)", was his biggest post-Midnighters hit, peaking at number 15 on the R&B chart. James Brown produced Ballard's 1969 album You Can't Keep a Good Man Down. A 1972 single, "From the Love Side", credited to Hank Ballard and the Midnight Lighters, went to number 43 on the R&B chart. Ballard also appeared on Brown's 1972 album Get on the Good Foot, in a track ("Recitation By Hank Ballard") that features Ballard describing Brown and the album.
During the 1960s, Ballard's cousin, Florence Ballard, was a member of the Detroit girl group The Supremes.
In the mid-1980s, Ballard re-formed The Midnighters and the group performed till 2002.
In 1990, Ballard was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; the other Midnighters were inducted in 2012.
On March 2, 2003, he died at age 66 of throat cancer in his Los Angeles home. He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ballard was the great uncle of NFL player Christian Ballard.
Finger Poppin' Time
Hank Ballard & The Midnighters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's finger pop poppin' time
Finger poppin', poppin' time
I feel so good
Woo and that's a real good sign
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
Baby, come along with me
Hey
Hey, hey baby, come along with me
We gonna shake it 'til it breaks
Just wait and see
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
It's finger pop poppin' time
Finger poppin', poppin' time
I feel so good
And that's a real good sign
Here comes Mary, here comes Sue
A-here comes Johnny and Bobby too
It's finger pop poppin' time
I feel so good
And that's a real good sign
(Hey now)
(Hey now)
(Hey now)
(Hey now)
(Hey now)
(Hey now)
Here comes Mary, here comes Sue
here comes Johnny and Bobby too
It's finger pop poppin' time
I feel so good
And that's a real good sign
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
It's finger pop poppin' time
Finger poppin', poppin' time
I feel so good
And that's a real good sign
Poppin', Finger poppin'
Finger poppin'
Finger poppin', poppin'
Finger poppin', poppin'
The song "Finger Poppin' Time" by Hank Ballard is a lively and upbeat tune about having a good time with friends. The lyrics suggest that it's time to let loose and have fun by popping your fingers in time to the music. The opening lines, repeated throughout the song, set the tone and rhythm of the song, inviting the listener to join in on the finger-popping fun.
The chorus, "It's finger pop poppin' time, Finger poppin', poppin' time, I feel so good, Woo and that's a real good sign," is an invitation to join in on the party, to let go of any inhibitions and join in with the finger-poppin' rhythm of the music. The verses suggest that the party is just getting started, as Mary, Sue, Johnny and Bobby make their way to the scene. The song is upbeat and fun, inviting listeners to let loose and enjoy themselves.
Overall, "Finger Poppin' Time" is an expression of joy, excitement, and a celebration of life. It's a song about breaking free from the mundane, and letting loose with friends. The song and its lyrics are a reflection of the spirit of the times, exuding all the cool and energy of early rock and roll.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
Excitement and anticipation building
It's finger pop poppin' time
It's time to have fun and dance
Finger poppin', poppin' time
Dancing and snapping fingers to the rhythm of the music
I feel so good
Feeling happy and carefree
Woo and that's a real good sign
Feeling good is a sign of a great time and positive energy
Baby, come along with me
Inviting a romantic partner to join in the fun
Hey
Expressing excitement and attention
Hey, hey baby, come along with me
Repeating the invitation to the romantic partner with greater emphasis
We gonna shake it 'til it breaks
Dancing energetically until the music stops
Just wait and see
Promising even more fun ahead
Here comes Mary, here comes Sue
Noticing other people joining in the fun
A-here comes Johnny and Bobby too
Naming specific people who are joining the party
Poppin', Finger poppin'
Repeating the fun action of snapping fingers to the music
Finger poppin', Finger poppin'
Repeating the phrase to continue the dancing and fun
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hank Ballard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@idkanymore186
@@jackscreativestudio7356 knocks
“Yeah?”
“Um, dad?”
“Mhm?”
“I-I mean Bill. Remember you- you promised you’d teach me to play catch?”
“Mhm”
“Um… well, could you teach me?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Okay.”
“Okay”
“Thanks.”
awkward silence
“Sorry.”
@theghosthost2165
"Thirty years later, a kid named Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez... became a neighborhood legend. It was in the greatest summer of my life... when he taught me to play baseball, and he became my best friend. And he got me out of the biggest pickle I'd ever be in. I moved to the neighborhood two weeks before school let out. It was the same summer that Dodger Maury Wills would break the stolen bases record. So with something that incredible going on, it should've started off with loads of great things happening for me, but it didn't. I was from another state, and I didn't have a single friend in a thousand miles. It was a lousy way to end up the fifth grade, 'cause I had zip time to make friends before summer. And that's about where it all started."
@jackscreativestudio7356
My real dad died when I was just a little kid. My mom had married Bill about a year before we moved into the valley. He and I were still getting used to each other
@1320aguilera
😂 someone keep it goin.
@idkanymore186
@@jackscreativestudio7356 knocks
“Yeah?”
“Um, dad?”
“Mhm?”
“I-I mean Bill. Remember you- you promised you’d teach me to play catch?”
“Mhm”
“Um… well, could you teach me?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Okay.”
“Okay”
“Thanks.”
awkward silence
“Sorry.”
@phoenix4415
“We got to get that ball back”
@jorgemendez250
Remember kid, theres hero's and theres Legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. If you follow your heart kid you'll never go wrong
@jasonlettorale5177
This song is legendary! The American music diaspora is epic!!!
@sanefam5326
If anyone here has came to this song because of the greatest baseball movie ever well then welcome.
@canadiansoviet
you are a L7 weenie.
@chevelle921
you're killin me Smalls